Birthday party ideas PLEASE!!!

[tummytickler]

Hi
I really need some ideas for a party for an 8 year old girl. DH and i are toying with the idea of a sleepover for 4 girls but would rather not!
So, what could i do to entertain 4/5 8year old girls at a sleepover? SHould i also set a sleep time or is that mean?

If not a sleepover, any other suggestions. I guess they are a bit old for the traditional tea party we always had with games and stuff.

Swim party is a no-no as dd has been to loads of them this year and she wants something different.
Cant spend too much money either as we have just moved house and are pretty skint!

Thanks

Ice-skating?

For sleepover activities, they could make their own pizzas, make sundaes/ chocolate-dipped fruit, watch a DVD, paint each other's nails...

This year we did a spy party for our daughter...I picked up 20 cheap gifts and made a tombola stall (thanks to the school HSA I borrowed a proper tombola machine). We had a tattoo stall (not the real things, of course) and a sweetie stall.

The kids got sent security passes with photo id's where available, cartoon characters where not and 4 play money notes. They could spend these as they pleased between games.

We did traditional party games with a spy theme. It went down quite well. She really enjoyed it.

The parties she's attended this year that have gone down best were a ski village/tobogganing party and a Build a Bear party. This last one has given us the basis for next years party. Rather than spend loads of money having a ton of kids at Build a Bear we're going for £20 each for 4 kids to spend as they will. Then we'll feed em and have them for a sleepover.

If we can keep it down to less than £100 it should be a winner.

Good luck with the party ideas.

I worried a DVD might be a bit dull??? DO you think that is OK? dh would NEVER in a million years let them have painted nails!
Pizzas and sundaes a great idea.
What about bed time - should i say 'right bed time!@ at 10 pm or whatever or keep going until they collapse????

Banana - we dont have an ice rink anywhere near us unfortunately - i used to love going when i was a kid, but they closed it down

Oh...and with the last sleepover we had, there were 3 guests and they had a teddy bear wedding. We took photos, baked a wedding cake and used a few, very cheap, wedding type decorations to make it special.

The kids were told they had to be asleep by 10 as we were going to bed then and they pretty much complied, although they did keep chattering til about 11:30.

Lay down the guidelines clearly at the outset and you should be fine.

If you have a sleepover they could make their own pizzas - buy the bases or the mix -although IME they make them and never eat them.
I would set a sleep time otherwise they will have NO sleep and you['ll be returning grumpy girls to their parents for which they won't thank you.
You could make the living room into a cinema - popcorn, tickets, dim lights etc. - if noone else needs the living room that evening, that is!
We had a pizza making party at Pizza EXpress for dd1's 9th birthday this year. It's about 9.95 a head but lasted a good couple of hours and they get their pizza unlimited drinks and pudding for that.

Personally (DD is almost 7 and in year 2) I think 8 is still too young for a sleepover party. DD has been invited to a few, and we are the meany parents who say no. But so far those we've heard about haven't been massively successful, as at least one girl has cried in the middle of the night that she misses mummy, or wet the bed and been teased, or eaten too much and been sick! Obviously, if you know the families (and they know you) very well then its different.

You could invite them over for a cooking party, with the pizza idea, plus ice cream sundays and baking & decorating cupcakes. OR, do a jewelry making party; you can buy all the pretty bit and bobs v cheaply online.

We've told DD no more "big" parties - she ends up only playing with 3 or 4 people anyway, so you're right to keep numbers down. She is really into the rainbow magic fairy books, and wants to ask her guests to each dress up as one, and we'll do fairy themed things. That might be a bit babyish for your dd, but something they are really into and dressing up is always a good combination.

All dd's favourite parties have been ones with close friends, in their own homes, with cooking/art and craft type activities, and she's brought her creations home, rather than a partybag filled with plastic tat that gets lost immediately anyway...