Ok I have done this with a few Girl scout troops and with some students when I was teaching and it was tons of fun for both the parents and kids.
Play (one adult or her big sister will have to write)
The birthday girl and her friends write a play
Each of the girls gets to be in charge of something
director
staff
actors
clothing designer
set designer
lighting
sound
the parents are the audience and the birthday girl is the star.
I have all the kids bring a bag of their most outragious clothes so that the costume designer has something to work with. bring lots of flashlights for the lighting person and a cd player for sound.
some of the plays they did were:
a day at school
going to the park (one girl played a squirl and threw nuts, it was very funny)
when i grow up
movie stars(they were histerical in their portryal of how movie stars act)
the girls will take a couple of hours to write and reherse,plenty of time for parents to chat, then the performance.
We did food during rehersal and writing (munchie bar)and we had cake afterwards, so I'm sure all you would have to add is presents and you would be good to go.
Hope this helps
R.
FT Insurance agent and mom of 2.