8-year old's Birthday Party... Ideas?

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  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Legos - just set up a table with some (you can even use Duplo for the younger ones). This entertains boys and girls of almost all ages for hours. You can have them do activities (divide into teams, build a tower, tallest/fastest wins, etc.) or just free play.

    Crafts - set up a table with coloring pages or a craft - like a cardboard picture frame you decorate yourself or foam kit you can make. I have found both boys and girls like these. If I do picture frames, I take a group photo and print it out and send it home with them.

    Obstacle course - I have done this for 2 years. I just grab various sports equipment and set it up in my backyard - a jump rope, dribble a soccer ball, hula hoop, mini basketball hoop, crawl through a tunnel, etc. The kids LOVE this and it takes maybe 5 minutes to set up.

    You can set up a little concession stand for the movie with different kinds of popcorn and fun size candy bars.

    Genius. And Lego Tower's that Godzilla can DESTROY!!!

    Yes - lego towers, that's exactly what I was trying to think of when I said build something that the kids, acting like Godzilla, can destroy...

    Sounds like a fun party! I'm definitely going to try to sell my son on doing a party at home this year with a small group of kids, rather than a big expensive generic blowout at a bounce place...
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    55331f6095fc0ad7dbbc3f8be714bc9484a4671a0242cfb3222d588e3ccac888.jpg

    OK, We now only have FIVE more kids coming as this guy, his 2 year old, and his hookers and blow will no longer be attending....

    And now she will be mad at daddy for not getting to play with the bubbles... I know how this works.
  • liekewheeless
    liekewheeless Posts: 416 Member
    I like the water gun etc. idea,.. let them have at them and they'll have fun for hours..

    You can also let them make their own food/ cake whatever... just make it something they can put together at the table and put bowls with ingredients in the middle.
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Water fight with water pistols and water bombs.
    Buy a couple of sets of these pistols: http://amzn.to/1r5PBTS
    A couple of sets of these reusable water bombs: http://amzn.to/VgyJL1
    Initially do a free-for-all then do organised games if they get bored. Plenty of games rules if you google.

    Dodgeball with foam balls? Might be tricky with just 6 players. Try gauntlet. Everyone lines up at either side of the garden with a ball (foam or baseball - that's your choice :-D ). Then one player tries to run the length of the garden while avoiding being hit by a ball. Can give everyone 3 attempts. See who can make it.
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    Brilliant.

    Just don't let them spit them out in the toilet because you'll spend the rest of the evening trying to poke them down. :D

    Just gives the boys something to aim at. It's what we do.
  • badgeratheart
    badgeratheart Posts: 91 Member
    Some really great ideas here already. If you have bad weather and get stuck inside, you could have them build and bake their own pizzas. Then bake and decorate their own cupcakes. While their waiting for the stuff to bake you could have a "dance party" or play musical chair or have a scavenger hunt to find treasures you hide all over the house. With that wide of an age range, I would color code all of the treasures and hide them with various levels of difficulty according to their ages.
  • Illini_Jim
    Illini_Jim Posts: 419 Member
    He also wants to end the night with popcorn and a viewing of "Godzilla vs. Mothra" and "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla." I can't imagine a single other child enjoying very very old Godzilla movies.... LOL

    Holy crap!! My 8 year old loves the old Godzilla movies too. We have the toys, movies and videos on YouTube playing constantly!! You made my day since I now know that he's not the only one!

    My son would be happy if everyone came over and played Godzilla, Angry Birds, and Legos all night.
  • The_Enginerd
    The_Enginerd Posts: 3,982 Member
    Cards Against Humanity is always a crowd pleaser.

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  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Outdoor movie, fire, smores

    OKAY I WANT A DO-OVER of my childhood and i want this guy to be my daddy!
  • shellecollins
    shellecollins Posts: 89 Member
    I would say take something your child loves (character, sport, etc) and Pinterest it! You'll find TONS of things for any and all budget!!
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Outdoor movie, fire, smores

    OKAY I WANT A DO-OVER of my childhood and i want this guy to be my daddy!

    Which goes so appropriately with the Enginerd's post...
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    make EVERYTHHING an activity.

    FOOD: let them make their own pizza's with dough from trader joe's and ingredients in bowls.

    DESSERT: let them have ice cream OPTIONS, i once bought a giant thing of vanilla ice cream two liter sodas in different flavors (89cents each) party cups and toppingsfruit/fudge/nuts/sprinkles. It was ice cream your way and they loved it. they made shakes and floats and things that like seemed to morph the two. kids are weird. and creativee.

    PARTY FAVORS: T SHIRTS! Make thier own jammies. Puffy paints (glow in the dark is cool) or fabric sharpies and on the invite everyone brings thier own blank shirt (you can specify the color). They can put athlete letters, thier names, a logo, symbols of anything their involved in, or whatnot.

    Video Games and a movie and your done!
  • gymboreejunkie
    gymboreejunkie Posts: 25 Member
    Scavenger hunts are always fun. You can set this up when the kids are occupied doing something else so it is a surprise for your son as well.

    Give each kid a bag and have the Birthday Boy read out each note telling the group here to go (i.e.: where we sit down to eat dinner, where we watch TV, where we brush our teeth). Hide clues in the house and outside. At each stop have a small gift... a lollipop, a plastic parachute guy, a glow stick, etc. The kids will be running all over the place which will help burn off some energy/sugar.

    The glow sticks can be used at bedtime as well.

    If you've never used them... orientaltrading.com has awesome stuff at reasonable prices. Games, prizes and crafts. I use them all the time when I plan my kids room parties at school. Dollar Stores work great too.

    Have a great time!
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    Is it too late to book a clown?
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  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    Is it too late to book a clown?
    sid_haig.jpg

    +1 for da clown

    liam-neeson-taken-2-but-bad-clown1-e1343095103613.jpg
  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,724 Member
    Outdoor movie, firearms, smores

    FIFY
  • helenarriaza
    helenarriaza Posts: 517 Member
    Cupcake bar!

    Get a bunch of mini cupcakes, bake them and cool them.

    Get frostings, sprinkles, candies, etc and get them to make their own
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 Member
    Did someone say clowns?

    http://youtu.be/hHjGtBnSv50
  • Lesleycali
    Lesleycali Posts: 236 Member
    Outdoor movie, fire, smores

    that sounds fun! great idea~
  • johannaqv89
    johannaqv89 Posts: 112 Member
    These ideas are AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    My to be 8 and 4 year old boys bdays are coming up.....and I needed ideas too :P
    Its harder to plan parties bc I dont know a whole lot of people with little kids and dont have family here :/
    MFP is beating google nowadays when I need to know something lol
  • Jenni129
    Jenni129 Posts: 692 Member
    Have the kids make homemade flarp for an activity. There are many recipes online and kids love that stuff.

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