Tween 10 Year Old Birthday Party

For me...I never quite understood the party favor thing. I think that providing a fun place for the kids to party is a great gift. Kids (and their parents) expect way too much sometimes, and parties get incredibly expensive. One way we avoided the party favor idea is by telling people not to bring presents. We just enjoy having them get together with us to celebrate the birthday. ----As for a cake....a cookie cake is always great! Sam's Club makes them and they run about 12 dollars. They will put Happy Birthday on it to for you. They are double layer, so a small piece goes a long ways.

S.,

Last year at my son's 10th birthday we did cupcakes. He was able to help make them, and LOVED that idea! He got to pick the color of the icing. As for the toppings we just used the candy lettering and made little words with them. Then we let him take the jelly type icing and make a design around the edges... He really enjoyed that!! He had his choice to have us pick out a 'specail' cake from the store or him help with the cupcakes. He liked being able to make that choice.

As for the 'goody bags', pencils and small pads of paper work well. We also had glow sticks and balloons. If the place you are going is a place with games, tokens would be a good idea as well.

Good luck!

I don't know very much about 10 year old boys but I will tell you this ~ make cupcakes instead. They are SO MUCH easier to serve. Also then you do not have to worry about a "theme," just a color of icing. There is no fear that so-and-so got a bigger piece or waiting to cut the cake and serve it. We have class parties every year (girls) and I would not think of cake ~ such a hassle for no good reason!
PS: I also buy the ice cream in individual cups so I do not have to waste time/effort mesing with that either.

I don't know what 10 year old boys are into anymore; my advice is to ask him what we wants for the cake or cupcakes. If it's a surprise (or if he doesn't care as long as there's cake!), then check the website below for ideas.

www.birthdaypartyideas.com

Most of the party descriptions are done up pretty big; we do smaller versions of them. As for party favors, they have ideas at that website, but don't go overboard, just for your own sanity.
Most importantly, have fun!

10 is a hard age for cake because he's getting big, but I've had some recent luck impressing some 13 year old boys. You can see them on my myspace page (you don’t have to sign up or anything) at http://www.myspace.com/laurarichaurora If you click your curser over the picture it’ll even give a little caption. I've just started doing custom cakes for people besides friends & family (Jess, from this site, & her cousin), so if you'd like some help just let me know at ____@____.com

Good Luck,
L.

First, Pump it up is a great place. My daughter celebrated her 6th birthday there.
For the party favors & cake, ask your son what kind of cake he would like and what kind of party favors he would like and it is sure to be a hit with the other kids. Since you are inviting the whole class, I assume there will be girls - they are easy to please. I have a 9yr old daughter, turning 10 in October. For the girls I would suggest, notebooks, pens, stickers, hair pins , anything girly. You can usually find pretty good stuff for party favors in the dollar section at Target. And of course CANDY for all of the kids. Try not to give them too much stuff. Good Luck with the party.

Wal-mart (and I'm sure other places too), make a cupcake platter. It is several cupcakes iced and decorated into what ever design or picture you choose. It is a great hit with the kids and doesn't require forks, and plates! (just lots of napkins) You can even bring your own picture or logo of something he is into for the design.

small bags of candy is what I do for my kids party bags. Sometimes I will go to the dollar store and add a toy in them but at this age they don't really get into the little toy trinkets. The flarp would be a hit though as it makes farting noises and they sell these in small containers and I think you get 4 small ones in a pack. boys love that stuff. As for the cake. I have found out that kids throw cake away but will eat cupcakes so I have started making cupcakes and they eat those up and usually want another one but when I buy an expensive cake I will watch so many throw most of their cake in the trash. I have not quite figured that out as cake is cake but have noticed this at several of our parties so now I usually buy a 1/4 sheet cake with their party theme and make cupcakes for the extra cake we need and the kids will go for the cupcakes. I have also just made cupcakes and bought stickers that matched their theme and put the stickers on toothpicks and had them sticking out of the cupcakes or bought the cake candies that matched the theme and put on top of the icing on the cupcakes. some party stores have a big variety of those cake candies so you can match the theme your child wants. As for what theme to go with for a 10 yr old--I just take my kids to the store and have them pick out their cake and order it for their birthday or ask them what theme they would like and look for the decoration candies or stickers to go with it.
We recently went to a halo party. They got Halo invitations that were personalized, candy bars that were personalized with halo stuff on it and gift bag stickers. The mother ordered them online. There may be other themes like that too. Check out partymommas on ebay. They have these and several other themes too.

My daughter started telling parents "No thank you (for cake), I'm allergic" a few years back. She just doesn't like cake. We have since done cookie cakes decorate to whatever is her current favorite thing! When she turned 7, I noticed the other kids snickering with "party favors" so I went to using Wendy's Frostee coupons or McD's gift cards. Nothing but smiles now. Have also noticed other families doing the same thing.
Hopes this helps.
L.

My son just turned 10 the end of March. I asked him about party favors and he said he would like to give his guests a party bag. Instead of trying to guess what 10 year old boys would like, I took him shopping and had him pick out four different toys he would enjoy. One included "disguise" faces (glasses and funny nose). The boys loved the bags!

As far as a cake, ask him what he would like. I make cakes (GatorGoodies at www.graphicgator.com) and found one of the easiest cakes to make is one with a fun toy on top. If he's into Speed Racer, then you can ice a 9 x 13 to look like a race track and get a Speed Racer car to put on the track. If you'd like more ideas, feel free to email me - I'm happy to walk you through the process!

Enjoy! They grow up so fast!

I did not do party favors for our first two pump it up parties considering the party itself the favor. Then, I went to two other parties there and they both did favors so we did this last time. One of the favors we got was a card game. My kids are younger but UNO might be appropriate and not overly expensive.

Youi should base it off of the things he like. Instead of favors have goodie bags. The cake should be something that your son like....Star Wars, cars & so on. Good luck & God Bless!

Pan chocolate chip cookie like you see in the mall can easily be made and decorated at home. The other suggestion is a pretzel made a Gus's (St. Louis). The do numbers and other pretzel shapes, reasonable priced.

S.,
My son and I just went to a party at incredible american pizza. The boy turned 9 so it is close to your age range. His mother got a Scooby Doo cake and did provide favors with a fun size hershey bar, a pack of sugar-free gum, a sucker, a pencil, and a cheap plastic kazoo. All of the kids liked the cake and a 3 year old threw a fit because he wanted the cake to be his. I must say I think Scooby will last forever. My son also likes the Power Rangers. It might easy to draw a ranger or if your son into some kind of sports and do that theme. At my son's 9th my mother found "cars" toppers and made a racetrack out of the cake.
have fun
angi

Is this a surprise party, or could you ask your son to be involved in planning?
I've found that my daughter prefers to plan every little detail if I'll let her. I let her choose party favors, decorations, cake, etc. (within set limits, of course).
I often ask my son for ideas for his parties, but he rarely wants to help with the planning and shopping. From age 10 and up, all he's requested was that we don't do a "themed" cake (like some of the adorable ones in Family Fun magazine this month... sigh...), but he was fine with a regular sheet cake or cupcakes. We also had party favors that included a regular-sized candy bar and a foam football or a hackysack, plus, at the party, they made their own take-home "goop" from Elmer's school glue and a borax-water solution. The boys enjoyed that, but it was somewhat messy!
Not sure what we'll do this year. Good luck to you!

A sports theme is always a winner with my 10 year old son. You could make a football/basketball/baseball cake or incorporate his favorite team. I keep it low key with party favors at that age. Some ideas I've used for party favors are hackey sacks, packs of gum, and sports stickers. (At Target I have found hackey sacks that look like soccer balls, footballs, and baseballs.)

Hope these ideas help........good luck!

By age 10, I was tired of giving and getting the baggies of junk toys. The one year I had them decorate a t-shirts with Halloween stamps and stuff (b-day 9/30) and that was their treat to take home. I don't know what Pump it Up is, but maybe they have something from there that you could buy them to keep; a t-shirt or something. Last year we went to Incredible Pizza, and we gave each kid a game card w/ money on it; that was their "treat". They won tickets playing games, and got to take home their prizes they earned from the tickets. For his cake, I had them put an edible image of wrestlers on it, he loved it. Sport teams or whatever he is in to should be available either at a bakery, or the cake decorating store. (Karen Ann's in South County). The other idea I have to offer, is to make cupcakes, and place them on a big piece of covered cardboard in the shape of a 10. Fun and easy! They are old enough now to understand the idea of alternative treats, and even that the party and gifts are for the birthday kid, not them!

A cookie cake is great for this age...just use pillsbury cookie dough and a pizza pan to bake your cake and decorate with frosting. For treat bags try just getting a singel item for this age...a nerf football, a baseball, baseball cards, etc.

Hi S.,

I just had my son's 7th Birthday Party at the Edge Gymnastics in Riverside last weekend. He is now into Star Wars so we used that as his theme. Hy-Vee had Star Wars Cupcake cakes. The were Cupcakes but they smooth the frosting to make it look like a cake and we could have something written on it. I went to Party America and they have Treat Bags that come with some "theme related toys in them and then I filled them with candy (kids always love candy). It worked out great and they all had a good time.----Good Luck----J. C

i think kids always like candy and chocolate - no matter what age.

the cake could just be a simple 'happy birthday 'name.' simple is just as yummy.

They have great gifts at the party city store or the dollar store. They have boy gift bags and like the one said take your Son and have him pick out a amount you decide on and or give mc Donalds gift certificates.

S., I have younger kids but my nephew is about your sons age and he enjoys watching Ben 10 with my son...it's about a boy (probably around 10) who finds this watch and can become an alien to help save the world...it's a pretty cool series that even I will sit and watch. My son was pretty excited to also learn they just came out with a Ben 10 party line...go to www.celebrateexpress.com for more info. If you did party favor bags I'd recommend the Omnitrex slap band (then everyone can pretend they have the watch) and I'd look for some of the slime we used to play with as kids (boys think that sort of thing rocks). Throw in some cool candy, maybe even pop rocks and I think you'll be a hit.

I can't say I know what age to stop the party favor bags...why not ask your son...maybe it's not "cool" anymore??? He'd certainly be in the know. Another great site to check out is Oriental Trading...I found almost everything for my son's party there and we're doing Hot Wheels.

If he's into sports, do a sports theme.

It all depends upon your child's temperment and what his friends are like. One of my sons thought it would be funny to give "girl" party favors to all the boys. We just went to Dollar Tree and got some of the pre-made favor bags. They come in paper bags marked, "A surprise for a girl!" or something like that. The bags are filled with candy and a few silly little toys or lip gloss. I think we also opened the bags (they are stapled shut) and added a few things of our own. His friends loved it - but they are all a little nutty!

At my daughters nineth birthday she had a dance party at our community center. Instead of doing "goody bags" we bought candy bars from Sam's and I printed out a thank you note and wrapped it around the candy bars (like a label). We had a variety and I put them in a basket for them to take on their way out. We also gave each kid a glow stick to wear at the party. You can get them at most Dollar Trees or Dollar Shops year round. The kids loved them and I think the parents appreciated not getting the "Goody Bag". As for cake, find someone to duplicate the invite you sent out. Most bakeries will do it and if you want a really great treat, in Liberty there is a chocolate shop called Classy Chocolate that makes devine cakes and decorates them with chocolate. The owners will duplicate your invite with no problem. Good luck and don't stress to much.

My son had a party at pump it up and we did pizza and a beverage. You might try having cup cakes and ice cream cups that way you avoid making a cake decision. My daughter just went to one and they passed out cookies. I am sure anything for them to snack on would be great. I am not sure about party gifts. Maybe just ask if he would like to give something out and see how he answers. Good luck and have fun.

K. M

One of my sons just turned 10 and I did do party favors. I used mostly candy, like Fun Dips, Skittles bubble gum, and a full size candy bar. On the candy bar, we wrapped the outside (over the wrapper), with scrap book paper and stamped THANK YOU and had my son sign it! We also added a big bouncy ball and an airplane you put together. I know we had a couple of other things but I can't remember what they were. A lot of the stuff you find for party favors (I think) are either just crappy or way to young.
For the cake, we always like to do either the Giant Cookie Cake or the cupcakes put into a shape (like a football, etc.) For me, it seems like after I buy the stuff to make it and spend the time to do it, its just cheaper to buy it and have one less thing to worry about. Also with these you can serve them on napkins, so you don't need plates or forks (unless you do ice cream too). Hope this helps a little! Happy planning!

Hi there.

I just did a bday party for my nine year old at a similar place. I caved and did treat bags because my husband and friends told me it is nice for the kids still at this age. They were well received. I went to the dollar store and bought things like the plastic whiffle baseballs (they came in colored packs) and candy necklaces, sports wrapped chocolate coin type candies, packs of sugar free gum, bubbles, flarp, temp tattoos, etc. I picked things that my son would enjoy in a gift bag that also weren't terribly expensive and that came in packs ideally to cut costs. I think you can NEVER go wrong with a cookie cake. I made one from scratch and it was the hit of the party and super EASY! Kids of all ages also love cupcakes!!! Heck, even most adults dig cupcakes!
Good luck. I got GREAT responses on here to my treat bag ideas request and to my cookie cake request as well.
Tell him to have a super fun party!!! :) And Happy BDAY to him! ;)

S.---I think having party favors are up to you. I usually go ahead and give party favors out. For that age group they like erasers, pencils, pens, post notes, little trinket games, balloons, etc. I usually shop around at Dollar stores to get ideas and bargins. For the cake, it depends on what he likes--for that age sometimes just balloons with Happy Birthday is enough or if he like cars--a race car or High School Musical stuff, etc. I hope I helped somewhat. Thanks--