What is a good birthday party for an 8yr old?

[AintNobodyHereButUsReindeer]

DD is turning 8 next month and every year she asks for a party but for various reasons we've never been able to do one. We're finally in a position to do a party this year for her (hooray!). But just realised we don't know where to start We're thinking we'll just invite a few kids from school and have a party at home. But what do 8yr olds expect at parties nowadays? Just provide some food, the garden (we have a big swing and a trampoline), a couple of games they can do themselves (like giant 4 in a row?) and leave them to it? Organised games? A piñata?

And how long should it be? Is 2 hours enough?

Sounds good. We also did a couple of pass the parcel games which kids love. I ought some small wooden boxes from the works which are quite cheap and some stick on letters and gems you can get on line and they all decorated themselves a jewellery box they could take home. Not too expensive and they loved them!

Bought

Two hours is traditional! Some organised games are good, even if you don't use them all. And a piñata is a good way for them to get the sweets for party bags. I'd have some craft ideas available too, in case the games don't take as long as anticipated, or if it's wet.

Two hours perfect. We’ve always thought of it as half-hour slots - 30 minutes for them to arrive and go off to play, maybe have a craft activity out, there’s always stragglers not on time. 30 minutes of games - pass the parcel, could do a scavenger hunt y around the garden or some team games, dancing & active games etc. Then some food for half an hour plus cake cutting. Then 30 minutes to just run about.

Baker Ross have loads of cheap craft kits - as celticmissey said you can get them to make something to take home in a party bag.

Piñata will be a great hit. Glitter tattoos are always popular with at parties. 2 hr party

2 h perfect, 3 h if it's a popcorn & movie-party which we sometimes do. DD8 had 10 people at her last home party, that was a few too many. Craft activity v good, there's always some quiet kids/those who enjoy taking forever. Jenga has been a surprise party hit in our house, DH tends to lead the party games in the living room while I sort out the food. We tend to start with 'decorate your own paper party bag' with stickers etc, then if they win little prizes they put them in there. Then a few games, then food, then movie with snacks.

Agree with PP, 2 hours for games and tea. I like to have a list of games as I'm afraid of random bouncing around turning to bickering.

We had a theme, say Roald Dhal or animals or Wild West, and made the games around those. Sometimes had a craft activity e.g. decorate a box in Willy Wonka style and mould some (already made) peppermint cream mix for sweets to go in it. Then pin the tail on Mr Fox, who's afraid of the big bad Mr Twit, musical chairs, squeak piggy squeak, all the old style games.

I think that they like organised games - stops them from starting to squabble if you keep them focused. When DD was that age many of her friends had parties at soft play places and the like so having a party at home with traditional games was a novelty for them.
We did: the chocolate game (dice, gloves, etc, throw a six, try to eat the chocolate with a knife and fork)
pin the tail on the donkey
building the highest tower with marshmallows and wooden skewers (this is a bit messy)
the mummy game
a dressing up relay race. Have two teams, and some dressing up clothes in a bag/rucksack. Each player takes it in turns to run from the starting point to somewhere else then they have to unpack the dressing up clothes, put them on, run back, take them off, pack them up, hand them to the next child and so on. Better if you can do it outside but we managed in our house with not much running.
Blindfold game where you have to move popcorn from one tub to another without spilling it using a spoon and wearing a blindfold.
Kim's game
Pass the parcel, musical statues, musical chairs

It felt like quite a bit of prep the first time we did it but we didn't get through all the games I'd planned because we ran out of time.
This year DD was 12 and most of the time they played on their phones. I missed the old parties.