Looking for creative bd party ideas for my soon-to-be 12 yr old boy

[Shine]

His bd is Nov. 13 and I've gotta get something lined up soon. We're out here on the west coast, central CA, and, believe it or not, the weather can't always be counted on...so it's touchy to plan it outdoors. On the other hand, we're having new windows installed in our home at that same time, so we can't have it at the house.

We've done the skating parties, the bowling alley parties, the sleepover parties, the pizza/game parties....

What's something fun, wacky and different for a kid his age? Any suggestions? You guys are a creative bunch, so I thought I'd put it out there....

Thanks!
:hi:
Shine

[bbernardini]

1. Have it at Hooters!

You said "fun, wacky and different". You didn't say "age appropriate". :)

[Shine]

5. LOL!! That's pretty funny.

Yeah, I'm sure he'd be thrilled! Gosh, too bad we don't have any Hooters 'round here. NOT.
:)

[Mutley]

2. How about an arcade?

Kids, especially boys, love video games. You give 'em each a roll of quarters and let 'em have at it.

[Shine]

7. That's actually not a bad idea. Thanks.

Our neighbors happen to own a local one, nearby, and our son has been there a lot, and often for parties, but we haven't done the party thing there yet.

Personally, I find them incredibly obnoxious. But hey, this isn't about ME.

I'll check in with him about this idea. Thanks much, mutley!
:hi:

[Mutley]

17. Not a problem.

:hi:

I love arcades, but I'm a "different" kind of gal. :D

[Shine]

34. Hey, in my book, "different" means you're MY kind of gal!

:pals:

[Mutley]

44. Sweet!

:pals:

[malta blue]

3. Any favorite movies, music, etc?

[Shine]

9. Yeah, that's a good one, too. He's a total movie FREAK.

Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised to see him in Hollywood, down the road, as a big producer or something. He knows directors, actors, it's weird.

Hmmmm...he played Harry Potter this past summer in an acting camp...and I think the new HP movie is coming out next month. Something to research. That could be a fun activity, although you're just sittin' in front of a movie screen...

Must remember: it's NOT about ME! hahah. :)

Hey, thanks for the tip, malta blue! Good one.

:hi:
Shine

[malta blue]

14. If he likes Harry Potter, you can take advantage of the

after Halloween clearance sales and scoop up "wizarding" stuff, costumes, etc. That can help set the theme.

Good luck!

[Shine]

21. Good call.

Thanks!
:)

[malta blue]

23. Anytime Shine.

Let us know if it works out!

[Shine]

36. Yup, I'll keep y'all posted. Thanks again, friend.

:pals:

[BroadwayBrat]

16. I agree with this idea...

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire comes out on November 18th, it would be a great idea to do a movie party...some movie theatres actually have deals with a party room, or if its connected to the mall, the mall will let you use part of the food court. You can have all the kids dress up as their favorite characters (ive done this..and I am 27 years old)... and you can have themed dinners... Harry's favorite Treacle Tart and Pumpkin Juice for example...I also have a great recipe and instructions for a "Sorting Hat" cake... :)
I hope you can come up with a great idea!

[Shine]

20. Hey, thanks for the heads up on the Harry Potter release date!

that's very helpful. It would mean having his party the w/e after his actual bd, but no biggie.

Yeah, we did a Harry Potter-magic-themed bd party several years back. He's TOTALLY into magic. This year, combining the new movie and HP treats might be a great thing. I liked your idea of having them dress up, too. Maybe I'll be in touch with you about the "Sorting Hat" cake thing. :)

I'll run it by him.

Thanks, again, BroadwayBrat!

:hi:
Shine

[matcom]

4. ask the Minnesota Vikings what they might recommend

[Shine]

10. If only he were a sports fan!

He's definitely NOT into that stuff, and believe me, I've given him plenty of opportunities to get involved. He's just not interested. I used to be all worried about that, back when he was younger, but now I'm fine with it. He's much more into the arts: acting, performing magic, playing drums...

He's a cool kid in that way. Confident in himself, even though he's not a sports dude.

I chuckled at your response, though. You're funny. :) Thanks, matcom!

:hi:
Shine

[JVS]

28. Those vikings know how to have a good time

[Shine]

37. Do they do weird things with pointy and horny hats?

just curious...

:rofl:

[put out]

6. Food fight in the backyard? Messy, minimally destructive,

of short duration, and cheap. Bowls of pasta, instant potatoes, oatmeal. Hose the boys down, after.

Or not. 13 year old boys couldn't be any grungier or smell any worse.

[Shine]

11. That's hysterical! I LOVE it. Hmmmm...the possibilities are endless

and plus, it wouldn't matter if the weather was crappy, cuz they're gonna get messy anyway...

Thanks, put out! I'll have to give that one some thought and check in with the boy about that one.

And you're right, being messy comes with the territory at that age!

:hi:

[put out]

59. Now you're inspiring me. Green, red jello. Divided into teams.

The grossest team wins. Don't let them know that until the end, if you want. Rules of engagement. Negotiation. Put the natural rivals on the same team or someone could get hurt.

Friend, I'd go to one of those.

This is fun to read. Mine is 16 now, sigh.

[Shine]

82. Yeah, that would be a fun party indeed.

My hubby's mens' group had an outrageous food fight party many years back with about 45 men. They did major prep work to prepare, by covering EVERYthing in plastic sheeting. They had it some community place that somebody had a connection with. They served the food right on the table: baked beans, mashed potatoes, pudding...they ate for a while, then "got carried away". His eyes always light up when he tells the story. Sounds like it was unforgettable. :D

Yes, this has been a fun thread to read. I love how we humans can inspire each other. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside...

:pals:

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. Water ballon fight.

Sorry, I'm just not creative this morning, because all I can think of otherwise is "strippers", and that's not a good idea, and I don't even like them, so I don't know why this thought is so prevalent in my head right now.

[Shine]

13. Hmm...water balloon fight..might be a good combo with food fight

Thanks,Rabrrrrrr! Strippers would definitely NOT be "age appropriate", as they say. :)

And I know what you mean about not feeling creative this morning. I can totally relate. That's why I'm tapping into the creativity of the lounge lizards...

:hi:

[AllegroRondo]

12. Take them to a paintball field

sure, its outdoors, but its a load of fun.

[Shine]

15. Hey, that's a clever idea!

Thanks, AllegroRondo! I'll have to do some research on that one, too.

I'd probably have to get past my stuff about the shooting of "guns", even though they're only filled with paint... Note to self: it's NOT about ME! :)

Is it too militaristic? I have a girlfriend whose boy was a teenager years ago and I remember he had a paintball party once.

I'll check in with the boy about that idea. Thanks, again!

:hi:

[Mutley]

19. That IS a good idea.

It is a bit militaristic, but I think only from an adult POV. The kids won't be thinking abou that except in a War Games kind of way. Paintball is fun; this idea is ALMOST as good as mine. :D

[Shine]

26. Yeah, maybe you're right. It's just MY trip about it.

Thanks, again, for the suggestion. I'll look into it.....

:)

[AllegroRondo]

41. Most boys that age love shooting at each other

When I was that age, we playd cops and robbers with sticks. And I turned out fine.

Just make sure that they are mature enough to abide by the safety rules.

Paintball these days is not very militaristic, no more so than football. There are leauges and even a national championship. Its more based on a standard "capture the flag" on a field about the size of a football field.

A good painball area will be able to supply rental equipment, a nice field, and referees. And they should be very strict about safety. Full face masks required, no shooting at close range, trained referees, etc. Make sure the kids have to sit through a safety class before they play.

You may need permission forms signed by parents, check if you can get those done ahead of time.

Have fun!

[Shine]

43. OK, well, if YOU turned out fine I suppose that's good enough for me

:)

I never had a brother, so I sometimes have trouble relating to all that "boy vibe" stuff. Boys and girls are DEFINITELY different animals!

Anyway, I'll look into it. I think my hubby's mens' group did this once and loved it.

Thanks, again, friend!
:pals:

[AlCzervik]

18. We did a rock climbing party for my daughters 11th birthday

at Rocknasium in Davis, it's indoor and it was a lot of fun.

[Shine]

24. That's funny you should suggest that b/c in two wks we are...

having my daughter's 9th bd party at a local climbing gym! Of course, my son will be there and get to climb.

I've already asked him if he wanted to have his own party there, too, like his sister, and he looked at me as if I were crazy. :eyes:

He's too cool for that, apparently. No, actually, he just wants to do something a little different.

I tell ya, it's been challenging sometimes, having two kids whose birthdays are two weeks apart. A lifetime of this...

Jeez, what we go through!

Thanks for responding, though, chimpsrsmarter!
:hi:

Shine

[AlCzervik]

27. ok, how about going to 6 flags for the day, him and his friends?

[Shine]

38. Cool, that's a good one, too! We're close to a Great America

I'll have to do some research on that one. I wonder what the admission fee is these days?

I'll run that idea past the boy. Good call, thanks, friend!

:pals:

[AlCzervik]

47. the one thing that 6 flags has over Great America is the Medusa

rollercoaster, that thing is kick ass!! It has like a 100ft vertical drop. It's probably about $25 a person but you can always get discount tickets--usually at Bel-Air.

[Shine]

49. The only problem is we're not anywhere near 6 Flags...

however, we ARE near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, which is a beachside amusement park, that boasts the oldest rollercoaster in the nation.

THAT could be fun. I'll have to check and see if it's even open in November....

Gawd, what we go through for our kids, I swear. :eyes:

Sorry, kvetching....

Thanks for all your thoughtful responses, chimpsrsmarter!
:pals:

Shine

[AlCzervik]

50. Lucky!!! I live in elk Grove, i'm pretty sure it's the 9th gate to hell.

[Shine]

51. You're in CA, right? Where, exactly, is Elk Grove?

northern, southern?

I'm sure it must be a VERY nice place. YOU live there, afterall.
:pals:

[AlCzervik]

53. A just a tad south of Sucramento. It's your basic cookie cutter city

all the houses are beige or sometimes someone will go crazy and paint their house a shade of taupe! Scandalous-!! We were going to move to the Cupertino area but when we figured out how much the property taxes would be and the fact we'd need a jumbo mortgage we decided it would be cheaper for my husband to rent a studio and live there during the week and come home on the weekends. We still look though in Scott's Valley and Los Gatos and hope we hit the lottery.

[Shine]

54. "Sucramento"...LOL! That's a new one.

loved your description...sounds like you're workin' it out, despite it all.

Hey, we live in Scotts Valley! Thank god we bought when we did, cuz there'd be NOOOO way we could swing it these days. The real estate is totally INSANE around here.

Hey, I hope we BOTH win the lottery, darlin'!

:hug:

[SarahB]

22. laser tag

They love that stuff! :thumbsup:

[Shine]

29. Hey, that's a good one! Certainly less messy than paintball, too.

I'll have to look into that one. We live very close to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk, a great beachside amusement park, and I'm pretty sure they have laser tag there. Hmmm....

Thanks, SarahBelle!

:hi:
Shine

[Beer Snob-50]

32. i was going to mention the same thing

my kids loved them, and so did the adults.

[Shine]

39. Did you do it indoors? Just curious.

Glad to know it was fun. I'll look into that one, too.

Thanks, Pirate! Arrrrggghhh!!!
:hi:

Shine

[Beer Snob-50]

45. it was indoors at a roller skating rink.

[Shine]

48. Hmmm....OK. I'll look into it. Thanks again!

:pals:

[cally]

25. Hold it outdoors even if the weather is bad

The kids like it better if it's out of the ordinary and getting wet and having mud fights would be a blast for a 12 year old.

I've held several parties with treasure hunts for kids that age. I went to a park and hid clues. You can buy cheap compasses if you want to go that route. If I had many kids, I would break them into groups. I tried to supervise so each child had a chance to try to decipher the clue. I've had these take many hours. At one stop, we often had flour ball fights. At soem stops, the kids got snacks or treats. At the final stop, the kids got their goody bags. Thses parties have always been successful. One warning, the kids are surprisingly bad at deciphering the clues. The first few times I did this, my clues were too hard.

After the treasure hunt, you could have all the kids hose off and change clothes. Then wind down in front of old Harry Potter movies.

[Shine]

33. Hey, great ideas, cally! Thanks!

You raise an excellent point about kids that age not minding the crappy weather and getting wet WOULD be more fun. Bringing an extra set of clothes is a great suggestion, too.

I like the treasure hunt idea. I don't think we've done that one before, but if we have it's been a while... I tell ya, after a certain amount of years, it ALL becomes a blur, ya know what I mean? hahah. I'm sure we've never done it at a park, though. That could definitely be fun.

Thanks, again, so much for your response.
:hi:
Shine

[JVS]

30. 12 is a good year for the "we are no longer having parties" theme

But if you want to go for the gusto one last time, may I suggest Go-karts. At 12 I would have killed for a good amount of access to go-karts

[Shine]

40. LOL! Unfortunately, he's into milkin' it as much as possible...

probably for all the gifts! hahah. Seriously though, we're only young once, so I don't begrudge him a party at his age. But you're right, he's certainly past all those cutesy themed parties. Been there, done that!

Hmmm...go-carts. That's different. I like it.

I'll run it past the boy.

Thanks, JVS!
:hi:

[Patiod]

31. Don't know what you have in the way of "kid museums" in yr area

My friend's son of the same age LOVED the parties offered by our Museum of Natural History. They were having a bug exhibit, plus the boys could hang out with the dinos, too.

[Shine]

42. Hmmm...that's a good one, too!

the San Jose Children's Discovery Museum is relatively close by. Could be fun.

My only thought on this one is that it might seem too much like a school field trip, or something. In other words, too "educational". When you're in the 6th grade, that's definitely "NOT COOL".

But hey, I'll certainly run it past the boy. He might surprise me and go for it. Ya just never know!

Thanks for your response, Patiod!
:hi:

Shine

[flvegan]

35. Just get a big party tent and a few kegs.

Everybody's happy.

[Shine]

46. LOL! You're funny. Yeah, at 12 it would have to be kegs of SODA.

Yikes, come to think of it, THAT could be scary! A bunch of sugar-jacked-up kids runnin' around?

I laughed at your response, though. :)

I just LOVE the lounge...

[Shine]

52. I want to thank you all, so much, for your thoughtful ideas!

I'm gonna write down all these ideas and run 'em past the boy today after school.

What a creative and generous bunch you are!! The lounge ROCKS!!!

:grouphug:

Shine

[rbnyc]

55. Tie Dye party.

Do a 60s theme. Buy a bunch of plain t-shirts, and som dye and a big plastic tarp. Let the kids tie dys their own shirts.

:)

First thing that came to me.

[Shine]

61. Yeah, those things are fun....fun, but messy!

Cool idea, though.

Thanks for your response, rbnyc!

:hi:

Shine

[havocmom]

56. We did a Shipwreck Survivor party for my kid brother eons ago

Did the invitations on parchment like stationery with torn and scortched edges, put in bottles (a friend in restruant business is a help) and placed on the porches of the guests. Captain #### invites you to his island paradise hide away. Shipwreck expected on (date) at (time). Along those lines

Decorated patio/house with palm, nets, that sort of thing. Candles in wine bottles half buried around the yard for light along with some tiki torches and little Christmas lights.

Bbq for nosh and a build-your-own-sundae-bar instead of the cake routine. Much music, dancing, the kids wore beach attire/ straw hats. Lots of flowers already growing around the house, added some pots of tropical things, nothing big or expensive.

It was fun. One kid showed up with a big fake parrot on his shoulder

Party could easily take place on the beach. And yes, I know about the weather, our party was in your general area too ;)

[Shine]

62. Wow, that sounds like it was quite the party!

How fun. I'm sure you're brother loved it. Sounds very clever.

Thanks for your cool idea.

:hi:

Shine

[Wcross]

57. Hire some strippers! n/t

[Shine]

63. Yeah, THAT would be an unforgettable party for a 12 yr old!

;) you silly!

Shine

[Throckmorton]

58. Have an Amish Barn Raising party,

At least it will have the virtue of being the first in the 6th grade.

[Shine]

64. Hmmm...if only we were Amish.

besides my kid's into doing the LEAST amount of work possible, most days. ;)

I chuckled at your response, though...

:hi:

Shine

[hvn_nbr_2]

60. BD parties probably aren't appropriate for 12-year-olds

Oh, you meant birthday. Never mind.

[Shine]

65. yuk, yuk, yuk....!! Jeez, he IS only 12, afterall...

technically, he's still eleven!!

You silly!
:silly:

[halobeam]

66. We had a three day sleep over for fifteen 12/13 year old boys!

LOL.. bought 400 dollars worth of food, and rented TV'S and systems and games and movies and spread it all out and they played manhunt at midnight around the house. They made human pyramids, we took lots of pics. They still mention it now, almost four years later. They LOVED it, and us? well, we don't regret it because they were great kids and enjoyed themselves so much, but we will never do it again..LOL!

[Shine]

68. OMG, that's funny, halobeam! I can picture it now.

Sounds like you made some happy memories for those kids. How cool of you. You're definitely braver than we are. We've done lots of sleepover parties, but only for ONE night, thank you very much. :)

We're having new windows installed around the same time, so we've gotta have the party someplace different than our home.

I'm into easy and simple....

Thanks for sharing your story!

:hi:

Shine

[WCGreen]

67. Take 'em all to a crack house....

Give them twenty bucks each and see which one ends up being the biggest failure in life...

[Shine]

70. Okaaaay....

somebody sounds like they need a hug.

:hug:

[WCGreen]

72. Just a simple case of the friday night wierdies....

[Shine]

76. Hey, I hear ya. I'm into my second glass of wine, myself....

:)

Now we're gonna go see "Cocoon" with the kids for our family night. Gawd, remember THAT movie?

[WCGreen]

80. It is so Up lifting.....

Ron Howard at his smaltzy best...

Drink another glass of wine to make it palatable...

[Shine]

81. heh heh. Yeah, the wine helped.

Hard to believe that movie is 20 yrs old already.
Where DOES the time go?????? :shrug:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

69. I was going to say "karting track" until I read about the weather

Now I'll have to say "indoor karting track".

[Shine]

75. Thanks for your response, Commie Pinko Dirtbag!

I posted an update just now on the thread about what the boy decided.

We're goin' easy and convenient....that's the best way!

:)

[Whoa_Nelly]

71. Make a Movie party since your son is into movies

You would have to have two video cameras to use for this.

Have two teams, can be held in a park, or your backyard.
Choose maybe 6 different scenarios and 6 characters for acting out, (alien invasion, fantasy magic, mad scientist, secret agent, for starter ideas...), and teams draw 2 scenarios, and 2-3 characters each, then they have to figure out how to combine the two scenarios with the characters into one package for a video...teams can't tell the other what they drew. By choosing the scenarios/characters for the team draws ahead of time, gives you some basics to have on hand for simple props, old clothes to use, etc.

Kids have 45 min to 1 hour to discuss, make a plan (who does the shooting, directing, acting....you could even have megaphones for the directors...lol), set up and shoot the scene. Videos are played back during cake/ice cream time. Followup with mailed thank yous including a DVD of the two videos.

Just an idea...

[Shine]

78. Wow, what an AWESOME idea, Whoa_Nelly!!

It's incredibly creative and certainly unique. I swear, it sounds like stuff he did during his summer of acting camp. Very cool.

Well, I just posted an update on this thread about what the boy chose. I ran all the ideas past him and, thankfully for us, he chose a very easy and convenient option...

Thanks again for your thoughtful reply!

:hi:

Shine

[Shine]

73. OK, here's the deal, for all those who are on the edge of their seats.

I spoke with the boy and he's totally into the Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie idea. He's a complete movie freak. It comes out as a new release on Fri, Nov. 18, so I'm thinkin' we take a bunch of his friends to the Saturday matinee the next day. Have some pizza on either end of it and call it a party. It's easy, it's convenient, and hell, we'd be seeing the movie soon enough, anyway, so why not?

Plus, he played Harry Potter in a kids' acting camp production of the very same movie this past summer. (I have to brag, he was picked out of 45 kids to play the lead character. Very cool!)

Anyway, thanks again, so much for all your creative, helpful, and funny suggestions!

I just LOVE the lounge...

:grouphug:

[halobeam]

79. Movie birthdays are great!... My little one LOVES those!!

Pizza DEFINETELY before, because the popcorn and candy will kill their appetites... just a little note!..

I'm sure they'll have fun.

[Joey Liberal]

74. Take him to the Bunny Ranch!

Just kiddin':).......

[RazzleCat]

77. Water Balloons

Best party I ever had for my kid. I was broke so I had to be very creative. I went out and bought hundreds of water balloons and a couple dozen of the real cheep water guns, think the dollar store. Gave each kid a stack of balloons and a water pistol and let them loose. They went wild for a couple of hours. For food we had bar-b-que. I am not joking, they loved it. I don't think any of them had really ever had an all out water balloon war, paint balls, laser tag yes, but never just let loose to bomb each other with water balloons. On the down side it took a couple of days to clean up all the broken balloon stuff in the yard.