Entertaining 9 6yr olds in a small flat

[sjb23]

For my DS's birthday, we're going to the cinema then out for pizza. But we've planned to come back to our flat for birthday cake and let the kids play for about an hour.

However, we've just realised what madness this is! Especially straight after ice cream!!

Does anyone have any good ideas how to occupy them (6 boys, 3 girls)in a bit of a constrained, structured way? Otherwise, we're a bit worried there will be mayhem or they might get bored.

We don't have a garden but we're going to go to the park between the film and the meal. We've got a Wii but that doesn't really work for 9 of them. Or we were wondering about some sort of craft activity.

Any suggestions gratefully received

Crikey, how long are you having the kids for?
I'd aim to have them picked up as soon as you get home.

Only about an hour and part of that'll be devouring birthday cake.

I don't mind if they end up doing a bit of romping/maiming, etc but I just thought it would be good to have some kind of activity set up.

bump

[hopeful smiley]

My insane but lovely sister recently entertained 25 6 YEAR OLD BOYS in her fairly small flat. My advice would be DON'T DO IT but if you must, pass the parcel was quite successful, as was musical statues, the toilet roll mummy game (where there are teams and they wrap each other in toilet roll and the best 'mummy' wins), and, my favourite, sleeping lions/logs.

It seemed like none of them could bear being eliminated though so prizes were for the 'silliest statue', 'stillest lion' etc.

Though at one point when she forgot to hand out the prizes and offered the box full instead and told them to queue up, I did wonder if she was going to reappear picked clean as if she'd been dipped in a piranha infested river!!

Mustrun - we are pondering cutting the time down a bit.

Plantsitter - 25 6 yr old boys?!! Now that is mad! I had thought perhaps they were too old for pass the parcel and musical statues but maybe not. I'd like something that takes up as much time for as little effort as possible. Mummies sounds fun. My SIL has suggested making plasticine models of characters from the film that they could take home which sounds like a possibility too.

I did a simlar thing with prizes at ds's party last year when I let them choose one out of a bag - mad scramble!

Calming party games.
Bingo with prizes
Beatle Drive or Build a Beatle game in teams.
Competition using puzzle sheets - who can spot the most differences, where's Wally? type pictures. (Probably find them on internet to print)
A story if you're feeling brave.
Just before end, some party music - Music Man, Birdie song (showing my age!), Okey Cokey etc and send them home high as kites!!!

Thanks, Liliputlady. Some good suggestions here.

Just found that we're down to 8 coming home which strangely feels a bit more doable. And one of the three weather forecasts I've checked suggests it might not rain so we could alway head back out to the park again.

Think I might go and make a bingo set when I get home ...

La la la la la la laaa
La la la la la la laaa
(humming the birdie song)