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DIY kids birthday party

13 replies

LyraSilvertongueBelacqua · 12/10/2021 20:54

Budget is very tight at the moment and all of the entertainers and party people etc are either £200+ or unavailable.

I have a hall hired, but wondering if anyone has any party suggestions or things that have gone down well for 7-8 year olds (boys and girls)? Likely to be me doing it.

Thanks!

OP posts:
minipie · 12/10/2021 21:07

How many kids? Crafts/slime making, some kind of spy/puzzle solving challenge, disco with musical statue type games spring to mind.

Save some budget for alcohol (for you after they’ve all gone home).

Loopyluce88 · 12/10/2021 21:10

Can you cancel the hall and book a cinema room hire? Some independents do it pretty cheaply - maybe the same price as the hall? If it’s in the morning from 9 or 10 am, they won’t have many customers anyway. So cheap, easy party and a film as entertainment! You won’t even need to feed them properly either - just some popcorn then birthday cake.

Loopyluce88 · 12/10/2021 21:12

There’s a small, crumbly independent cinema near me that hires cinema out rooms in the morning for about £60. You can only play classics, but we’ve been to a party there and it was great. Just so happened to be on a rainy day, too.

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WithMyEncyclopedia · 12/10/2021 21:15

In a similar boat so following with interest! I've seen entertainers do games which are probably Google-able...

Loopyloulou007 · 12/10/2021 21:24

Thread some ring doughnuts on a rope and hang it. Competition is who can eat the doughnut without using their hands first. Was a right hit at my boys party.

Face painting.

2 teams - Pass the balloon to each other, no hands. First one to the end wins.

Pass the parcel - kids are never too old for this, but get a good prize at the end.

Musical chairs

Musical statues

Balloon and bit of card. Competition to get it from one end to the other, only using the card to fan the balloon. In teams.

PottersParties · 12/10/2021 21:27

Can you do some sort of large-scale team building activity? Split them into teams and see who can build the tallest tower out of recycling/boxes? Or do a mini-olympics and set up a few different games? Or set up a table with cake/biscuit decorating? Pinterest is good for this sort of thing!

Comedycook · 12/10/2021 21:30

They still love a pass the parcel at that age.

Cupcake decorating station...loads of plain cupcakes,icing, sprinkles and sweets to decorate

Stick some music on...musical statues, musical bumps,

Scotinoz · 12/10/2021 21:30

I’ve got an 8 year old. Big parties are dwindling (thank goodness!) but things that have been popular (currently and in the past) -

Traditional party games
Balloons
Slime making
Popcorn machine
Tie dying
Bottle rocket
Disco

Cancelling the hall and having some kids round the house to do slime or something, with a party tea would be a winner/not too pricy

SomethingAboutNothing · 12/10/2021 21:33

If the hall is a decent size a bouncy castle is always a hit, along with some traditional party games. If you have a theme then Pinterest is great for ideas.

BrownOwlknowsbest · 12/10/2021 23:05

I've been putting themed games evening together for years for Brownies (girls age 7 to 10) so here is one I happen to have on the computer. It may give you other ideas.
You would play this in teams of 4 to 6 players.
Notes for Leaders. This is more of a Quest games evening rather than a true wide game in that all the activities are done in teams but each step is completed by the whole group each time. Different groups will take more or less time to get through this. Feel free to add or remove activities to fit your circumstances.

Quest for the Holy Grail.
The land of King Arthur is under a curse. People are afraid, crops grow poorly and the people are hungry. The Holy Grail, believed to be in the keeping of the “Fisher King” is the only thing that can save the land. You have been selected from King Arthur's knights to undertake this quest.

Step 1. True knights are chosen by a mystical dove touching their heads.
Play Duck duck goose using the words “Grail, grail, dove.”

Step 2 A good horse is essential to this quest. Equip your mount. Equipment; sheet of card per player, straws, thin dowel or rolled up paper, scissors, sticky tape, colouring pens or pencils, to make a mini hobby horse. May help if basic shape already drawn. Early finishers can decorate their horse

Step3 Hazardous journey. The way to the Fisher King crosses high mountains where there are frequent blizzards. Establish which directions are north south east and west. players travel around the playing area in teams with their horses. Leader calls e.g. ”Blizzard from the south” teams must huddle together with their backs to the storm, facing north in this example and with their horses placed on the ground between them and the storm. Repeat with other directions for the storm.

Step 4 Fantastic beasts and how to recognise them. As you travel you hear of many strange beasts. Collect all the information you can and draw a picture so you know what to look out for. Equipment Sheet of paper and colouring pens per team. Six or Eight cards each with one characteristics of the beasts e.g It has three spikes on the head, The body has green and purple stripes. It has a short neck. etc. Cards are placed around the playing area and may not be moved. One team member is appointed as artist. The rest of the team go and read the cards, coming back to tell the artist what they say.

Step 5 Crossing the water. The Fisher King lives on an island in a shallow lake. The water is poisonous so must not be touched. The only way to cross safely is by the magical moving stones. Equipment. Two sheets of newspaper per team, each sheet large enough for 2 people to stand on. These are the magic stones. players travel 2 at a time by standing on one stone and moving the other in front of them. One person must then come back for the next person. Note, don't make the distance to the “island “ too far or it takes ages.

Step 6 Time to camp. You have reached the Fisher Kings island but it is now too dark to search for him. Make a “den” out of coats over chairs or tables. Because of the dangers of the island a watch must be kept. All members of the team except 1 go into the den. The one outside must stand guard until they think 1 minute has passed, then they wake the next person who must come out and also estimate 1 minute before waking the next. When everyone has been on watch it is morning.

Step 7 The test of true courage. You have met the Fisher King but he requires each of you to prove your courage by striking a match and holding it for a count of Three. teams who succeed will be given directions to find where the Grail is hidden. These could be straight forward or in code.

THE ENDING The grail has been found, the lake is no longer poisonous, the crops grow abundantly once more, the people rejoice with much feasting and consumption of birthday goodies and possibly dancing.

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DelphiniumBlue · 12/10/2021 23:16

We did a rocket launching competition one year, with a toy like this:www.<a class="break-all" href="https://amazon.co.uk/Stomp-Rocket-806004-Original/dp/B00008J1AV/ref=asc_df_B00008J1AV/?hvlocphy=9045987&linkCode=df0&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=310620100076&hvdev=c&hvtargid=pla-561294561307&hvrand=11744352822334754315&tag=mumsnet&ascsubtag=mnforum--chat-4373491-diy-kids-birthday-party" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">amazon.co.uk/Stomp-Rocket-806004-Original/dp/B00008J1AV/ref=asc_df_B00008J1AV/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=310620100076&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=11744352822334754315&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045987&hvtargid=pla-561294561307&psc=1
Did a pin-the-tail on a donkey game ( changed to make it relevant) - just drew it on a big sheet of paper and have the children pinning on the relevant item in the right place- one year it was pin the bottle on the baby, much hilarity when bottles ended up near it's bottom etc etc).
If you've got the space, something like dodgeball is fun, although you need a few adults to ensure crowd control.
How many children are you expecting?

Kite22 · 12/10/2021 23:16

I was going to say you need to ask a Brown Owl or a Cub Leader.

Just do games yourself.
10 different themes on things like relay races and team challenges that you don't need much equipment for.

Stompythedinosaur · 13/10/2021 00:29

I've run tons of parties - craft activity on a table, a load of balloons and run traditional games like musical bumps and pass the parcel. Have a party tea three quarters of thr way through.

A couple of years we collected a load of big cardboard boxes and made things like a cardboard castle or tunnel network which went down well.

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