Last Updated on November 20, 2022 by Mary J. Grice
The striking feature of children is that, alas, they grow too fast! This well-known fact can take parents by surprise when the time comes where to celebrate the birthday of a child 11 years old. The reason for their painful thoughts will be the specifics of this age: the children have suddenly grown up, and they will no longer be surprised by fairy tales and popular cartoon characters, but a teenage party here will still be out of place.
Mom and dad see the same kid in front of them, who just recently lost his speech when the Fixies appeared. Parents are ready to try very hard to enjoy the genuine emotions of delight and joy of their grown children again!
No longer a baby, not yet a teenager … How to hit the target, cater to new interests and changing needs of a person who has become another year older. The party should be interesting, noisy, fun, tasty, friendly, and memorable. A real puzzle for parents!
Holiday Entertainment Program
Considering the options for holding a children’s holiday, pay attention to the following questions:
- the interests of the birthday man – maybe you are racking your brains in vain, and he has already come up with everything himself;
- number of guests;
- who is more – boys or girls;
- fashion trends among peers;
- season and weather forecast;
- budget;
- How much time do you have for preparation?
Here we have collected a few non-banal options for your inspiration.
1. Cafe
This proposal is primitive and hackneyed, but if you think it over in detail, you can get an excellent result!
Choose a children’s cafe with the ability to provide you with a separate hall, room or area so that you and your guests feel comfortable and isolated, but also have the opportunity to roam. An ideal place for an event in the warm season will be the beautiful summer terrace of the restaurant, a place for adults to relax and children to engage in activities. But if the event involves a large number of people present, it is better to immediately occupy the entire institution and organize a truly large-scale holiday that will be remembered for a long time!
The main advantage of the cafe is obvious to everyone – the chef will take care of a variety of treats for guests, but you will have to work closely with the preparation of the entertainment program, and the children will definitely not sit long at the table. It is highly likely that in the cafe you will be allowed to decorate the room for the holiday and invite animators to your liking. Pick a theme and get going!
2. Entertainment Center
An entertainment center is a modern multifunctional place that residents of large cities are lucky to have. Here, parents should not have any particular difficulties in preparing for the birthday – the center will take care of organizing the sweet table, buffet and leisure activities.
In such entertainment establishments, programs for birthday parties of different ages are prepared in advance, there are ready-made holiday scenarios and full-time animators.
A boy of 11-12 years old will like a pirate, football party or holding a children’s holiday in the style of Minecraft. A girl will feel older if you arrange a beauty party or an event based on her favorite movie or series for her.
As a result, the success of the event depends entirely on the entertainment center itself – how high-quality and safe the props are used, what is the level of professionalism of the animators, the quality and taste characteristics of food and snacks, how you can characterize the general atmosphere of the place. Only the maximum score for each criterion will give the expected excellent result.
3. Aquapark
A boy or girl of 11-12 years old can be invited to celebrate their birthday in the water park. Water activities will be relevant at any time of the year and suitable for a small group of children. In water parks, you can often find special programs for birthday parties. Throw a Hawaiian party in winter – why not?! Children of this age often want to stand out among their peers, and such a proposal can inspire them.
On the territories of modern water parks there is always a cafe or a pizzeria, so organizing a snack during the day is not difficult.
Think carefully about security. Talk to the parents of the guests, and find out if all the children can swim. Make sure there are enough adults to supervise the children on the water and in the water park.
4. Museum, planetarium
The interests of their treasure are the first thing parents think about, full of desire to organize a memorable birthday party for him. And if your child is a young Einstein, passionate about science, amazing experiments or history, a holiday that begins in a museum or planetarium will be a suitable option.
Book a fun program that includes both an interesting excursion adapted to the age of inquisitive visitors and interactive activities. However, do not overload the children, 1.5-2 hours is the maximum time to visit the museum.
Then you can continue the conversation over a delicious and fun lunch in a cafe or at home.
Believe me, such a useful and unusual event will be the subject of active discussion at school for a long time to come!
5. Zoo
For the lucky ones born in the warm season, a birthday at 11-12 years old can be coolly organized at the zoo! In order for the team to stay more united and amicable, not to get confused and not disperse according to interests, think over the strategy of your movement in advance. Provide all children and their parents with a map of the park and your program for the day. Make it diverse: book a tour, take breaks for rest and snacks, you can even organize a picnic and outdoor games on the lawn, and then arrange a photo session – the possibilities are limited only by your imagination. We advise you to finish such a holiday with a noisy tea party at home with a real birthday cake and gifts!
6. Bowling
Bowling is a great game for a children’s party and a fun option to celebrate the birthday of a son or daughter of 11-12 years old. Children of this age do not often go bowling with their peers, and this will be a whole event for them.
A few tips:
- calculate the optimal number of lanes (1 lane for 4 people), otherwise, the tedious waiting in line will spoil the fun;
- agree in advance with the instructor – he will help guests who are not familiar with the rules, and will also monitor the inventory and the course of the game;
- make a menu mainly of light snacks and a large number of drinks;
- organize a championship named after the hero of the occasion, and prepare an original prize for its winner (break the children into teams in advance and pass this information on to the center employee);
- you can invite a photographer and arrange a photo session right during the game!
7. Laser tag
If in your city there is an opportunity to organize laser tag for children, don’t even hesitate. Playing adult games and feeling older is exactly what a child wants at this wonderful age.
Laser battle is a modern safe high-tech game that can get children out of gadgets because it takes place in real-time and space. The essence of the game is to defeat opponents with laser shots from special machine guns. The “defeat” of the player occurs when a special sensor on the clothes registers a hit.
Before the game, those present are divided into teams and the players are given ammunition. The team that hits the most other players wins.
8. Quest
A dizzying adventure in the style of your favorite heroes is what kids dream of at 11-12 years old! Test yourself, show leadership positions, and feel the excitement – such emotions can give the passage of the quest on your birthday. And certainly, this event will not leave indifferent any of the guests!
The main task of parents is to choose the right quest, suitable for the age of the company of children, corresponding to their interests, at the same time, exciting and not too difficult. Take the trouble to learn more about the organizer of the quest. How long has the company been on the market, read reviews, and talk in detail with employees? Only a quest organized at a high level will produce the expected effect.
Think over all the nuances, do not rely on chance. What to do if the children fail to solve the next problem no one wants to feel like a loser on their birthday. As a final prize, you can give the birthday boy a gift prepared by his parents, and the rest of the participants – small pleasant surprises.
To recuperate after the game and a heated discussion of interesting moments, it is better to move to a nearby cafe.
9. Country house
A country house or cottage is a popular solution for holding a children’s holiday. Despite the seeming banality of this option, it has a number of advantages.
- Lots of space. You can invite children and their parents, invite animators with a show program, organize a theme party or arrange a quest for children on your own! The flight of fancy is practically unlimited.
- You can arrange a festive table on your own, which will save a lot of money. If the time for preparation is limited, nothing prevents you from ordering food delivery from a restaurant or off-site catering.
- You are not limited in time, the holiday can pleasantly drag on for the whole weekend.
10. House or apartment
You have decided to spend your child’s birthday at home.
Let us clarify the constituent elements of the holiday, each of which must be considered:
- Party theme and general concept. Define the basic concepts, and then everything will go like clockwork.
- Room decoration. An important nuance, without which there will be no magical atmosphere.
- Treats and birthday cake. The most time-consuming part of organizing a holiday, think about what can be delegated and to whom.
- Mobile and intellectual games. Their content directly depends on the chosen idea of the event. Do not overload the program, leave room for free time. If a lot of questions arise here, and the head refuses to throw up ideas, simplify your life and use the services of an animator for the child’s birthday. What to sing, how to dance and where to get a piñata will be his headache.
