OH please help, please help, 9 year old DS birthday party on Saturday. What should I do with ten children in the garden?

[LittleBella]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!
Help me please!

I had all these ideas about party games and now it sounds too much like a potential riot. I have visions of the police, ambulance and fire engines arriving. Please tell me what you've done which doesn't involve going out anywhere else or hiring someone (too late now) which has been a success and not resulted in prosecution?

my ds1 was 9 recently. I had 7 boys round. They played football for 45 mins in the playground opposite my house, came back and all sat on the living room floor and had a picnic whilst watching a DVD.

No fuss, no problems

Have a Peter Pan theme and tie them all to a big stake...for a few hours

Prize for the child who can collect most weeds. Points deducted for non-weeds.

my ds is 9 on friday.
Barbecue, for food. I wouldn't bother with anything else.
Football comps
Water pistol fight.
I think I would tell them to wear old clothes.
If you live in the countryside then maybe you could go lizard hunting.
Every out side toy you posses in the garden.
Last halloween we had a party, and for some games I did (really) cheap spag and meatballs in washing up bowls and hid wrapped lollipops in them and they had to hunt for them.
We did the same with jelly.

but then I have a weird thing going on and keep buying washing up bowls and buckets! why I have no idea.

Like the idea of a water pistol fight - the dryest wins! 5 aside football. Some random sticks and sheets and anything else which comes to hand get them to build a shelter to have lunch in (I did this once at a party aged 9 and whilst it sounds naff, it was fab!).

build a kite.

Well, I hope you have a HUGGGE garden.

Could you rig up an obstacle course? Or leave them a pile of sheets, and pegs and tell them to build the best den?

I like the build a camp idea, make it a sort of fifty's childhood party. Nothing modern.

Could you have a BBQ? Toast your own marshmallows and the like? Or just put the sprinkler on and tell everyone to bring their cossies.

treasure hunt with maps?
swingball - although potentially dangerous!

let them run riot, they'll entertain themselves

Hmm. I like the thought of them having to build a den. But where would I get the right sticks?

aprently ASDA are selling8x8x6 high bouncy castles with a pump that inflates in one minute for £60 at the moment. if thats any help, could be worth thinking about if your DS is a big bouncy castle fan and has birthday money to spend on it?

I have a trampoline

Have managed to get it up, but haven't yet got the enclosure up - must do it before Saturday, somehow. Am beginning to regret it....

I don't know where you live or what your set up is, but could you not get your dp and son to go to a public area one night this week and cut some twigs down
Wilkinsons do ten garden canes 122cm for 99p
maybe put them in gangs of two with 5 canes each and a sheet!

Trampoline? Ah... so what you need now is some sort of game which gets them on it one at a time.

but they would need twine too. £1.49 from wilko for a 1lb in weight

I would get them to build den, then have foot ball comps, then food in den, then water pistol fight. two hours and they should only need to come in for a wee. For sheets, go to a charity shop.

Hmm, the Wilko thing sounds promising. They're good, aren't they.

Yes a trampoline game which involves one at a time...

ok have been to wilkos and bought canes and a whole load of paint and craft stuff so that there's a mixture. Also a cricket set. Thought I could get them to do graffiti on the garden wall as well (washable paint), make a big mural or their names or something, does that sound lame?

Am feeling less panicky now, thanks for all your ideas and keep them coming in case someone else out there needs inspiration!

I really like the graffiti idea. I got a bit carried away last night and was thinking about building go carts and racing them. God knows what got in to me.