BIG party at home for 12 year old dd

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My daughter recently turned 12 and would like to celebrate her birthday at home. For many reasons, we are now inviting the whole class (boys and girls) plus 3 extras which makes a possible 26 kids in a normal sized living room . I have a friend to help me, we are clearing the room of as much furniture as possible and pushing old sofas to one side, borrowing bean bags and big cushions etc.

The first part of the evening we are doing a quiz/treasure hunt type thing around our neighbourhood which gets them out of the house and running around. This will take about 45 mins. We also have Singstar and Guitar Hero for the Playstation/XBox and dd wants loads of music. I'll decorate the sitting room to look cool/fun but am thinking of additional stuff to do. Are games like charades too lame? I thought of gearing the things they had to act out to their age group - eg films they know, books like Twilight, songs they listen to etc.

We are making pizzas which will in a little time with chopping etc. Any other ideas/fun games? Twister? Any good board games they could play in big teams? They are all too young for boyfriend/girlfriend stuff so hopefully we will avoid someone locked in the loo in tears but old enough not to want to be babied IYSWIM Dd is such a lovely, open person and really wants this party to be a huge success, esp as it will be the first time that anyone they know has invited everyone in the class.

Thanks in advance

How long are you keeping them for? you mad crazy woman!

From 5 pm til 8pm on a Sat evening. Sorry, it would help if I made myself clearer

I think I'd get all the toppings and stuff cut up prior to the party and put them in bowls for them to just add. I think if you have lots of 12 year olds (including some boys that are actually more like 9 year olds, lets face it!) it might be better not to have knives out!

I don't actually think you need anymore than you've got.

Do the treasure hunt (fab idea, btw)
Set up the music and Singstar etc.
Take small groups at a time to make their pizza.

You'll be suprised at how time flies when you're having fun!

I did a party for 60 yr6 kids a few years back. In a hall - not my home! They weren't really that interested in the pop quiz we organised or the massive garden jenga I'd got hold of. The boys wanted to run around and the girls giggled a lot.

Tell you what might be nice, if you have the equipment. Get all the kids on camcorder, doing a little soundbite happy birthday to your DD! That'll take up some time!

Have fun!

Do you have a garden? and a gazebo? One idea would be to do a day glo/disco theme and ask them to dress in something dayglo plus give them lightsticks (very cheap on eBay) and release them into the garden. I guarantee the lightsticks will keep them amused for ages without you having to do anything. If you have amenable neighbours you could even do music out there. Does rely on dry weather though.

On that theme, you could get some of those Chinese lanterns. I got 6 on E-bay for £10. Get them all to write a message on them and send them all up together.

If you haven't seen them, you should. They are very beautiful and will hold a childs attention for some time!

Don't need the gazebo for that idea btw, meant to say you could do seating in it etc.

Ooh, the lanterns sound wonderful! Our garden is tiny so not really an option. Love the camcorder and glow sticks ideas though! Think you may be right re the knives Maureen

www.nightskylanterns.co.uk/chinese-lanterns/white-traditional-sky-lanterns/prod_8.html Here]] we are. They really are very beautiful.

I have one left and I shall be letting it go tonight at a party!

And again!

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Just checked out the lanterns - OMG, they are beautiful. This is a WONDERFUL idea, thanks SOOOOO much. My dd would be so happy. We could walk up to the school plyground about 200 mtrs away and release them all together to 'Happy Birthday'. Am going to order some right now

Oh no Christiana ... although there was an eco friendly lantern in Maureen's link. [Oxo wonders how close nearest cows are to her house]

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Well I ended up ordering the lanterns (sorry christiana but will send up a prayer for the cows!). My dd saw the link and was entranced. Party is on Saturday, scavenger hunt/quiz all set up as well as a few games

thanks everyone for helping (esp Maureen)

So your child was entranced by the lanterns so you're getting them for her even though they may harm cows? Nothing's going to spoil your little princess's fun, is it

Articulate is a game we've played with our 12 year old and a nine year old. You pick a card and one team member describes the word ( but not with letters or sound like as in charades ). 12 year olds knowledge of the world is better but what is so funny is how they describe the word - other team members have a one minute timer to guess the word. We were in fits rolling around with laughter over this game.