Hello, any ideas for b-day party for 11 y.o. boy in January?

Zelphina - posted on 01/21/2010

The most successful party my son loved was when we had a scavenger hunt around the neighborhood.Think of things like a stick that looks like a Y, all the way to the grossest thing they can imagine ( be ready for that one, they are 11 yr.old BOYS) We live in a small town so it was easy to let them just roam, however you may need to divide into groups and send a grown up along.The kids have the most fun with the grossest things they have to find and when they get back seeing who got the most. Then you can give a special thing like a choice of 2 movies if you have a sleep over and the winning team chooses the first one they watch. Hope I'm not to late with this.

Zelphina

Belinda - posted on 01/19/2010

Sounds awesome, hope you guys enjoy / enjoyed :-)

Hilja - posted on 01/15/2010

Hi, thanks for all the great ideas. The big day is tomorrow and we've taken a lot of your suggestions. We are doing the sleepover that many of you suggested. We first do a family swim at a nearby indoor community center pool, then pizza and cake at home, then free play, junk food and then bed. Homemade waffles with whip cream and strawberries in the morning and then home.
Thanks again!

Dawn - posted on 01/11/2010

Paintball is always a great idea if you have one around. My 13 year old chose to do that for his birthday and they had a blast...

Penny - posted on 01/11/2010

Hi, My son's birthday is New Year's Day,so same $ issue. He is now 12 and the past 2 years we have done a sleepover with sledding, movies, video games, LEGOS, etc. And of course some junk food that he otherwise doesn't get. :)
He has a great time!

Heather - posted on 01/09/2010

not sure when the big day is... but my daughter's bday is also in january.. and this year we got a room at a hotel with an indoor pool and just invited a few friends.... we have also used the YMCA... one of ours here has an indoor pool and they are very reasonable in price.... i know how it is having one right after christmas... HARD!!!! good luck.. hope you find something fun

Rose - posted on 01/09/2010

if you have a pizza place with an arcade in it. like chucky cheese then you could take a few of them to that. My son loves going there for his birthday

Trish - posted on 01/09/2010

Mt step-son likes to play pool, so we are having a pool party at the local billiards club. It's a nice family place to go. You can also try the local school if you have a pool, everyone loves to let lose in the water.

Monica - posted on 01/09/2010

Just had my 11 year old boy's party four days after christmas. Took them to play laser tag. It was a big hit and wasn't real expensive.

RicaMarie - posted on 01/08/2010

my son bday is jan also. we are haveing a skater theme birthday at the local lazer tag place. try a themed birthday ... they are always fun. like one yr we had a pirate party with treasure hunt and all.

Debra - posted on 01/08/2010

make a homemade birthday cake and a pinata...cheap and easy. Let him help with the making. Also, Some of the older kids prefer cupcakes, I know mine did. have a sleepover and let them decorate cupcakes and set out the makings for a sundea shop...ie. big table. cupcakes on one end with icing sprinkles and stuff other end icecream with bowls of sprinkles syrups and fruit.

Heather - posted on 01/08/2010

If your son has a gaming system, how about a video game party? Invite his friends and encourage them to bring their games, controllers, and/or systems as well so there's enough to go around. You might have to ask a friend or two to borrow a couple of extra TV's so you can set them all up. Order some pizza, rent a couple movies and go hide in your room so you can let them be boys, lol. Also, my nephew is big into yugioh (spelling) and had a tournament with his friends, which seemed to be a huge success. Laser tag is also very popular, although I'm not sure of the cost. Good luck!

Pamela - posted on 01/08/2010

I agree with the sleepover theme. We put up a tent in the backyard, had sausages on the bbq - but maybe Seattle in January camping may not be such a good idea!!! (at least at night they'll get in their sleeping bags and stay there!)

Krista - posted on 01/08/2010

Sliding has always been a hit with our group. (Not sure if there is snow in Seattle this time of year, it's been a mild winter for us in Eastern Canada so we're not sure what to do for our February birthday party yet!). Last year for our ten year old we went to our local xc ski club who reserved a trail with a hill for us to slide on. They also allowed parents to snowshoe or ski for free while the party was going on. All the kids brought their own slides, a few parents even stuck around to slide too! We then used the lodge for snacks and cake. For the "loot bags" we picked up toques and handwarmers from the Dollar Store. For games we made a homemade "pin the tail on the Pokemon" and even played hot potato! You're never too old for hot potato! Of couse, there was lots of rousing about too. The total cost of food, lodge rental and loot bags was about $150 for a party of 15.

Hilja - posted on 01/08/2010

Wow! Great ideas! Now to choose with his help. Thank you soooo much!!!
I like the sleepover idea, cheap activity and then to a beach the next day to burn off energy. It's cold here, but still what fun to play outside. Hotel idea sounds good too. No mess in my house!!
Thanks again!!

Nadine - posted on 01/08/2010

My son's a little older, will turn 14 towards the end of Feb. The last several years we booked a room at a local Holiday Inn with an indoor/outdoor pool, and he invited three friends. We all stayed in one room (his dad took them last year, since they were getting a little old to stay in the room with a mom). They loved being able to swim under a wall and be outside in the pool with snow all around the deck! (We live in the northwest Ohio area.) There are many other activities available such as mini-golf, ping pong, etc. Then order fast food, and purchase a pay-per-view movie. My son has requested this for his birthday again this year!
Another thought is that you could invite a few boys over from his new school so he get to know them better. A sleepover is good; you could actually buy the ingredients and have them make their own individual pizzas (it's always been a hit here). The next morning you could take them to the beach for a hike if you're close enough, and let them burn off some energy. (Make sure the other parents are okay with you transporting them.) You could drop the boys off at their homes after so you don't have any stragglers left at your house.

Janelle - posted on 01/08/2010

Bowling is always fun and you can usually book a b-day party pkg. fairly cheap. or a swimming pool party (if you have one at your school or ymca) also you can just do an at home party with endless activities and snacks......sleepover. For my son's 10th b-day party he did a campout (this could be done indoors if you have the space) he and 8 of his buddies tye-dyed t-shirts to wear at the party and they thought that was the coolest thing ever (very cheap...2 (5pks) of white tees & 2 pkgs. RIT dye)....ask him what his ideas are and brainstorm!

Robin - posted on 01/07/2010

I know about the cost thing especially with a child being born practically right after Christmas. My sons 12th b-day is today, and we are taking him and a couple friends to funtasia with a couple rolls of quarters and ordering a pizza or something. They will havea blast without spending hundrends of dollars. (Funtasia is in the edmonds area but there are other places like it around like gameworks) They have video games, laser tag, mini golf, all kinds of fun stuff.

Lisa - posted on 01/07/2010

Laser Quest is brilliant for that age group

Heather - posted on 01/07/2010

If its hot there, we have pool partys, if no pool, they all love waterballoons and watergun fights.............

Michelle - posted on 01/07/2010

A cake and ballons at a local skating rink.

Belinda - posted on 01/07/2010

I took my son to play miniature golf with 9 of his friends. I'm not sure how the weather is in January in your part of the world. I created a bit of a competition and the best 3 scores won prizes (leftover corporate gifts from work, like a calculator, didgital tape measure etc) and the rest got a sweetie as a consolation prize. We even had golf cupcakes made, with a tee, grass and mini golf balls made out of plastic icing. Fed tham sandwiches between their 2 games, and our venue provided crisps and sodas. The boys had a ball!

Jesica - posted on 01/06/2010

My son is turning 13 this January. Though he will be camping with the Boy Scouts on his birthday, He asked to have a few boys over to have video game tournaments for his party. I'm even thinking Potluck for some reason. Except main dish and Cake. Very Cheap. We always try to keep some decorations around from other family parties, so that is cheap. Or ask if any of your friends have some. Good Luck

Cristina - posted on 01/06/2010

We had a Monster Truck themed party for my twin boys on their 11th Birthday... i made the cake to look like a monster truck track with cookie crumbs as the dirt... all of the toppers i picked up at the dollar store... we had the typical foods you find at the monster jam... hot dogs, nachos, ect... i also had candied apples, why? it was cheap to make and kids LOVE them! you can google up some game ideas, too!

just an idea...

Lory - posted on 01/06/2010

i'm taking my 11 yr old to his first hockey game.

Jackie - posted on 01/06/2010

LMAO see we all have almost the same suggestions! Sleep overs! The kids actually don't spend all their time in front of the tv and gaming systems! Two years ago another thing I did with the sleep over was I had them make play dough and the boys made a whole city from home made play dough!

Martine - posted on 01/05/2010

my son is 11yrs old in june i would have 2 go the the othre repls sleepovers are always fun my son likes 2 camp out in our living room!!!! put a playstaion or like other said dvd on and leave them 2 it order some food they always enjoy it have fun

Tara - posted on 01/05/2010

I have a fourteen yr. old son and a thirteen yr. old as well. I have had this problem a few times and its really not expensive to show them a good time. Sometimes I think us moms do that more for ourselves than for the kids lol. I would let him have a sleep over and invite a few friends over. You could rent some movies, order pizza, and have a cookie or cake to celebrate. Not expensive but he will have fun. The only thing boys at that age want to do is hang out with there friends anyway.

Hilja - posted on 01/05/2010

Thanks for the suggestions! I like the thought of small and giving him some choice within some boundaries. Then it's not all about me doing the budget cutting and planning.

The more the ideas, the better. Please keep them coming!

Thanks!

Amber - posted on 01/05/2010

My daughters 11 th bithday party, she invited 4 friends from school plus her little sister, I ordered pizza (let them choose) made some non alcholic cocktails and left them to there own devices a great time for all. The cost was minimum and her sister wants the same when its her birthday.

Lorraine - posted on 01/05/2010

you can try going a few friends bowling and or going to the movies. Or going to a pizza place that has an arcade.

Jennifer - posted on 01/05/2010

Quoting Hilja:

Hello, any ideas for b-day party for 11 y.o. boy in January?

Hello , we're in Seattle area. Since Christmas just happened mum is broke and I want to have a fun birthday party for a 11 year old boy with out a high cost. I am not sure if we will do just a few close friends or some from his school. As he is in a new school he is not close friends with many there yet. He has good buddies from his previous school that can attend.

Also, I feel guilty if I do not go all out. I know $ does not always equal fun.

Any ideas for a great low cost party?

Hi, We are from the great white north and i have a almost 12 yr old and last year at his birthday, he invited a few friends over and they are all into wrestling so we ordered the pay per view thing and they watched that and played video games and had pizza and then the guys stayed overnight and my son said it was one of the best b-days he had :)   You will find something to do, but maybe leave some of the choices up to your son so he gets to plan it :)   

Good luck

Jackie - posted on 01/05/2010

Not sure where you are at but if you only invite one or two boys you could do a sleep over and then only take those boys bowling, ice skating, roller skating or the such. And if money is a big issue the sleep over with a video game challenge (if you have a system...i know some people don't!) with small prizes.



My boy's 10th birthday was right before Halloween and my 11 year old daughter's was right before the holidays so we kept it to sleep overs and bowling for both of them.