Birthday conundrums

Q I'm hosting a bunch of nine-year-olds for a sleepover party. My son doesn't want pizza. What else can I order in that all the kids will eat?
Dietary restrictions notwithstanding, we have yet to meet a child who doesn't love macaroni and cheese. A party-sized platter from S'Mac (345 E 12th St between First and Second Aves; 212-358-7912, smacnyc.com) amply feeds 10 to 15. Try the American version ($33)—a kid-pleasing blend of American and cheddar—or cheeseburger flavor ($41), which adds ground beef.

Uptown, Amy Ruth's (113 W 116th St between Malcolm X Blvd [Lenox Ave] and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd [Seventh Ave]; 212-280-8779, amyruthsharlem.com; $30 for a half tray) is known for its decadent soul food, including a traditional, gooey mac and cheese.

Kids and adults alike flock to Williamsburg's Dumont Burger (314 Bedford Ave between South 1st and 2nd Sts, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-384-6127, dumontburger.com) for its bacon-specked mac and cheese, also available without meat. If you're expecting a crowd, order a giant catering tray that will feed 25 or more ($140).

Q I know how to host an elementary schooler's birthday, but now that I'm about to celebrate with a tween, I'm not sure where to have the party. Any suggestions?
It's true: By age nine or ten, the once-exciting shindigs your kid has been to dozens of times start to lose their appeal. One of the hottest tween party activities right now, we hear, is a scavenger hunt. Watson Adventures (watsonadventures.com, from $525 for 15 kids) will customize a 90-minute hunt for your group at a venue like a zoo or museum—or even around your neighborhood. Kids might be asked to take a photo with a favorite street-food vendor or track down objects in particular colors.

For serious cool quotient, check out Carnival at Bowlmor Lanes (110 University Pl between 12th and 13th Sts; 212-255-8188, carnivalnyc.com; from $35 per kid). At night, the Coney Island–inspired nightclub is adults-only, but during the day, your tween and his friends can have the run of the place, grooving to '80s music and testing their skills on classic boardwalk games like "Knock Over the Milk Cans." Parties include a buffet with chicken fingers, pasta, hot dogs and more.

If your kid is obsessed with Glee—and who isn't?—consider a karaoke party. Reserve a private room at either location of Manhattan's Duet (53 W 35th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves; 646-473-0826, karaokeduet.com or 304 E 48th St between First and Second Aves, 212-753-0030; $5 a person per hour). High-tech Karaoke Shout (32-46 Steinway St between Broadway and 34th Ave, Astoria, Queens; 718-569-0080, karaokeshout.com; from $6 per person per hour) boasts an impressive selection of Disney tunes for Hannah Montana and Jo Bros fans. Or rent a well-stocked karaoke machine from Karaoke Champ (380 Lafayette St between Great Jones and E 4th Sts; 212-375-0091, karaokechamp.com; from $245 plus delivery charge) and have the kids party down in your apartment.

Q My daughter (sigh) still loves princesses. Are there any city spots that host all-inclusive princess parties?
The allure of frilly dresses and sparkle makeup is pretty powerful for little girls, and several venues will give them the Cinderella-at-the-ball treatment.

At Let's Dress Up (345 E 85th St between First and Second Aves, 212-879-0956; from $590 for ten kids), birthday princesses (age 3 and up) and their entourages spend an hour getting glammed up in an array of dresses, tiaras, wands and gloves. After a makeup and photo session, they sit down for a proper tea party.

Creative Dream Parties (25 Waterside Plaza, 23rd St at FDR Dr; 212-447-7263, creativedreamparties.com; from $709 for ten kids, $35 each additional child) offers royal themes for kids as young as three, including Ballerina Princess and Pampered Princess; girls do a craft, get their nails and makeup done, play games, and feast on pizza and cake.

Or have the princess come to you: New York Princess Party (626-616-3964, nyprincessparty.com; from $200) will send a costumed princess to your home to lead the girls in dancing, storytime, face painting and other fun activities.

Q We've ordered cupcakes from Crumbs for three years in a row, but we want to try something different this year. What's the latest cool birthday dessert?
Kids love anything tiny and cute (hence the appeal of Littlest Pet Shop and Justin Bieber), so watch them go gaga when you unveil a platter of mini cupcakes. And consider this: Going micro eliminates the waste of all those half-eaten cupcakes you're stuck with after the kids lick off the icing. We've sung the praises of Baked by Melissa's teeny treats before (212-842-0220, bakedbymelissa.com), so here are a few other mini masters.

Grace Hiura of CakeLab (347-688-7848, cakelabnyc.com; mini cupcakes $15 a dozen; minimum order two dozen) creates bite-size delights in custom flavors like s'more, jelly doughnut and banana split (banana cake filled with chocolate pudding and topped with strawberry cream and sprinkles).

The exquisite little creations from Kumquat Cupcakery at the Brooklyn Flea (brooklynflea.com for locations; kumquatcupcakery.com, $15 a dozen) are another option. They come in kid faves like banana, chocolate and vanilla; revelers with a more sophisticated palate—and their parents—will want to try the maple bacon or lemon-lavender.

In Queens, chef-owner George McKirdy of Astor Bake Shop (12-23 Astoria Blvd at 14th St, Astoria, Queens; 718-606-8439, astor-bakeshop.com; mini cupcakes $13.25 a dozen) brings years of pastry experience to bear in his mini red velvet, lemon-coconut and double chocolate creations.

Q The other parents will kill me if I send their kids home from our party with another sack of candy and plastic! Any ideas for a truly great goody bag?
First, ask yourself: If my kid came home with this, how quickly would I toss it? For just a couple of bucks, you can snag something with a little more staying power. Try your local discount shop for kids' DVDs (copies of Hairspray, snagged for around $5 each, were a big hit at a recent dance-themed party), or give each kid a book of Mad Libs ($4 each at Barnes & Noble; bn.com for locations). Another idea: mini craft kits, like Alex Friendship Wheel Singles, at Ibiza Kids (830 Broadway between 12th and 13th Sts; 212-228-7990, ibizakidz.com; about $5). For tween girls, hit the beauty section of Nordstrom Rack for multi-packs of lip gloss or nail polish (60 E 14th St at Broadway; 212-220-2080, nordstrom.com; less than $2 per individual item) and hand them out in cute coin purses from Pearl River (477 Broadway between Broome and Grand Sts; 212-431-4770, pearlriver.com; from $1 apiece). Kids who favor magic over makeup will appreciate a Toysmith Pocket Magic trick (about $3 at amazon.com).