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Preteen Parties
Birthday Party Ideas for the
Older Child By Gwen Morrison
Older Child
"We did the Nintendo sleepover when our son was 10, and they all had a blast," Salazar says. "We had a total of 14 boys! They were even willing to play pin the tail on the donkey, but we didn't have a donkey. Instead, we made a board with some dollar bills on it, things written about their teachers [funny stuff] and other silly things they had to do if they hit it. If they landed on the money, they got to keep it. I think that's what got their enthusiasm up for it."
Pat Blythe, a party/event planner for It's a Pisces Thing Productions in Orange, N.J., has organized wonderful parties for children who are approaching the pre-teenage years. "It can be really fun to do a Caribbean-theme party, especially during the winter months," she says. "There are companies that will come and braid the girls' hair and add beads for a real 'islandy' effect."
Another very popular pre-adolescent party theme is an Asian-style party. At this party, the central theme would definitely be food Asian food. Buy some chopsticks and invite a local Asian restaurateur to provide a quick demonstration for the kids. "As a party favor, [give] chopsticks tied with a ribbon that has the name of the child on it," Blythe says. "Make the tag on your computer, and it would be a memorable gift."
Blythe has done many parties with varied themes and enjoys coming up with new ideas. Another favorite of hers is the celebrity-theme party. "Choose the guest of honor's favorite singer ad make this person the central theme," she says. "Games would consist of trivia questions about the celebrity. Food would be [the celebrity's] favorite items. Dedicate a half-hour to this singer and play their music. Cool party favors would be a Polaroid picture of this person with each of the guests."
