Good clean fun (the kind you have fully clothed with a bunch of friends) is the sort of breakout we need regularly. That's why parties were invented—to give us zero stress, maximum laughter zones. Sometimes a bottle of red and a silly mood are enough to make a gathering work. But group chemistry is an elusive and volatile thing, not always to be relied upon. To avert boredom and bring our everybody's lust for pleasure and/or sugar, you might want to make what sounds like a plan.

Activites are to a party what jumper cables are to a stalled car—they make it zoom. The mission: Locate your inner child and take her on a play date. The strategy: Hire a pro and serve up an evening or an afternoon of organized indulgence—like on-the-spot-manicures, pedicures, and massages; a mix-your-own fragrance counter; or sessions with a psychic.

A smorgasbord of indulgent ideas to get your next party party started