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

odusgolp
odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
in Chit-Chat
In the past, I've thrown my kid a large birthday party... at a beach, cookout with park, games, etc. One year with ponies for the kids to ride all day, one year the 501st Legion sent people over to entertain the kids, another year a "zoo" thing where snakes, tortoises, and other animals came to be pet...

This year, he wants to stay at our small house, and have his closest friends/family over. So we're doing something very small with 6 kids other than himself. Ages: 2 (girl), 3 (boy), 6 (boy), 8 (boy), 8 ( boy), 9 (girl).

The kicker is... I have no idea how to entertain them all day and night. *LOL* They come over at 3pm and spend the night.

Can you give me very easy & cheap ideas such as.... Water Balloon Fight, Kickball, Pin-the-tail on Godzilla... whatever.

I'm shockingly at a loss doing something small. And I don't want to go all out with decor or any of that stuff like on this site... The kids don't care anyhow! http://www.iheartnaptime.net/boys-party-ideas/
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Replies

  • LoneWolf_70
    LoneWolf_70 Posts: 1,151 Member
    just stick em on the xbox and load them up with candy.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    Can you be my mom? ;)

    Bubbles are always good... especially with the youngest two. We just put up a few decorations, had pizza and let the kids all play... then had cake and opened gifts.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    just stick em on the xbox and load them up with candy.

    This. What does he want to do?

    You might want to check out Disney's Family Fun magazine. They have tons of cool game and craft ideas.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    my daughter's 8th birthday party I invented a game - balloon volley ball. Like regular volleyball but instead of a ball you have three balloons tied together.
  • Acg67
    Acg67 Posts: 12,142 Member
    Outdoor movie, fire, smores
  • MinnieInMaine
    MinnieInMaine Posts: 6,400 Member
    Games, crafts, a fun movie to watch before bed. Finger foods, cake, ice cream, balloons, streamers.

    Have him help you shop for decorations and come up with food and entertainment ideas. He's old enough to participate!

    It's so sweet he's included a mix of ages too.
  • jacques57
    jacques57 Posts: 2,129 Member
    Spiderweb is a good cheap game. Every player has a large ball of twine that has been unraveled and run around bannisters, up and down stairs, out windows, around trees, and ends with the goodie bag. Your job is to follow your twine by re-balling it up on the spindle and go through all the obstacles including everyone elses twine.

    Or get a decent magician. Less money than hookers and blow....
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    It was his idea to do the water balloon fight and baseball. We agreed on kickball unless we walk to a bigger park.


    Bubbles is great.


    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
  • mantium999
    mantium999 Posts: 1,490 Member
    Outdoor movie, fire, smores

    Add beer and this may just be my next birthday
  • cmcollins001
    cmcollins001 Posts: 3,472 Member
    hqdefault.jpg
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    hqdefault.jpg

    Brilliant.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Outdoor movie, fire, smores

    Add beer and this may just be my next birthday

    Mine too :)
  • muggzie399
    muggzie399 Posts: 116 Member
    We just had my granddaughter's birthday party. Although she was one, all the kids who attended were of all ages and boys and girls. My daughter owns a bouncie house but they can be rented, Keeps them busy for hours. My best I can come up with for now. Will come back with anything new.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    At some point, you can let the older ones entertain themselves, really. At that age, for sleepovers, usually the parents would pop in a movie and let us do our thing. The little ones obviously probably won't keep up past a certain point and they'll just go to sleep.

    Otherwise, what you already listed sounds good.
  • jmmurray203
    jmmurray203 Posts: 13 Member
    Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart and Mario Party.
  • Four_Leaf_Clover
    Four_Leaf_Clover Posts: 332 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.
  • CompressedCarbon
    CompressedCarbon Posts: 357 Member
    Shaving cream fight, followed by wading pool showers.

    Any chase game: This game is many players, and should be played in an open area. To play, take off your shoes.
    Pull your socks down so that they are flopping and hanging off your toes. Then, crawling on your hands and knees, try to steal the other players' socks. When both of your socks have been taken, you're out. Last one left with a sock is the winner.

    We've played another game with socks that we called "Clean your Room." A bunch of balled up socks, two teams, a bunch of balled up socks. The object is to clean your room by throwing all the socks over onto the other team's side while they are doing the same thing. When the older kids hit the little ones, it won't hurt so not nearly as many tears.

    Spider web is also good.

    Have them create a big mural with a long piece of newsprint taped up on a fence.

    Treasure hunts, depending on how elaborate you'd like to be, is usually a hit. More so if they are required to perform stupid human tricks along the way.

    Anything involving sitting on balloons is good for the older kids, maybe younger ones can draw on theirs instead.

    If you have any outdoor play equipment, turn them loose on that for a while. In my experience, nothing has to be elaborate. The kids just seem to get giddy by being at something called a "party." Add cake, ice cream and pizza and you win.
  • WinoGelato
    WinoGelato Posts: 13,454 Member
    Bumping not because I have great ideas, but because my son turns 6 next month and I'm interested in any good suggestions that come up!

    Might be a little too young for your son but we did a superhero themed party a couple years ago and everyone made their own capes from cut up t-shirts and felt symbols.

    If he is into Godzilla, I'm not quite sure how to pull this off, but some sort of little city that they can destroy? Like put a blindfold on them and have them stomp around on small cardboard boxes or something. I'm not very creative but I find Pinterest very handy for these sort of things!
  • RunnersLament
    RunnersLament Posts: 140 Member
    Backyard camp out in a tent. (just make sure they don't go burning bags of dog excrement on the neighbors steps)

    Bonfire and smores.

    Build your own Pizza party.

    Drive Inn movie (at home... use a garage door, set the projector on the roof of the car and speakers in the car)

    Arts and Crafts (if the kid is so inclined).

    Video Game Tournament (or Air Hockey\Ping Pong\Pool\etc)

    Paintball \ Trampoline \ Skyzone

    Any combination of the above...
  • Missjulesdid
    Missjulesdid Posts: 1,444 Member
    For my nephew's party, I made jedi clothes for all the kids and made light sabers by cutting sections of foam that you use to wrap insulate pipes with and wrapping with colorful ductape. You can do something like this.. they can watch star wars and then beat the crap out of each other with foam light sabers. Seriously at my nephews party, the kids played with the light sabers for over an hour and nobody cried or got hurt.. 27 kids and not one tear. Some kind of record.
    599751_4215088053381_480759027_n.jpg
    406222_4215099013655_762128454_n.jpg?oh=2b6b43b9923fae1963c2664ccc9e3b6b&oe=545E92CE&__gda__=1415843817_12ac928089f8d4430a580b7e296ae5b8
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    55331f6095fc0ad7dbbc3f8be714bc9484a4671a0242cfb3222d588e3ccac888.jpg
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
    55331f6095fc0ad7dbbc3f8be714bc9484a4671a0242cfb3222d588e3ccac888.jpg
    Hmmmmm ...
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    For my nephew's party, I made jedi clothes for all the kids and made light sabers by cutting sections of foam that you use to wrap insulate pipes with and wrapping with colorful ductape. You can do something like this.. they can watch star wars and then beat the crap out of each other with foam light sabers. Seriously at my nephews party, the kids played with the light sabers for over an hour and nobody cried or got hurt.. 27 kids and not one tear. Some kind of record.
    599751_4215088053381_480759027_n.jpg

    This is what we did last year when the 501 Legion came!! Awesome :) We... did have tears *LOL*
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 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....
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 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!!!
  • IPAkiller
    IPAkiller Posts: 711 Member
    For my nephew's party, I made jedi clothes for all the kids and made light sabers by cutting sections of foam that you use to wrap insulate pipes with and wrapping with colorful ductape. You can do something like this.. they can watch star wars and then beat the crap out of each other with foam light sabers. Seriously at my nephews party, the kids played with the light sabers for over an hour and nobody cried or got hurt.. 27 kids and not one tear. Some kind of record.
    599751_4215088053381_480759027_n.jpg
    Jesus! It looks like a juvenile toga party that found "Mommy's Toy Drawer"!
    shocked.gif
  • BzNova
    BzNova Posts: 66 Member
    I did a lego party for my 9yo, when he turned 7. We played lots of "minute to win it" games. Lots of the supplies I already had around the house. I served pulled pork from the crock pot, with the various bbq sides. He loved it, kids loved it.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Shaving cream fight, followed by wading pool showers.

    Any chase game: This game is many players, and should be played in an open area. To play, take off your shoes.
    Pull your socks down so that they are flopping and hanging off your toes. Then, crawling on your hands and knees, try to steal the other players' socks. When both of your socks have been taken, you're out. Last one left with a sock is the winner.

    We've played another game with socks that we called "Clean your Room." A bunch of balled up socks, two teams, a bunch of balled up socks. The object is to clean your room by throwing all the socks over onto the other team's side while they are doing the same thing. When the older kids hit the little ones, it won't hurt so not nearly as many tears.

    Spider web is also good.

    Have them create a big mural with a long piece of newsprint taped up on a fence.

    Treasure hunts, depending on how elaborate you'd like to be, is usually a hit. More so if they are required to perform stupid human tricks along the way.

    Anything involving sitting on balloons is good for the older kids, maybe younger ones can draw on theirs instead.

    If you have any outdoor play equipment, turn them loose on that for a while. In my experience, nothing has to be elaborate. The kids just seem to get giddy by being at something called a "party." Add cake, ice cream and pizza and you win.

    YES! You're awesome. Love this. And "Clean your room" is cracking me up.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    I did a lego party for my 9yo, when he turned 7. We played lots of "minute to win it" games. Lots of the supplies I already had around the house. I served pulled pork from the crock pot, with the various bbq sides. He loved it, kids loved it.

    Oh, and I have played tons of those that would work.

    Now I have too many awesome ideas and have to make "decisions." /sigh.
  • darrensurrey
    darrensurrey Posts: 3,942 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.
    hqdefault.jpg

    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

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