Party for 11yo

[cadburyegg]

My ds10 hasn’t had a party for so long I don’t know what to do for kids his age! He’s having a party soon at home and I’m not sure if I should make an effort to do any kind of activity or just let them get on with it ? I offered a party out of the house but DS just wanted one at home. Ideas/suggestions please! It’s not a sleepover, just a few hours in the afternoon

What is close to you? Paint balling, football, laser quest?

Hire one of those gaming vans that park outside your home for an hour or so

"Let them get on with it" Will likely result in the house getting wrecked at that age 🤣 what about hiring a silent disco, or scavenger hunt games etc.

Watch a film with popcorn? Have a chat with them and see what they think would work well. Good Luck! Xxx

At that age I would organise some games or you will end up with either complete chaos or kids going off into groups and some getting left out . I would do the chocolate dice game , something with balloons , a piñata always goes down well too .

That age is tricky, isn’t it 😅 — they’re a bit “too old” for little kids games, but still need something to get them started.
Is it a mixed group or mostly boys/girls?
I’ve found that at that age it really helps to have something light and optional to break the ice at the beginning — otherwise it can be a bit awkward for the first 20–30 minutes.
We once did a really simple bracelet-making activity where they could create their own designs (some even made secret messages with beads which they loved 😄), and it worked surprisingly well — they chatted, got into it, and then naturally moved on to just hanging out.
Might be an idea if you want something low-pressure but still engaging!

How many kids? At that age my DS had 8 friends for a party. I ordered pizza, had some party games up my sleeve but pretty much left them to it. They had the playroom to themselves, which opens into the back garden, so space to run around. They had nerf guns, balloons, various board games, a Lego station and snacks. They had a great time, lots of noise, and mess and more snacks than you can imagine but all contained at the back of the house.