For many children, a birthday is a call for a party, and for today’s savvy youth, pizza and juice boxes in the backyard just don’t cut it anymore.

Options abound throughout Chattanooga for ways to make that annual special day a memorable one. Here are a few examples:

n For the girlie girls: Spa La Petite, for girls 12 and younger, is part of A Better You Salon & Day Spa off Shallowford Road. Spa La Petite offers birthday parties for girls in several themes ranging from hula girl to disco dance. All the parties include beauty treatments, cake and activities.

Vicki Smith’s granddaughter, Kierstin Wade, recently celebrated her 5th birthday with the disco dance party. The birthday girl and five of her friends were dressed up, had their hair and nails done and glitter makeup applied.

After the makeover portion of the afternoon was complete, the strobe lights came on and it was time to dance. “They had fun. It was just a girls day,” said Mrs. Smith. “They did a lot of giggling, laughing and dancing, having a good time. It was just adorable.”

Mrs. Smith said she liked that the party was held in a private room and couldn’t be disrupted by other patrons. She said that Kierstin is already asking about having her 6th birthday party at Spa La Petite next year.

Each party has a base rate for five girls and a per-child rate for each additional girl. For more information, contact Talitha Adkins at 855-0229.

n For the tumblers: Parents and kids can flip for the parties at Tennessee Academy of Gymnastics. Owners Larry and Lee Ann Denham offer two types of celebrations:

Gymnastics parties for all age groups, which last 90 minutes, consist of stations set up around the gym where children can bounce on trampolines, jump in the foam pit and balance on the beam. The Denhams and their staff provide plates, cups, napkins and a goody bag.

For older children, TAG offers overnight lock-in parties.

Jenny Holloway celebrated her 12th birthday with a lock-in party last year.

“It was awesome. It was the best party that we have ever had,” said Jenny’s mother, Kathleen Holloway, mother of three and birthday-party veteran.

Lock-ins, which run from 8 or 9 at night until 8 in the morning, allow free-gym time, movies, games and pizza. A minimum of one parent is required at all times to help the staff member on duty supervise. Bedtime, however, is not required.

“If they sleep, they sleep; if they don’t, they don’t,” said Mrs. Denham.

Lock-in parties can be single-sex or mixed. “Lots of times if it’s a girl party the boys will leave at midnight,” Mrs. Denham said.

For more information, contact Lee Ann Denham at 697-1824.

n For the fantastical: Starting in May, Fat Cat Ferry and Water Taxi will introduce thematic birthday parties for boys and girls. An excursion to Maclellan Island’s wildlife sanctuary offers the choice of a fairy or pirate party. Packages include the invitation (which can be downloaded from the company’s Web site), the boat trip from Coolidge Park, activities, food (for an additional cost) and party favors.

Pint-sized pirates can hunt for pirate loot, raise the jolly roger and enjoy pirate grogg (a fruit punch concoction). Each child will receive a goody bad with a treasure map, eye patch and pirate candy.

Little fairies-in-training can strap on their wings, sprinkle fairy dust and enjoy a personalized fairy story while sipping butterfly punch. A candy necklace and star lollipop can be saved for later, while a special fairy hunt ensues.

“Fairies live in the trees, they live in flower gardens, and around toadstools and mushrooms,” said Maura Phillips, Fat Cat Ferry owner and adorer of fairies.

For each person who steps from Fat Cat Ferry on to Maclellan Island, one dollar will be donated to the Audubon Society. “I just love the magic,” said Mrs. Phillips. “Maclellan Island is the perfect location for a magical adventure like these.”

Pirate or fairy parties cost $350 for 20 children (parents included). Additional children are welcomed at a per-child rate. For more information, call Fat Cat Ferry and Water Taxi at 756-5060.

n For the splashers and adventurers: The YMCA at Hamilton Place hosts birthday parties in either the pool or the Adventure Center. Pool parties allow young waterbugs to swim for an hour before spending an hour in the party room gorging themselves on cake and ice cream. For a dry celebration, check out the Adventure Center, where party kids can climb on the cargo net, shake a parachute and play with the interactive sports wall. Refreshments are not provided by the Y, but staff will set up the party room and help clean up after the adventure is over.

Simone White recently held a party for her 5-year-old triplets, Jaia, Jadyn and Jerrold, at the Hamilton Place YMCA. She called the combination of the good value (prices ranges from $70 to more than $225 per party), the supervised activities and the set-up and clean-up assistance “super and great.” The children’s favorite activity of the day was parachute time, she said. “The kids loved it,” Mrs. White said. “They had a blast.”

Adventure Center parties come in two sizes — grand and mini. The grand adventure parties include 40 minutes of free play, 40 minutes of adventure time and 40 minutes of party-room time. They are held on Saturdays and Sundays for up to 25 children. The mini parties, which include 30-minute intervals, are held on Friday evenings only and accommodate 10 people.

For more information, contact birthday coordinator Amy Penque at 899-1721.

n For the hungry: Epicures-in-training can celebrate birthdays with the Signal Mountain Cookie Lady, Sandie Benson.

Mrs. Benson’s hobby of creating decorative cookies to give to friends evolved into a business nearly three years ago. At birthday parties, each child is given two cookies and a cupcake to decorate with sugary accouterments, as well as a personalized place-card cookie.

“She does a great job; she goes above and beyond,” said Tracy Peele, whose daughters Kate, 8, and Laura, 5, both celebrated birthdays with the Cookie Lady last year.

Cookies can be made in special shapes to reflect a party’s theme. Kate’s friends decorated princess cookies, while Laura’s party boasted a puppy theme, complete with cookies shaped like dogs and bones.

Mrs. Peele raved about the party, but said that 13 icing-smeared preschoolers was a tad overwhelming. “Sandie did a great job of accommodating, but I would recommend a smaller party.”

For more information, contact Sandie Benson at 886-4037.