Inuvik (Sep 08/06) - Kids' birthday parties can be hard things to plan - especially when there are young guests to entertain.

For worried parents, it's easy to get caught up with questions.

Like Alice in Wonderland, five-year-old Katelynn Crocker waits to see what she'll discover behind a plastic tree at the Inuvik Family Centre. The playroom is a popular place for children and parents, who appreciate its padded floors. - Philippe Morin/NNSL photo

Will the children get bored? Will everyone fit in the house? More importantly: How long before one smears chocolate cake into the carpet or bangs their head on the kitchen table?

Thankfully, the Inuvik Family Centre offers a space for parties so parents can rest a bit easier.

Bob Depres, family centre supervisor, said the place is quite popular.

"We usually have a couple groups per day on the weekends," he said.

Depres added some of the parties can be quite large, and sometimes reach the room's maximum allowance of 60 people.

"We've got everything here - a tree, a helicopter, a tractor loader, a slide and also a rocket ship," he said, explaining the centre's plastic structures. When kids are playing tag or running around, Depres added, it's also good the floors are padded.

"Everything gets checked for safety," he said.

On Sept. 2, five-year- old Katelynn Crocker and about 20 friends celebrated her birthday in the playroom.

Ken Crocker, father of the birthday girl, said he appreciated the family centre since it provided an alternative to having 20 kids in the house.

"We've been here a few times," he said, returning from a short break in a quiet hallway.

"This place is made for 20 screaming kids!"