Organising and surviving 11 year old boys winter sleepover birthday

[Brighteyes27]

Ideas wanted for organising and surviving 11 year old boys birthday winter sleepover party?

They are all mad keen on xbox!!! I usually try to limit xbox time before things get out of hand with just DS.

Any ideas for planning organising anything else other than a film at some point before bed/sleep (hopeful).

How much shall we leave them to it/keep out of the way in another room (inviting 3-5 lads).

One is an extremely fussy eater so takeaway food is extremely hard work as is going out for a pizza, curry, meal generally or anything I make (which I remember from last year).

Any tips for keeping cool and getting through it whilst still keeping it fun? He has had one lad at a time stay over at short notice which worked really well but not anymore than this.

I would leave them to it (and "it" will mainly be an xbox marathon) (having survived DS's 11 and 12 year winter sleepover birthday parties), just keep an eye to ensure things aren't getting out of hand/no outrageously silly behaviour going on. There is a limit to how much you can organise for boys of that age group indoors. My only golden rule is no disturbing anyone else in the house when they want to go to sleep.

I actually can't bear sleepovers and only let my DC have them in the school holidays, and one friend only at a time but make exception for birthdays. Just think how much money you are saving not having to take 15 kids to a bowling/swimming/whatever party deal!

Thanks Kamer. I am not a big fan of sleepovers either and usually manage to avoid at all costs lol. Especially with our pet dog and a younger sibling in the house who will no doubt be banished completely out of the way and be upset they can't join in.

DS wants them to come at 1pm until the next day but they and we will be climbing the walls especially if the weathers grottie. I have suggested 3 or 4pm 10.30 am pick up. One lad had a summer sleepover for his 10th and one of the lads turned up with some bubblegum (which ended up everywhere on carpets, sleeping bags etc etc). I suppose it could have been worse.

I just worry they will be so demented and zombified with all the xbox time that come bedtime they will be completely 'away with it' and so not ready for sleep. Also it's really not that exciting just playing XBOX for hours on end.

Oh well xbox frenzy it is then, a selection of food, popcorn, for us and hope for the best. .

Unless it is raining biblical amounts, do have room outside for a fire? Mine like to arrange rocks in a circle, light fires and sit around it. Hurl them the odd marshmallow to toast and that's 2 hours gone.

Good idea if we lived in the country and had lots of land or a huge unkept garden but we haven't really got a huge garden and it would ruin the grass/turf that we do have. If it snows they could have a snowball fight and fun in the snow which would be fun. I just wanted a back up plan incase they get bored, tired or disagreements break out over xbox or the movie/movies. If I have a plan B up my sleeve it will be fine but if I don't I'm snookered.

Any 12 age films out that go down well?

It's partly the constant fires that mean our garden has an unkempt look!

My 13 year old is making para cord bracelets and other things at the moment. Do you think they might like to do that ? He taught himself from the Internet and orders coloured para cord and clasps etc from eBay. His friends seem to like them. Not sure on the survival aspect, but they seem to think they are cool. Might be a distraction if they like that sort of thing.

Could they make their own pizzas ( or at least put topping on bases). That again will fill time.

Or card games - poker rather than snap. Bit of gambling with sweets or the like might engage them.

Instead of movies, how about DVD boxed sets. My older one had a Big Bang Theory marathon a year or 2 ago. Means they get more breaks. At the moment our sky boxed is filled with various old Star Trek series as that seems to be their latest fad.

I'm sure it will be fine!

Poor you. I think it's a good idea to take them out somewhere like Pizza hut and then back to the house. As it might shorten the evening a bit. (Some hope!) Don't think I'd be too keen on a fire unless I'd a hot line to the local fire brigade. I agree there is a limit as to how much you can organise things at home. Just have a few films and computer games available and let them decide what to do.

I did 11 yo son birthday sleepover in October. Didnt get them to come until 6pm, so not too long a time. We took them to deserted playground in the dark and gave them torches and they ran round for a bit playing flashlight chase and hide and seek. Then back to do their own pizzas. We had a piñata and played a game where you numbered food items like mustard, icing, lemon, garlic, chilli, chocolate sauce etc and rolled 2 dice to see which combination you had to eat together. Then a film. Then bed and weirdest thing ever was they were actually asleep before midnight.

Thanks all DS originally wanted them to come at dinner time!!!! Some of them playing sport on the morning so that may expend some of their energy.

They were into loom/bracelet making but that seems to have petered out.

Think I am going to leave them to it (hoping for the best from another room) with xbox (no war games) and one or two films some music he has downloaded. I'll have plenty of soft drinks, food in for snacks fussy eaters and breakfast and plenty of wine for us, they can order a takeaway based on majority decision and fingers crossed it all goes well. They have all been friends for awhile, get on well and are fairly sensible. She says feeling hopeful.

Any ideas for any age appropriate films 12 maximum that they might enjoy or might not have seen then they can have a vote on it?