fun birthday party ideas?

[mo2]

For a girl, sleepover, guests ranging in age from 5 to 11? Funds are limited but I need something to do to keep these girls occupied.

[cougarmom4]

That's quite a range of ages! Hmm...my ideas aren't going to be that exciting, but maybe it will bump this for you and someone else will chime in! We don't do sleepovers, but we do 'late nights' with dd10 and her friends. They usually come around 5 and stay til 9:30 or 10. I think that's plenty of time for fun! Here are some things we've done:

 

Movie Night with Pizza--that's the easiest thing; you could even make your own individual pizzas and let the girls choose their toppings

Decorate cupcakes or cookies with frosting & sprinkles

Backwards Party--invitations written backwards, kids come dressed backwards, play games backwards, have dessert first, then dinner. There are some fun ideas on the web.

'Night Games' if the weather is okay--dd10's favorite thing right now

Craft night--have several crafts set up in different locations & rotate the kids around to each station

Board Game tournament

Service Scavenger Hunt--have the kids go around your neighborhood with a list of service things that they have to do (take out the garbage, read a story to a young child, sweep the kitchen floor)--this only works if you & the kids know your neighbors & if you have adults to go with them.

Ice Cream Sundaes with all the fixins. (I think anytime the kids are involved in the making or fixing, it takes more time!)

 

Hope you figure out something fun to do!

[plansrme]

My girls, from first grade on through the present (middle school), have loved these. I write clues that rhyme. The first clue takes them to the second clue, and so on, until they get to the "treasure," which has been, that I remember, a personalized (by my daughter) picture frame in which to put a picture of all of the party guests, a small flower pot with a miniature rose (flower seeds would work also) and an invitation to a build-your-own-sundae party (held immediately thereafter). Here's an example of a clue that was hidden on my golden retriever's fence:

 

Some of you are blond;

Someone else here is, too.

Figure out who it is,

And you'll find your next clue.

 

This clue was used with a group of first graders, and they figured it out pretty quickly.

 

I hide clues inside and outside, and the only rule is that each child takes a turn reading a clue out loud.

 

Terri

[missmoe]

Fashion show. Give the girls newspaper, duct tape, and other "trash" and let them create away. It was the hit of my dd's birthday party.