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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

That 8 is NOT too old for an old school birthday party

46 replies

sundaydayisnotmyfundayday · 12/08/2022 10:11

Having a discussion with OH about what to do for DS upcoming birthday. Options are to pay through the nose for a "proper" party at a soft play hell, take the group of 6 bowling, book them for laserquest (which DS has never done but the other kids most likely have) or... invite them here, have some pizza and cake, set up mario kart on the switch (ok not so traditional) and have them play some party games such as pass the parcel, musical statues and whatever else I am hoping you might suggest (lol) and then just play on the trampoline or whatever

OH poopooed the latter because he thinks that 8 is WAAAAY too cool for pass the parcel and the others will take the piss out of DS for having babyish games. I think this is utter tosh. I reckon most kids LOVE the chance to play these kinds of games and would really enjoy an old school style party but parents don't do it because THEY deem it old fashioned.

So. How old is too old for a home party? Am I indeed out of touch?

OP posts:

Bubbafly · 12/08/2022 10:48

I think at 8 the other kids would take the piss out of him if he had pass the parcel at his party. I too, would bite the bullet and go out.

PastaCheese · 12/08/2022 11:29

I think they're just a bit too old for pass the parcel and musical statues

The rest sounds fine though!

Original poster

sundaydayisnotmyfundayday · 12/08/2022 15:13

I love some of the game suggestions, thank you for those!

Still having trouble getting my head around 8 not being considered "little" 😂That's probably just my own issues about him being my last though

OP posts:

MumofSpud · 12/08/2022 15:16

When my DD had a Birthday party - maybe her 6th at a soft play but we also did 'old school' games after they ate - Pass the Parcel / Pin the tail on the Donkey
She is 16 now - they enjoyed it BUT we had to explain to them how to play as they had no idea!

girlmom21 · 12/08/2022 15:17

I'd do laser quest or bowling for sure!

Original poster

sundaydayisnotmyfundayday · 12/08/2022 15:18

ps. I at 37 LOVE a game of pass the parcel. So there! 😆

OP posts:

Sweatinglikeabitch · 12/08/2022 15:20

What does DS want to do?

Popcorncovered · 12/08/2022 15:24

How sad that so many 8 year olds find pass the parcel too "babyish". What age would you say it's for? Obviously actual babies are too young for it....

AtomicBlondeRose · 12/08/2022 15:24

Maybe I live in a backwater but 8 year olds wouldn’t take the piss for playing musical statues at a party! And would join in pass the parcel quite happily. In fact I just asked two 8 year olds if they felt too old for those games and they looked amazed and said “no? We like those things!”

TheHideAndSeekingHill · 12/08/2022 15:27

I had these kind of birthday parties quite a bit later on than other kids (because we didn't have any money to take my friends out bowling etc) and honestly, everyone loved them. If you have a garden or park nearby you can do some silly sports day type things like a sack race/three legged race, water balloon fight - I'm sure other people have good ideas - then back to yours for some more chilled out party-type games as others have suggested. The whole thing is practically free bar the food. At 8 they're still little enough that if you/his dad will be the organisers/the MC of the party they love it.

As a PP said surely things like bowling or playing computer games are what you do when it's raining in the middle of October half term, not a treat for a birthday.

Hopeandlove · 12/08/2022 15:28

My 8 year old is having a party in the woods with a bush craft instructor. Treasure trail, building dens, lighting fights, setting traps (not catching anything !) and then camp fire and hot dogs and s’mores. All of his friends are looking forward to it.

SleeplessInEngland · 12/08/2022 15:28

Popcorncovered · 12/08/2022 15:24

How sad that so many 8 year olds find pass the parcel too "babyish". What age would you say it's for? Obviously actual babies are too young for it....

Well the boy's own dad certainly seems to think his son's too old for it so perhaps we shouldn't rule out the possibility.

I guess mileages vary but going by the 8 year olds I've known I'd imagine it's the upper limit of the game's appeal.

Danascully2 · 12/08/2022 15:30

I thought an at home party for 8 year olds would be fine, esp as only had 3 guests but two of the guest children just roamed around causing havoc and had no interest in the activity I'd organised so it was a bit of a nightmare actually. I would be wary about doing it again...

TheHideAndSeekingHill · 12/08/2022 15:33

What did boys used to do for their 8/9/10th birthdays before everyone had computer games? Genuine question.

SleeplessInEngland · 12/08/2022 15:40

TheHideAndSeekingHill · 12/08/2022 15:33

What did boys used to do for their 8/9/10th birthdays before everyone had computer games? Genuine question.

Good question. Home consoles have been mainstream since the early 90s so you'd have to go back a while, but my mum used to take my brother and a few freinds on trips to the cinema followed by food somewhere. Sounds stressful as hell looking back on it now though.

Quisto · 12/08/2022 16:08

My 10 yr old DS went to a party like this recently. A classmate had invited the whole class to the local hall (22 kids ) but sadly only 10 turned up. They all came out absolutely excited and said it was one of the best parties they had been to. Happy with plastic prizes, even the boys wore the silver tiaras that were on offer. Maybe only the nice children went, but they loved the games that they hadn't played for a few years.

HairyScaryMonster · 12/08/2022 16:11

I did a DIY science party for my 8yo, showed some simple experiments (you don't have to do) and everyone made slime and used vinegar and baking powder in bottles with a balloon on top which inflated when mixed together. I'd add in something more active (we had a hall so did parachute games) or mario or whatever.

excellentday · 12/08/2022 16:46

@redbigbananafeet
The steal the present game is basically a load of stuff gift wrapped or in gift bags (so the can't see whats in them) and put in the middle of the dc. I usually just wrap things like sweets or plastic tat but you can put anything you want in them. some should be better than others. You'll need more gifts than dc to hope that everyone gets something. I usually do twice as many as there are dc.

You then need 2 packs of playing cards. You deal all the cards out from one pack to the dc.

Then you shuffle the other pack and draw a card from the top. whoever has that matching card gets to choose a 'gift' from the middle. So example if you draw the ace of hearts, whoever has the ace of hearts dealt to them gets to pick. They then discard their card as can't use it again and you discard yours. This carries on with you drawing a card and whoever matches it picks from the middle.
Once all the gifts are gone from the middle they can start stealing from each other. So for example you then draw, say, the 6 of spades, whoever has the 6 of spades can choose to take a gift from anyone of the other dc in the group.
And it just keeps going until all the cards are drawn and they keep what they ended up with.

For some reason they seem to love it.

InChocolateWeTrust · 12/08/2022 16:52

Kids still like those games at that age, 100%.

We invited older cousins to DS birthday party (8 & 10) and they were quietly disappointed that we hadn't put enough layers on the pass the parcel for them to join in (assuming they wouldnt want to!!). Other games that go down well are treasure hunt type things but also team games - 4 different colours, hide balls or bean bags or anything really, team that find the most around the garden win.

I'm proud that my children aren't "cool" or "streetwise" or old beyond their years and my friends seem to feel the same, it's a good thing.

Danascully2 · 12/08/2022 17:09

I think the problem is you can't make other people's kids interested in something they're not, whatever we might like in an ideal world...I also think older kids at a younger one's party is different to an older kids party.

zoopigi · 12/08/2022 17:44

Here is my two cents worth 🙂
When my kids were that age we had themed parties-NOT Instagram worthy big bucks parties just themed. Can't remember ages for each party so I will just describe a few we had-minecraft party-i hid bits of coloured Lego around the garden, they had to find the blocks they needed to make the patterns I pit up on a poster board in order to get the little prizes.ghast pinata, made by me, filled with pound shop sweets. Last game was dividing the party into two teams and taking turns to build a fort from cardboard boxes I had saved from the supermarket, and then the other team attacked with some large foam hammers. All little prizes went into their party bags for the end of the day. Basic party food and cake made by me.
There was a nature themed one. 9th birthday.First, everyone got a an animal mask. Handed out little terracota plant pots, which the kids painted, put stickers on and decorated. Then i had the kids all plant some tomato seeds-make sure to get some gloves for the ones who don't want to get their hands dirty! These were their "goody bags."We played pass the parcel and musical statues. Again basic party food and cake made by me.
There was a nerf gun one. I bought the cheapest little nerf guns for each of the party guests, aong with 20 bullets each. I also made little bags that tied around their waists (like a pocket on a belt) so they could keep hold of their bullets, and bandanas so they could all look like rambo whilst doing their shooting practice. (These were their goody bags also)There were tins (cleaned out backed bean tins) placed along the garden wall, and the kids took turns at target practice. I then made a nerf gun pinata (we set up one of my sons bigger nerf guns for this game) the pinata was made with a big cardboard box that i cut small windows out of-behind each window was a prize, and each window was covered with tissue paper. Each kids got a chance to shoot a window and claim the prize. the day ended with eeryone running around like a mad thing shooting each other. Bbq food for this one and cake.

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