Home party help

[Lemontreeinthecity]

8 year old DD is having her birthday party at home this year. Inviting 5 of her closest friends. First time we have held a party at home, usually at a venue with 14/15 kids.
So need ideas for party games age appropriate, thinking of doing craft and a disco as well as maybe a movie in the lounge. Party will be 3 hours.

help!

First off, don't expect them to sit still for a movie! Plus you're trying to cram a lot in in 3 hours

3 hours is quite long for a party, where you are 'entertaining' dc.
I'd stick to 2 hours.

Some sort of food prep sometimes works well at that age - making their own pizzas to eat, or decorating their own cakes.

They are a little bit old for lots of typical party games, but a little bit young for entertaining themselves for too long. It's a tricky age for that.

Ok cutting it down to 2 hours might be good….thinking of musical statues as a game….craft being making keyrings….movie

Baker Ross for craft kits

Forget the movie - that would be over half the party! And boring! They should be active and chatting and doing stuff!

How about making slime. You can do one with corn flour and conditioner. Do it at the kitchen table and they can take it home.

How about cupcake decorating.

Would plan more games as they will not sit for a movie.

It's my 4 year old DS's party in a couple of weeks. Hired a softplay bus to come to the house, entertainment sorted 👍 doing a little buffet in the garden after. Could you hire a bouncy castle or something?

slime making is very messy and not so easy.

i've hosted many at-home kids parties from age 3 - 11. my formula is

• treasure hunt first. print out 10 pictures of animals / disney characters / whatever fits your theme and selotape them around the house / garden where the kids can go. print a page for each kid with small versions of the same 10 animals. As each kid arrives, give them the page and they can hunt for the animals and circle them as they find them. This works because all the kids can start at different times as they arrive and the ones who have finished help the new kids
• standard party games - pass the parcel, musical statues, simon says, grandmothers foodsteps
• craft activity - but you need lots of space and a table already set up with the materials. I'd do it in the garden. Baker Ross kits are great.
• 1hour after arrival, serve the food. sandwiches and crisps and cut-up fruit. then cake and singing
• after food, there is about 30 mins free play before the party ends

Is there a party theme? That helps for choosing games and activities. For example DD had a princess party, so we had musical crowns (crown shapes cut out of newspaper and they had to stand on one when the music stopped), pin the horn on the unicorn, hunt the jewels, craft: stick on jewels for crowns/tiaras/hair clips (you can get kits for this).
DS had a pirate party so it’s pin the flag on the pirate ship, musical maps, treasure hunt etc.

I found getting food boxes and putting oven chips and nuggets/pizza in them went down much better than sandwiches and crisps and you get far less waste.

If you’re having crafts get at least two and then have some pens and colouring sheets out as well.

When DD was nine she had a hair and nails party. I put loads of crafts on the table and roped in the help of an older teenage daughter of a friend of ours. Teenager did hair (she brought crimpers, curlers, straighteners and lots of clips and bands) and I painted nails. They were very happy sitting at the table chatting, doing crafts, listening to music and coming to us when it was their turn to have their hair or nails done. Then they ate the party tea and went home…it was very easy!

Thank you for all the reply’s.
The party theme is K-pop Demon Hunters.
Dancing is a must and some craft. I think I will not do the movie.
its not a large party - 6 girls in total probably.
im thinking of a disco area and craft area.
i might do musical statues in the disco area.

any other suggestions welcome 🙏

If it’s kpop you could buy some of those braids and do some plaits for the girls?

decorating cupcakes with some k pop rice paper decorations you can get these on Etsy and eBay

then just get kpop bits to decorate and let them dance and sing to their songs

but 2hrs is probably enough tbh!

Do you think pass the parcel would not be a hit?

ok so schedule looks like this:
11am party starts - guest arrive
craft to start
help yourself food - seperate table
12noon - music for the disco - maybe musical statues - not sure on pass the parceL
more crafting …food
cake in there
party bags - take crafting as well
home 🏠

Any other help and tips on home parties for 8 year old girl and friends 😊

For a similar aged child recently (all girls) :
1st
crafts (bracelet making and jewellery making, glitter tattoos and face paint pens to draw simple hearts and stars) in our dining room.
then
in lounge: disco (disco lights, disco balls, glow sticks YouTube playlist) with curtains drawn.
while we tidied the dining room
food served in kitchen on island and eaten in dining room.
ice creams/lollies in the garden (playing with outdoor toys etc) could also do pin the tail on the donkey/pinata/egg and spoon etc
back in the kitchen for the cake/singing/candles
back in the garden with cake/fizzy pop and ice cubes, drinks umbrellas, fancy straws, playing till parents came.
some parents stayed and sat in kitchen or helped with the crafts which was lovely.

also… went to a garden type party Boys and girls.
all parents stayed to supervise.
slip and slide made from tarp and hose pipe, kiddie pools. Fruit and squash served
pizza and cake in the garden
garden games/toys/ice lollies

hope that helps.

I think you need to possibly be quite strict if you want them to do crafts and it to be a party rather than just turning into a chaotic playdate. My daughter has been to parties at one friend where it has basically been a glorified playdate with multiple kids. They ran riot. The mum was happy with that though (big house, wasn't worried about mess or noise) so depends if you want it to be a party or playdate.
Others have been more regimented with a timetable of activities. My daughter has been to ones where they have done t shirt decorating, cake decorating, making bracelets with clay beads, pottery painting (can buy kits from places like Hobbycraft) and making a dream catcher.
One friend has also done pamper parties where they have had face masks and used washing up bowls as foot spas.
Personally I think at 8 they will be over the party games and these can often end in tears (if you have a sulky child who doesn't win/doesn't think it's fair).

I’d like a party 🥳
Its a K-pop theme so music and some craft.
im not doing pass the parcel - anything like that - they are too old for that…
Musical statues might be a bit of fun during the disco.

Going to set up a craft area and a disco area. Have snacks and party food set up on the kitchen for them to nibble etc.

looking for good craft ideas - nothing with food.
keyrings - maybe decorate a jewellery box

party length 3 hours

guests will be aged 7 to 8.

Clay beads bracelets
Gem art kits
Pottery painting?

My girl and her friends still liked pass the parcel at age 8.
You could put a (Christmas cracker style) joke in each layer that they have to read out or a challenge to do ("stand on one leg for 2 rounds of the parcel going round the circle").
Also the person in control of the music can suddenly call out "reverse" and the parcel has to change direction or "throw" and the parcel gets thrown (gently) across the circle rather than passing.
Keeps it silly and lively.
Pin the Tail on the donkey always got lots of giggles. Usually it wasn't a donkey but a big poster of whatever was popular and sticking something else. I think we did stick a bow on Hello Kitty's head once.
I'm sure you could get a Kpop poster.
Musical statues was fun too but make it harder by calling out a shape or command before the music stops ("freeze like a star" or "stand on one leg" etc).
To be honest just go with the flow. Have a few planned activities but if they aren't interested don't force it.
At home parties often ends up with dragging the box of Barbie's/wooden trains/Lego out and everyone just happily playing together.