Twenty-first century birthday parties in Southern California demand a little more from Mom. Parameters like "There's a rule we have to invite the whole class," "Sienna had a spa party with a magician AND pony rides!" and "Is the cake gluten-free?" become land mines in our party planning, and most LA families don't have the yard space to accommodate all of that anyway.

Luckily Los Angeles weather makes local parks a great option most of the year; for all other times, there are some pretty phenomenal indoor party spots, too. All that, plus a whole guide-full of party ideas follow...