DS Birthday Party - 8 - Worried and need help please!!

[stellsie]

I'm hoping someone will be able to reassure and help me!

DS will be 8 at the end of July, he would like a party. Worried, firstly because of when his birthday is - in the school holidays - we had a party a couple of years ago for him in our local leisure centre with a bouncy castle etc, anyway only about 14 kids came as the rest were on holiday (and a couple (parents) too rude to even reply!!). Last year, he chose a bowling party with a 4 friends which was lovely.

I've decided to hold the party at home - it's USUALLY sunny on his birthday! So i'm hoping they will be in the garden. Do you all think 7-8 year olds will think pass the parcel/musical statues/pin the tail on the whatever are too 'young'? My son likes the idea, but I just want to check what you all think!

Also, obviously there's no way of guaranteeing how many turn up - he has chosen approx 15 to invite - do you think we should invite a few more incase some cant come?!

Also, any other ideas for party games thanks. By the way we only have a small garden!

Thanks again

[HolyGuacamole]

Bump

[stellsie]

thanks for bumping!

had a phone call tonight from someone i had contacted about a fencing party (DS tried out fencing at an activity day during the easter holidays and loved it), anyway the guy does fencing parties and if I can get him down a bit on price I'm going to book him for an hour or so, which I think DS will love and will break up the games a bit.

But if anyone else would like to reply then please do so!

[SlartyBartFast]

i think boys of that age woudl rather run riot
well you did ask

can you do water games, with water pistols and stuff, in the garden,

[weegiemum]

For my ds 7th party this year we had a "Lego" theme.

We have loads of Lego so we just emptied it out on the floor and help deveral building competitions ("You have 15 minutes ' build the best spaceship you can!") etc etc ....

It went down really well with all the boys who were anything form 6 to 10.

We also did a "Pub Quiz" in teams with questions like "Write down 5 characters from Star Wars", "Name 3 Wallace and Grommit films" etc.

These might be useful if you have a wet party and need some indoor activities (ds had his birthday in Feb, so had to be indoor)

[weegiemum]

I can let you have a copy of the Quiz (which included a picture round and everything!) if you like!

[suwoo]

Brilliant idea weegiemum.

Your DS is a year ahead of my DD, but I think those games are too young particularly for boys.

Slarty and weegiemums ideas are better. Sorry

[EverybodyNeedsABosomForAPillow]

I did those kind of party games on the last afternoon of term with my year 5 class last year (10 year olds) and they loved it! So much so that when it was 3:30pm and time to go home they were begging for one more game. Boys and girls seemed to enjoy it equally. We did musical bumps/statues, musical chairs, wink murder, squeak piggy squeak and pass the parcel. You can put a sweet and/or forfeit in each layer of pass the parcel to really drag it out make it exciting.
Disclaimer: Perhaps it could be because this was fun for school and they would have different expectations of a party.

[GimmeChocolate]

How about having the party the last weekend of term, so more could come - my DCs have birthdays that often clash with bank hols and we have discovered that people often can't come or cancel if the weather is good and they go away. Some children I know with Aug birthdays also have the party the first weekend back at school in Sept for the same reason. You could do something nice as a family on the day and then your DS could have an "official party day" when he is also special "party boy" earlier/later.
Or you could try to negotiate an "off-peak" discount for fencing as party work probably declines in the summer hols. Just some ideas

[mogs0]

My ds is going to be 7 this Summer and he'd love pass the parcel and pin-the-tail etc. They're not the type of things he'd ask for but they all get stuck in when it's put in front of them!!

Last year (I'm sure the idea came from MN), I got a pack of pairs cards, stuck a gold coin to one card and hid it in the living room, the remaining cards went into a pile for the boys to choose then they had to find the matching card. I've never seen a group of 6 year olds so excited!! However, my living room was quite trashed afterwards but if you can do the same in the garden you might be ok!!!

I also did pin the treasure on the treasure chest which they all loved too - especially my Mum!

I think the traditional games are fine and can mostly be adapted to suit slightly older children.