Birthday Parties for Kids (ages 8-12)

Scroll down for my list of ideas and themes for Birthday Parties for Kids aged 8-12.

For all other ages go to the main Kids Party Ideas page.

This age group is sometimes the most tricky to plan parties for as they often feel they've outgrown traditional kids party themes, but you know they're not quite ready for teenage ones. The best thing to do is get them more involved in the planning. Perhaps discuss a list of possible party themes with them so they can choose their favorite.

Let them feel like they have plenty of input into all the ideas and decisions and get them to help you with the planning. They'll be the best judge of what will and won't work for their friends. The trick is to make them feel like they're making all the decisions.

Don't be offended if they don't want you around too much on the day—children at this age want to feel independent and have fun with their friends without the parents watching over them. Obviously you'll want to be around to supervise, but make sure there are plenty of activities and games for them to do on their own.

They'll probably want to do things that allow them to feel a bit more grown up such as have slumber parties or camp out overnight in the garden. Themes that might seem more suited to adults or teens can easily be watered down to make them more appropriate for this age group. For example you can allow girls to feel more grown up by letting them have fashion show / spa / make-over parties while still keeping it girly and age-appropriate. Or let them have Karaoke / dance competitions by calling it a Glee / American Idol party.

Parties where kids make or do things are also popular for this age group so things like a pizza party can be fun. You can make the dough up in advance so they can just roll it out and get creative with the toppings.

Or maybe a group bake where they can make and decorate their own weird and wonderful cakes and cookies.

Alternatively you may wish to think about activity-based birthday parties for kids such as bowling, swimming, ice skating, or laser tag parties. If you're looking for more unusual activities, see my ideas for Kids Parties Out on the Town.

 

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