12 year old birthday party on a tight budget?

Question

Hi, My daughter will be 12 in a few weeks, she has been thinking of things to do. Money is very tight right now ( I think with everyone) so I don't have tons and tons to spend but her ideas cost a fortune. She is hooked on going to an indoor waterpark for a day with 4-5 people, that is $30 a person plus food, cake, presents and all that....so now she is mad at the world. At first she wanted to stay overnight there.

She says there is nothing to do. Please help.

She thinks money grows on trees but she knows it doesnt.

She had a celebrity dress up party planned but that changed.

So any help would be great. I am a very frugal shopper for party favors and items like that so I don't need tips on that...Just party ideas that are cool for a 12 yr old - to where she doesnt roll her eyes at me! lol.

Answer 1

I was thinking of a sleepover, but curriouse, how do you have a mall scavenger hunt?

Answer 2

I always give my child permission to roll her eyes at me - provided she does it behind my back, lol.

Your daughter is plenty old enough to understand the fact that money is tight, you are on a budget, and there is a limit to what you can spend.

Come up with a party budget and help her decide what kind of party to have within that budget.  If she complains, calmly tell her that it's fine with you to have no party at all.

My child went to a lovely party at a public park yesterday.  The only cash layout was for a cake and some fruit.  It was the company, not the entertainment, that made it a good party.

Be well.

Answer 3

Sounds like she shouldn't even have a party. Your daughter is old enough to understand when money is tight and not too much can be spent. If she can't appreciate a simple party at home then just don't have one.

Answer 4

If your daughter really wants to go to a water park with friends, have her pick ONE friend that she will have a good time with and likes.

So she doesn't run into problems with the unchosen friends, have her play it like "Oh, my parents are so evil, bla bla bla" so that her firneds don't feel bad.

I have done this with my daughters and it works.

You oculd also do a mall party, where she invites a couple close friends, and you give each a small amount of money to spend (no more than $25).

My daughters have been to mall parties before and they had a very good time.

Maybe give your daughter extra money for  her present, and try to steer the girls towards Aeropostale or Claires, where  they can get cute things for cheap, as opposed to say, Abercrombie and Fitch and Hollister.

Good luck and hoep your daughter has great party!

Answer 5

for my 13-15th birthdays i had a mall scavenger hunt! it was super fun and nobody had had one before, my friends said it was the fun-nest party they had ever been to! all you need are some disposable cameras and friends! i hope you have a marvelous birthday no matter what!! (this is also very inexpensive and no sleep over mess to clean up!)

Answer 6

Well that's a tricky one....What about a sleepover? Feed them rent some movies and let them hang out alone. Or you could try calling one of the bowling allies and ask the parents to pitch in on the bill for each kid that is going. Most bowling allies have an arcade, a snack bar. I hope this helps.

Answer 7

What changed her mind about the celebrity dress up party? If you could talk back into it, you could call a Mary Kay or Avon representative; they will often times do makeover parties for free; if you promise to send one of their catalogs home to the girl's mothers. I have a 12 year old also, and I feel your pain. They seem to change their minds every 4 seconds, LOL. Good luck.

Answer 8

How about renting a hotel room not too far away from your home town? Get a room next to them of course. They can go swimming, get them some pizzas, all kinds of snacks, rent some movies. A hotel slumber party!

Answer 9

My niece is 13 and she was excited to go to the movies with her friends.

It was more than just movies though.

My sister made a whole day of it.

Her 3 BFF's went to the house and my sister did their hair and make up.. nothing too OUT there, just something cute.  My 13 y/o niece even wore a tiara but she was too shy & took it off before they left.. lol she's so cute.. anyways..

My sister gave them some of her purses that she had thrown in her closet, it sorta just happened cause one of the girls complimented one she saw..

So then they got all dressed up.

Teenagers don't really like getting Church-like dressed up so they got teenager dressed up.. they mix-matched clothes and wore capri's and heels and etc..

Then they were all ready like 2 hours later (you konw how us girls are lol take forever) and then they went to go eat somewhere fancy.. I fogot the name of the place.. but it was on the lake (Carlos N Charlies in Austin, TX or something like that) So they were able to take pics on the lake looking all grown up and diva!! (that was the most exciting part)

Then they went to the movies .. still all diva looking -where everyone stared at them & they were all giggly.. hehe

when they got out it was about 7 pm and then they went walking downtown (like grown ups) and they went and got drinks.... coke floats to be exact .... but of course to them it sounded like Teenager-Happy Hour!  

Then they all went back to the house and had a sleep over...

My sister kicked her husband and the other kids outta the house so it was just my sister & all 4 girls.

My niece LOVED it!

For her 14th birthday she said she wants a party boat on the lake.  That's sorta hard since her birthday is in January.. she said she'll put it off for the summer though.. LOL And those party boats start out at  $250 for a couple of hours.. not too bad if you have a couple people pitch in.... which I'm sure family will help pitch in to make her birthday memoriable.. I know I'm pitching in $50 for her party and so are my brothers and sisters and mom & dad.. =)

Answer 10

Throw a girls sleepover party, give them facials (make your own) pedicures and manicures -- watch loads of movies, eat pizza and cake and let them stay up late.

Answer 11

Well, I am thirteen and Its usually fun just to have a sleepover and rent a movie. It may not seem like much but there are  a lot of things you can do to make it fun. You can have different contests like toilet paper models where you split the girls into groups and give them each a roll of toilet paper and they dress they're models up in toilet paper. Also, having a talent show where you make homemade badges for like funniest, or most original. You don't have to declare a winner that way none of the girls feel left out.

Answer 12

Go with the celebrity party or a makeup party at your house

Celebrity-

you could even do the oscars or the emmys and get cheap trophies or spray paint Aunt Jemima bottles gold. Show movies.

Makeup-

nails, hair, face, etc.

At this age, they just need a stack of dvd's and they will most likely talk the entire time. No games are necessary. Another option would be to do an 80's style slumber party--dress in 80's clothes and play Girl Talk and Mall Madness...