Thursday 24 September 2020

How to Make a Pre-Teen Party a Success

    Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash

{This is a collaborative post}


Planning the perfect party can be a headache for any parent. Kids can be changeable at the best of times, and what they loved last month might not be what they like today. If you want to deliver the kind of amazing experience that your kid deserves, you might need a bit of help.

Planning a party for a preteen can be even more challenging because it’s often difficult for parents and guardians to find the balance between delivering the grown-up teenage experience that kids crave, and still catering to their younger tendencies. So, how do you make sure you impress your pre-teen with your party planning? These tips will help.

1.  Get the Right Gift

The great thing about pre-teens is that even if you mess up the entire party experience, they’re likely to forgive you as long as you get them the right present. The problem with this is that it can be notoriously tricky to figure out what your kids are going to enjoy. To avoid any mistakes, make sure that you keep an eye on your child for gift clues, for a couple of weeks leading up to the big day. You can also check out gift ideas sites like UKGifts.co.uk for inspiration relevant to their interests.

Ask for hints on the kind of presents that your child would like – most of the time, they won’t mind helping you out. You can also do some hunting online for some of the most popular items in the industry right now. Preteens generally like to keep up with what’s trending.

2.  Pick the Perfect Food

Another thing that can save just about any preteen party is the right food. Now probably isn’t the time for you to go all-in on your healthy eating strategy and try to get your kids to eat as many veggies as possible. Unless your child is one of the very few that actually likes eating healthy foods, ditch anything green and nutritious and replace it with the items you know your kids love.

Crisps, biscuits, candies, and home-made cakes always go down a treat. It might also be worth mixing up some mocktails for your kids too, to make them feel more grown-up. Placing fancy drinks into cocktail glasses can really class up a party. 

Photo by Karly Gomez on Unsplash

3.  Get the Music Right

Another thing you need to really work on when you’re planning a pre-teen party, is the music. No party is much fun without the right soundtrack. Unfortunately, there’s a good chance that your kid isn’t going to enjoy the kind of tunes you have on your Spotify playlist. With that in mind, borrow your kid’s iPod for the big day, or ask them to give you a list of their favourite songs right now.

If necessary, you can always reach out to your kid’s friends and their parents for some extra help getting the track list right. Parents that work together often have an easier time planning a great party than those who work alone.

4.   Pick a Theme

Themes make parties a lot easier to plan for. What’s your pre-teen most interested in right now? Is there a game that they love playing with their friends? Then focus the party around that. Maybe you can have a game-themed cake, decorations, and activities that are all centred around that main idea. It should be easy enough to find the right theme.

All you need to do is talk to your kids about the things that are most interesting to them right now or check out the items that they spend all of their pocket money on. A lot of kids have a particular interest that seems to take up most of their attention in the pre-teen years. Choosing a theme based on what you know your child likes will boost your chances of a successful party significantly. 

5.  Pick the Right Activity

Finally, remember to think about what your kid might like to do on their big day. Sure, eating cake and listening to music is fun, but would your child also appreciate a trip to a local ice rink with friends, or a chance to watch the latest movie at the cinema?

Most children at this age are pretty vocal about what they want, so you should be able to get a pretty good idea of what appeals to your child. Sometimes, it will be a simple trip to a bowling alley or a park. Other times, your kids might want something a bit more unique, like an opportunity to learn a new skill for a day. Whichever it is, as long as they have a great time and you can afford it, you're on a winner!

Happy planning!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...