What did you DC do for 13th Birthday

[bithotinit]

Just that really, DS is about to turn 13 in a few weeks and I need ideas for what to do for him, I've tried asking but he doesn't know himself 😖

Also what presents were a bit hit with them?

Dd is 13 very soon, hoping to pay for her +friends to go bowling (just been for ds's 17 th as a family). No idea about gifts sorry!!

Ds2 is 13 soon. He’s doing an escape room with some friends.

No idea about presents. Probably some xbox game. We’ve just upgraded his phone.

I took about 15 of her friends to Glasgow on the train to get pizza and freakshakes in a pretty cool place then a few came bsvk for a sleepover (we don't have space for that many!)

She got a tablet and a lot of Harry Potter stuff for her bedroom, can't remember what else. Her cake was one of those floating pouring Nutella jar ones.

Oh the escape rooms is a good idea, there is one in the next town to us and he's never been.

I was going to suggest escape rooms. They are great fun

Dd1 had a party hired local hall she had 35 friends mixture of secondary school, few from primary she had stayed in touch with and some from outside school. Dh cooked bbq our back and music via speakers in hall. Sweet table and crisps and they were good as gold. She’s 14 next week (oldest in school year) had her 14th party last night and converted garden into open air cinema borrowed projector to put film on screen via the fence and loads of cushions blankets etc ordered pizza and did sweets/popcorn for them and all left at 10pm was such a lovely evening and they were very well behaved! Presents for 13th she got pandora bits, clothes, perfume etc and dd2 made her a photo book online of photos baby to 13

It was a big birthday for ds - i took him and 3 friends to Thorpe Park. With hindsihgt i might have said 1 friend as the cost was ridiculous.

My 13 year old did escape room recently for a mates bday then they went for pizza afterwards
He’s also been zorbing, trampoline place, laser quest and paint balling for other mates.
Some f them just go out for pizza or the cinema, some have a small sleep over (they do love these even tho I loathe it as DS is good for nothing the next day!)

It’s a tricky age as they are on the cusp a bit but they do still seem to enjoy an activity party. Just avoid any balloons or big cake cutting drama!

Presents wise he got a fancy customised game controller from scuf.
Other ideas or things friends have had were posh headphones, skateboard, stuff relating to hobbies or football strips.

then a few came back for a sleepover (we don't have space for that many!)

Bet the ones who got sent home felt great!

They don't give a hoot actually, they're a big bunch of pals who hang about together in various assorted groups and there's none of this nonsense between them that I read about on MN - groups of the big group are allowed to do things without the whole lot having to be there. There's no jealousy between them.

Dd and 5 friends went to local Italian restaurant for dinner about 5pm. They were allowed starter, main and 2 drinks. Rang me when they were finishing...I went and paid.
Then home for cake.
The restaurant was great....we often went in and so knew it wasn't going to descend into chaos.

Into town for lunch with mates with my credit card. I can't remember if they went to the cinema or shopping. No involvement from me was best yet.

Activity of some sort, munchie boxes and pizza, cake, then sleepover for 8.

They slept in living room on mixture of mattresses, airbeds and sofas and had a couple of good dvds. Sleepover is always the main (and cheapest!) event!

My DC aren’t that old yet, but for my 13th I had a limo to take me and my best friends to the bowling alley, met family there and had a few games and food.

These ideas are lovely, espesh the outside cinema party in garden.

eandh the outdoor cinema sounds fab, I will
mention that to him.

At the minute it's looks like it's bowling and Pizza Hut with a few friends and then a day out as a family at maybe a theme park.

Still not given much in the way of pressie ideas from him.