To ask for your best children’s party ideas?

[MsJaneAusten]

Ds will be 7 soon.

I’m all out of ideas for parties.

What are the best ones you (or your children!) have been to recently?

Thank you

Trampolining, climbing, indoor skydiving, laser quest (or whatever its called now)

Picnic in a good park worked a treat for ours at that age

Camping sleepover was the most popular, I forgot that one.

Bowling
Football
Tubing at dry ski slope

Best one for us would be a beach party. We aren't anywhere exotic just the North East but instead of inviting just DS's friends we invited their families as well. Each family bought their own picnic and we basically had a day out at the beach. We took cricket things, footballs, buckets, spades etc. We ran a few party games such as pass the parcel and stick the seaweed in the jellyfish and had cake but other than that it was just a lovely day at the beach. We had parents against kids cricket matches and the dads arranged some footie games etc. Helps that we were in walking distance of the beach but I guess the same could be achieved in a park or other open space.

Thank you. He does love camping, and picnics.

Forgot to say, we’re pretty rural. No fancy indoor skydiving or trampolining parks less than an hour away. I might do that when he’s a bit older and just wants to take a few friends but he’s still at the ‘invite everyone he’s ever met’ stage.

Lego party
Laser quest
Camping/bushcraft skills
Film night
Swimming
Roller disco
Nerf gun party

Oooh... bushcraft might work... I know people who might be able to organise that.

I had an epic pirate party when I turned 10. Lots of scope for outdoor running around (treasure hunts etc) and lots of fun party food. That is a very happy memory for me.

My then-6yo and 9yo got very stuck in to the 4yo's pirate party last year so I think it's a good theme for a home party for most (preschool/primary) ages.

I used this Pinterest board for ideas.

There is a host of beautiful (and ecofriendly) kids party ideas from Make It Pop www.makeitpop.shop/party-themes

Proper party games in a church hall. Genuinely, kids love it and it's pretty rare these days.

I usually rent a hall and get a bouncy castle/dj it was a soft play centre up to around age 8
Do you have a garden you can set up a bouncy castle in? Picnic lunch, party games, jelly and ice cream would be fun and on the cheaper side

My brother had a cowboy party when he was little, with hot dogs and beans cooked on a campfire.

We did a Harry Potter party for DS' 7th - I may have gone a little over the top BUT the kids, I kid you not, made 'potions' in the garden for an hour. Just put loads of jars of different stuff out with cool labels, those plastic fishbowl cocktail things for cauldrons, little bottles, pipettes, plain labels for them to name their potions... I had loads of other stuff planned but over half the party was potions!

We also did Quidditch, sorted them all into houses etc. Was awesome.

I guess he'd have to like Harry Potter though!

Football parties always a hit also - we've always invited girls and they've always enjoyed it, especially if you (or whoever you've hired) make it more about fun games than playing matches.

We did party games in a church hall for my son's 8th last year (his choice), and he LOVED it and all the kids loved it and several were raving about it so much, and told their parents they wanted the exact same party for their next birthday. We hired a magician too - and I'm glad we did - it did round off the day well. He was also at the 'invite everyone he knows' stage - and we had 50 or so kids, it was exhausting but they all had a really great time, as did the birthday boy. Simple and old-fashioned, I loved it too. It was a lot of effort (I did all the catering and made the cakes and ran the games etc) and I don't wish to do it for him again - hopefully something simpler next year like a trampoline party. I'll hopefully do another hall party for my daughter when she reaches that age - really was perfect.

My son had a knights party at that age... we got some massive fridge boxes from a big box store, and made a huge castle inside the house, as well as buying fake stone wall effect we put all around the dining room. I embroidered heraldic animals on to some simple knight robes I kade. and also made princess hats etc. There was a dragon pinata and they all had foam swords to play fight. We had a feast with chicken legs and other fun foods, and a chocolate fountain we get out for special occasions. The kids ran around making up games and having a blast. We reused the decor and castle the next week for his older brother's nerf battle sleep over, and then added playing cards and heart decorations and used it the week after that for his older sister's Alice in Wonderland murder mystery party. Personally I eould uave kept it decorated that way for good.. it was fun pretending to live in a castle :)

Den building party was a favourite. Local woods, collected sticks/ leaves and made dens with flags. Packed lunches under bandstand and games after. Was brilliant and all the kids still remember it 6 years on despite all the lazer quest/ bowling % cinema/ trampolining parties since.