DD wants some sort of party for her 13th birthday - can't think what would suit.

[GrimmaTheNome]

She wants to invite about 11 girls to do something (followed by sleepover for about 3, that parts OK). Not sure what would work though - its early Feb so has to be inside. Last 3 years she's had about 8 for a party at home - silly games, DVD, pizza but she wants to do something different this year but we can't think what, for that number. Most of her friends live quite a distance away.

Any ideas? THanks

[JuliaScurr]

Disco
Cinema
London Eye
Pizza Express
Ice skating

Most of these would cost an arm and a leg, though

[Aftereightsaremine]

Dd had a jewellery making party girls they had great fun.

[GrimmaTheNome]

Disco - not really her thing
Cinema - I suggested that, she wasn't keen.
London Eye ... er, we live in Lancashire!
Pizza Express - I suggested something like that, she wasn't keen, not 'partyish' enough in her estimation - I reckon its the best bet, esp as we could do that nearer where most of her friends live.
Ice skating - logistically impossible for a dozen I fear (though lovely idea) - no rink very near us.
Jewellery making - how did that work, was it at home? Though TBH she's not into pretty-pretty - if it involved soldering she might be interested!


Awkward child!

[Aftereightsaremine]

Yes it was at home had girls choose lots of colours & beads & just let them be creative! Dd went to a wall climbing party recently & loved it. Also have had rollerskating parties where whole rink hired & then afterwards round here for sleepover. Or bowling party?

[bigTillyMincepie]

Was going to suggest bowling or roller-skating party, but I see aftereight got there first!

Is cinema too boring?

[Hulababy]

Laser Quest/Laser Tag (can be indoor or outdoor)
Climbing - went down very well for DD and her friends
Meal out somewhere and let them sit on their own table - you can sit at a sep table a few tables away - so they feel grown up, etc

[Hulababy]

Science party maybe if she is into that kind of thing - lots of experiements to try out

[Kbear]

My DD is also 13 in early Feb - my mind is also blank. We are in London BUT taking 10 girls anywhere is gonna cost a fair bit. No No and thrice No to a party in a hall. DD has had loads of big parties in the past at junior school age but I am scared of 13 year olds so no more big parties until she is 21 LOL

Her friends have had Hollywood party, Where's Wally party, party at home with sleepover. They are "over" cinema/pizza combos.

Watches with interest. :)

[GrimmaTheNome]

DD isn't very good at climbing - she went to a climbing part and did enjoy it but I doubt she'd want it for her own. Rollerskating - now there's a thought, if I can find somewhere that does it - don't know of any roller rinks offhand but will def look!


Science very much her thing, but the only 'science parties' I've heard of are aimed at younger kids. I can't quite imagine what you'd do for a dozen yr8s that wouldn't be a bit naff - any of yours done that at this age?

Bowling is a good one, but they rather did it to death in her junior school.

[hippoCritt]

A pottery painting place,as they are older the quality of their work increases and provides a nice keepsake, easy to take snacks/CDs too, can book for a few hours.
Go karting?
A shopping day, my DD went on one where everyone was given £4 to buy the most colourful item they could find, they all really enjoyed the challenge and met the parents for lunch time (so they could pay!)

[GrimmaTheNome]

Just looked for a roller rink in the town where most of DDs friends live and it came up with same-named town in Pennsylvania; searching for our town I get Kentucky!

I feel there ought to be one somewhere a bit nearer than that...

[GrimmaTheNome]

Our local leisure centre does roller skating parties, and other activity parties, you might want to see what yours does, kbear.

But DD has now decided she does want a party at home 'with really cool games'. Gee, thanks kid. I'm supposed to know some, am I? Help!!!

[UniS]

Is it "cool at 13" to play games that involve eating chocolate ,stuffing your face with marshmallows , making fairy wings and pass the parcel with toffees in every layer?

[BlastOff]

In the parties and celebrations section there is a thread called Shirley's party ideas thread number 2 or something similar. Go on there and ask ShirleyKnot - she is the queen of parties and always has amazing ideas.

[BlastOff]

here

[BandOMothers]

I thinnk the meal out is a good idea...but there's no need to sit in the same place! Plenty of girls that age are delivered to restaurants and collected later...otherwise you could look into one of those "experience days" where they record a song in a studio....they can all sing together and there are various options for prices...

[GrimmaTheNome]

UniS - well, we looked at some party game sites and one which did appeal to DD did entail stuffing your face with marshmallows. Its called' Chubby Bunnies' - the winner is whoever can say that comprehensibly with the most marshmallows in their mouth!

'Cool' evidently does not even slightly mean 'sophisticated'!

[BlatherskitesInFairyLights]

Pizza Express do pizza making parties if that would make it a bit more party-ish for her?

Everyone gets an apron and a hat and then get taken to the kitchen where they are given a pre-stretched base and tomato sauce, toppings and cheese to make their own pizzas. They sit down while the pizzas are cooked (takes about 5 minutes) and then they bring them over to be eaten. Tends to only be available at quiet times, weekdays etc but might make it feel a little more special for her?

There are tonnes of ideas for a Science party on Shirley's thread even down to food and party bag ideas, not sure of the age they were aimed at though. I got my nephew a Gross Science kit for Christmas which you could maybe use for the experiments - they weren't particularly difficult or dangerous but they did engage him for ages.

[GrimmaTheNome]

We did the Pizza Express thing when she was 7 - I think if I suggested that now I'd get a I'm afraid. Esp as by then she and half her friends will be in the middle of a Food Tech project on making pizzas, base and all

[Ponders]

\link{http://www.madscience.org/locations/northwest/parties.aspx?sm=7788\Mad Science parties?}

they are aimed mainly at primary (says age 5-12) but you could talk to them about Y8s?

[UniS]

I thought cool might involve sweets at that age, a friend has just hosted her DDs birthday party and reportedly the girls enjoyed playing that game where you dress up in gloves and hat and use knife n fork to eat chocolate ( she said non competitive games involving food seemed best and nobody brust into tears after "losing" this year)... they all made something or other crafty and glittery and decorated cupcakes, then stuffed them selves with cake, crisps and the like.
at heart sometimes young teen girls are just children really.

[GrimmaTheNome]

at heart sometimes young teen girls are just children really.
oh, absolutely - I wondered last year how party games would go down with her new secondary school friends; of course they loved it. DD is a particularly unsophisticated still-child in many ways I'm delighted to say!

I think they're a bit past science parties though - certainly can't out-gross school with anything you'd get in a kit, they had a sheeps lungs in class last term.