So you have this young person who is too old for the dino and Barbie themed parties and too young for something unsupervised. What are some great party ideas so they have the time of their lives for their birthday?
How about a sleepover party?
Allow your tween to invite three or four of their closest friends. On the invitations, make sure that the other parents know that there will be a grown up around and give them your number so that they can call if they have any questions. Let them know what kind of movies and video games you are planning to have. Make sure that you are aware of any food allergies and that you have phone numbers in case of emergencies. This sounds like babysitting, but you can't be too careful and you would want the same done for your kids.
Planning the Entertainment
One huge hit in tween party planning ideas is making space! By pushing the furniture aside in the living room (or den) and creating a "game room" feel, you can accommodate everyone's sleeping bags and pillows (just in case someone falls asleep). Watching movies or playing video games, the young people have a really good time-- and you always have an idea of where they are and what they're up to.
Planning the Party Food and Entertainment
The Main Meal. In terms of Tween party planning ideas for food -- the best way to plan the food for this major event is to get everyone involved. "Make your own pizzas" are a huge hit with kids of all ages and cost less than anything you can order, especially if you make your own dough. And the dough isn't all that hard to make, it freezes well, and it doesn't take a long time to bake. Simply line up some favorite pizza toppings and let everyone build their own pizzas, marking each pizza with a Popsicle stick with their name on it written in permanent marker.
Snacks and Dessert. As for cake, try using the theme from any movies you rented to watch! If your movie theme is horror, then a graveyard cake may be just the right thing. Using a chocolate nine by thirteen cake, frosted in ghoulish black (Wilton makes just the right colors), dig out a couple of little graves and leave the crumbs on top of the cake. Maybe put a plastic skeleton "body" in one of the "graves". And use 'Nilla wafers as headstones.
Or try this "Dirt Dessert" recipe!
Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3-1/2 cups cold milk
2 packages (3.4 ounces each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (12 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 package (18 ounces) cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
Directions: 1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth.
2. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes; let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Gradually stir into cream cheese mixture. Fold in whipped topping.
3. Spread 1-1/3 cups of crushed cookies into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish.
4. Layer with half of the pudding mixture and half of the remaining cookies. Repeat layers.
5. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving
6. Garnish with Gummi worms
Drink Ideas. Keep the drinks simple. Decaffeinated soda, lemonade, or juice early in the evening and then encourage water later in the evening. Or going again with the horror theme, try the "cauldron" effect with dry ice.
Come morning, serve a light breakfast of bagels and fruit or doughnuts and juice. Or make a French Toast casserole or other breakfast treat.
Your tween party will be the talk of the town (or at least the middle school) for weeks to come!
Karen is just full of party planning ideas, and not just for tween kids, either! You'll find lots of ideas for planning a kids or grown-ups' party at her website, Divine Dinner Party.
Feel free to publish this awesome article on your website (or tattoo it on your behind for all I care!) as long as you keep this resource box and all links LIVE and intact. You know the drill.
