A birthday party is always a lovely and important experience for children. Inviting kids, unwrapping gifts, eating cake, and yes, exactly, what else? The children are still kids, but they aren't really interested in children's games anymore, right? What activities do you plan for children or teenagers? Here, I have collected some great ideas together with my friends that will turn a birthday for pre-teens into a fantastic experience.
Ideas for birthday parties at home with teenagers and children aged 10 and up
Here I have some great suggestions for birthday parties for children aged 10 and up. These themes were very well received by our children and I can highly recommend them:
Host a 'Shopping Queen' at home
The children are given a theme and a budget they have to stick to. We took the children to the Bodenzeile in Gänserndorf, where there is a New Yorker, Takko, C&A, and even a Deichmann. The children had to buy an outfit within a certain time using their budget and then present it at home. The theme for our children was 'Outfit for a summer party'. They had about 2 hours to shop and a budget of €20.
The judging was done by the moms. That was really, really funny. Especially seeing what the children bought and how they actually managed to stay within the budget, calculating and figuring things out. I can highly recommend it; it was a really great afternoon.
Extra tip:If you don't want to spend any money, announce the theme in the invitation and have the children bring suitable items with them.
Theme ideas for Shopping Queen:
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- Spring
- Colorful
- Bridgerton
- Sporty
- Festive
- Glitter
- Party outfit
- Choose a specific color
Playing Nerf in the garden
Nerf is a popular topic among children and is very well received at a party. It's not just about shooting around; the children have to play in teams and be careful not to get hit, or work together to complete a mission.
Here is a great idea from my dear friend Carina: create your own Nerf playground. For this, the birthday child's parents went to the recycling center and picked up tires, pallets, and crates, and distributed them around the area. Then add a bulk pack of Nerf ammo and the guests bring their own Nerf equipment. They played for hours. A very relaxed birthday, I must say! Highly recommended.
Decorating and snacking on delicacies
Almost all children love sweets and treats. With this activity, the children can design their own treats. You can bake small cakes or provide ice cream, and the children can decorate their own food. This is where the most amazing creations are born.
I have also tried having the children make their own little cakes. For this, I pre-baked small cakes and provided fondant in many colors. The children had a lot of fun acting as confectioners. I was a bit worried that my kitchen would be too small, but everything works out. The children had a lot of fun and were super proud afterward.
Puzzle rally in the neighborhood
Children love puzzles, so a puzzle rally is just the right thing for entertaining hours. For 10-year-olds and up, you can use an app for the treasure hunt. We tried the 'Treasur Hunt' app. Mark the rally points, preferably in the immediate vicinity, and hide small boxes with small gifts there. We did this in our neighborhood so the children were allowed to go into friends' gardens and find the treasures there. The ones who find all the gifts first win. The children had a lot of fun.
Ideas for gifts for the boxes:
The boxes can be filled with the following things:
- small treats
- hair ties, hair clips
- bouncy balls
- Balloons
- carabiners
Night hike at home
It becomes an exciting birthday if you go hiking with the children at night. Schedule the party a bit later for this.
Pack a small picnic basket with snacks and drinks and possibly blankets. The children receive headlamps or flashlights, and if you like, children also really enjoy these glow sticks, and off you go. Simply choose a nice route, perhaps even into the woods. Take a small break with a picnic where the children can run around or look around a bit.
If you want, you can also give the children small tasks: a list of things they should 'look for' or pay attention to:
- certain insects
- Birds
- Animals
- Which animals are nocturnal?
- What did you discover?
The perfect drink
The children have to mix the perfect drink; these are also judged, just like in the TV show. Provide juices, fruit, and vegetables for this. Decorations are, of course, a must.
Shopping list:
- Fruit: berries, lemons, limes, melon, cherries, oranges, pineapple, etc.
- Vegetables: cucumbers, carrots, etc.
- Juices: orange juice, cherry juice, strawberry juice, pineapple juice, grenadine, syrup in various flavors, coconut juice, and much more.
- Decorations: Straws, cocktail spoons, cocktail decorations
- sugar in bright colors for a sugar rim
Camping at the birthday party
A fun idea is to let the children camp in the garden. For this, the children need a tent (there are really very cheap ones) and a sleeping bag or simply a slightly thicker blanket. A mat or an air mattress is enough as a base. You can often get camping items cheaply at discount stores. Furthermore, headlamps or flashlights are also great for the kids, or if you like, children also enjoy these glow sticks.
An experience for the children!
Photo rally for the birthday party
Photos and mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular at this age. A photo rally is perfect for the children here. For this, all children must have a mobile phone or a camera, or teams are formed and one person always has a phone. Then the children get the list that they have to complete within a certain time (e.g., 90 minutes). Whoever has everything first is the winner. It's fun if a few photos are printed out after the party and distributed to the party guests.
Ideas for the photo rally:
- Photo of an animal that can fly
- Photograph something you can eat
- Photograph something that glows
- Photo of a girl/boy/adult
- Photo of a handstand/cartwheel/somersault
- Photo of a child not touching the ground
- Photo of all party guests
- Photograph a plant
- Photograph a car/bicycle/toy
- Photograph 1 child making a funny face
Experimenting at the children's birthday party
Even at this age, children still like to experiment; with our children, the Fluffy Slime with shaving cream and glue is still very popular. But tie-dye is also a topic and is gladly tried out. Here we provided white T-shirts or large dish towels or handkerchiefs, and the children could color them as they pleased.
It's also nice if the children like to paint; for example, stones can be painted here. For this, provide acrylic paints and brushes and nice large stones.
If you want, you can also conduct simple scientific experiments with the children. Instructions and ideas can be found in abundance on the internet, even on YouTube.
Exit – The game for at home
A Escape Room for at home is a nice idea for the children. Get a game for the birthday (these usually cost around 10). If there are more children, they can form teams and off you go. Here, the children have to puzzle and think.
Disco at home
Disco is also becoming more of a topic, so the children like to dance and romp around a bit. For this, light up the room with a disco ball and turn up the music. Fun for the children is UV body painting makeup that glows in the dark. Also glow sticks are well received at a disco evening.
Extra tip: Before that, the children can also dress up: dress nicely or put on makeup.
Cinema at home at a birthday party
A movie night at home is also very well received by pre-teens. The birthday child chooses a movie, and everyone gathers around the TV. If there isn't enough space on the couch, simply lay out cushions, mats, mattresses, or garden seat pads. Also, have plenty of blankets ready. The movie night becomes professional if cinema tickets and popcorn buckets are printed out (templates are available on the internet).
Extra tip: We set up a small table in front of the living room and placed a huge bowl of popcorn as well as bottles for drinks, just like in the cinema. Pure cinema feeling!
Playing party games at home
Some things just don't go out of style. So the children can play spin the bottle, or truth or dare. There are also some Party games ready to buy. Like, for example, the 'Beat That!' game. Here I have collected some funny questions for truth or dare for children:
Truth or Dare game for children
Playing board games at home
If children like to play, board games can also provide a lovely afternoon. Scotland Yard, Mankomania, The Game of Life are just a handful of games that are really great and will also make children laugh.
Playing games on the console
Game consoles are a good way to play something together. There are some really great games here, like Sing Stars or Just Dance, where you can do fun things together.
Selfie time with the party guests
At that age, selfies and photos are becoming increasingly popular. So that the party guests can photograph themselves, provide makeup and photo props ready. If you have one, you can also use an instant camera.
I think there are some ideas here to spend a lovely children's birthday with 10-year-olds and up. Do you have ideas too? Then I would be very happy to receive an email from you!
Photos by Sabine, meinhaushalt.at
Read also: Food at a children's birthday party – recipes and ideas
