Entertainer for 12 year old party?

[Nivealove]

Hello all,

I'm at loss what to do for DS's birthday. He has decided he wants to invite 5-8 friends to go Go-Karting. Most places are very expensive and booked up. So we've find a reasonable priced to karting venue but it's only for an hour. Therefore, the children will come back to the house to for cake and food.

But I don't know what to do to entertain 11-12 year olds. I find organising activities boring and would prefer to hire an entertainer of some sort. But is this childish? For DS 5th birthday, we did have an animal person come but obviously DS is passed that stage!

I was thinking of doing a disco theme in the house? Or is this too much? Or hire a bubble machine/smoke machine to liven up the place a bit.

Please let me know if any activity ideas or recommendations for an entertainer.

Honestly at that age I'd dish out pizza and popcorn and let them have the run of Netflix.

I'd probably go with a film, pizza and junk food. I think an entertainer is more for a younger group. If not a film do you have any video games with multi player or things like the Wii/switch where they can do activity games.

Yeah way too babyish at that age! Pizza, crisps and PlayStation is fine. As is pizza crisps and no entertainment, just chatting.

The only thing we have is a Nintendo switch (sigh). What about smoke machine/bubble machine to liven up the place?

No! No bubbles! Just pizza. They will be fine. Honestly!

God no. 12 year olds would be cringing at having an entertainer!
Have you got Netflix? Just hand over the remote and give them some pizza

But knowing his friends, they would want to stay in the house longer. What about a smoke machine to liven up the place a bit?

I can actually imagine them loving a bubble machine but absolutely not if their mum had set it up for them 😂 if you have a younger child you could ‘accidentally’ leave one lying around the living room!

Smoke machine is just weird.

I’d say no the bubble or smoke machine idea. Just food and and leaving them to it with Netflix and the switch sounds fine. Have you asked your DS what he would like?

No need for anything extra just pizza, snacks and a film. Anything else is cringe

How would a smoke machine liven the place up? Starting to think this is a joke.

@Potatolatkes

Smoke machine is just weird.

Ha! Just to liven up the place and have a disco feel to it. DS would prefer the smoke machine not sure about bubbles.

Absolutely tasty junk food they wouldn't get normally and a movie/let them watch stupid YouTube videos.

I'd love a bubble machine at 30 ds 12 would probably die inside. Set Mario karts up on the switch winner stays on £1 a win. 20 rounds. That's you out of £20 rather than £200 for entertainer and boys getting excited over the fact they can win real money.
Il probs get slammed for this its not really gambling

@Blueskip

How would a smoke machine liven the place up? Starting to think this is a joke.

Why do you think this is a joke? I'm not particularly happy the way my home looks in comparison to the other parents. So just wanted to do an extra itch to liven up the place a bit.

@Nivealove

The only thing we have is a Nintendo switch (sigh). What about smoke machine/bubble machine to liven up the place?

No you'll make the poor kid a laughing stock!

Go Karting got an hour, pizza & sweets/crisps/ whatever DS wants is fine.

NO entertainer/disco/bubbles...

You could ask him if there's anything they'd like to do at home. Maybe sweets & coloured icing to decorate cupcakes. Twister. Make their own pizza (bought bases & ton of toppings).

You need to realise that your kid is growing up.

They dont want entertainers anymore. They're way too old.

Parties now are a handful of kids and you pay for the cinema/go karting/trampoline park/theme park or whatever. Then you hit a pizza hut and take them all home or have them back at yours and put on fun food and leave them to do whatever they want.

You don’t need a smoke machine for 8 kids for gods sake. It’s weird. As others have said, pizza, popcorn, snacks and Netflix or whack some music / tv on and let them be.

I think you are way too stuck on a smoke machine...
Pizza, fizzy, netflix/game console....leave them be

Could they eat pizza then take football /basketball to park?
Last few birthdays both DS's have done food and messing around in the garden/going to the park. They just enjoy hanging out in a big group.
I don't think you need to organise anything apart from food.
If its going to be evening you could have firepit and marshmallows?

@ImUninsultable

You need to realise that your kid is growing up.

They dont want entertainers anymore. They're way too old.

Parties now are a handful of kids and you pay for the cinema/go karting/trampoline park/theme park or whatever. Then you hit a pizza hut and take them all home or have them back at yours and put on fun food and leave them to do whatever they want.

I know . I love planning parties and haven't had the opportunity to do this so when DS begged me to do something this year, I jumped at the chance.

@SmallPrawnEnergy

You don’t need a smoke machine for 8 kids for gods sake. It’s weird. As others have said, pizza, popcorn, snacks and Netflix or whack some music / tv on and let them be.

To have that party atmosphere to the house....

@trumpisagit

Could they eat pizza then take football /basketball to park? Last few birthdays both DS's have done food and messing around in the garden/going to the park. They just enjoy hanging out in a big group. I don't think you need to organise anything apart from food. If its going to be evening you could have firepit and marshmallows?

It would be very cold outside around the time we do the party, the kids won't stay out too long.

I'm not particularly happy the way my home looks in comparison to the other parents. So just wanted to do an extra itch to liven up the place a bit.
The kids will notice decor for maybe all of 2 minutes and the will absolutely not give a shit. Being left alone with good food and soft drinks will mean more than naff things like bubbles and smoke.