I'm having a bbq for my 12 yo and 25 of her friends (boys & girls). They'll play volleyball, any other ideas?

Question

This is an outdoor bbq and we'll have music, a cotton candy machine, hamburgers, hot dogs, soda, etc. I've borrowed a neighbor's tent and will have tables and chairs set up for them. I figured volleyball would be good and we have one of those football targets that the boys could play with at the back of the yard. I figure better safe than sorry so I'm looking for other ideas that pre-teens would find fun and not too babyish. I'd considered a bouncy house, but she said, "No thanks." LOL We want to keep them outside and busy/occupied. The party is from 5:00 until 8:00 so I only have to fill a 3 hour time frame.

This is a going away party (she's going to Canada for 2 weeks this summer). Any ideas would be welcome! Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

You could make a photo booth.

Close off a little area and make a background. Take your digital camera and have someone snapping off pictures. Or have it set to delay and they can push the button themselves. You can print off some pictures from your printer at home before the kids leave and they will have some pics with your daughter and your daughter will have some pics to take with her to remember her friends and what a great day she had, while she's gone.

Answer 2

You might organize a softball game, if you have room .... croquet  ... scavenger hunt (that takes up ALOT of time!)....

Answer 3

how about a scavenger hunt,water balloon toss/fight,three legged race,Think of the games you played as a kid as your parents company picnics.Also I would get some squirt guns and buckets of water just for the heck of it(they'll be used)Just remember to let thing happen.See what your daughter wants to do.Just make sure your presence is known.

Good Luck   Have fun

Answer 4

Try water balloon volleyball. Basically the kids split up in to pairs, and then form two teams (it's basically like volleyball, but instead of single people, there are pairs). Lots of times we did girls against guys, which 12 year olds will love. Each pair has a towel, and each person holds the short end of the towel so it's stretched out between them. Whichever team is going to serve puts a balloon in their server couple's towel, and they fling the water balloon over the net, like in real volley ball. The other team has to catch the balloon in one of their towels and fling it back. It goes back and forth until someone drops it on the ground and it pops.  Keep score.

My friends and I still love this game and we're 20. I've been playing it at parties since I was in elementary school, and it's one of the most entertaining party games I've ever played.

Here's a link to a youtube video of some people doing it a similar way. Do it like them, only have just two people per towel, and 5 or 6 pairs on each side of a volleyball net. It adds meaning and competition to the game when you have that.

Answer 5

Water balloon fight!!!

Horseshoes

Volleyball

Potato sack race

What's that game where you tie two legs together and they race from one end to another? Cant remember but that's always fun!!!

Answer 6

You can do relay races, potato sack races, three legged races, those wheelbarrel races where one person holds the other legs and they run, I'm sure they would find those things fun. You can also get an inflatable kiddie pool and fill it with water and do a tug of war over it and whoever loses, goes into the water.  You can also do water balloon fights too.

You can set up an ice cream bar with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream.  Get lots of toppings like sprinkles, chocolate syrup, caramel sauce, whipped cream and cherries.  Go to the dollar store and get those tall plastic sundae glasses and let them make their own sundaes.

Being you already have a net up, you can do badmitten too.  

I'm surprised about her not wanting the bouncy house, around here high schoolers want them at their graduation parties! LOL  Usually it's an all age group thing!

You can also do like a pie eating contest, but instead of pie, so no one chokes, fill the tins with whipped cream and have the kids do that and see who finishes first.

I wouldn't fill every minute as she may want to spend some time hanging out with her friends before she leaves and talking to them.  I know what you mean though, you don't want them sitting around doing nothing either!

You can also do some team games being it's both boys and girls.  Have a kickball game, baseball/softball game and do it boys against girls, etc.  I would set out some lawn chairs or beach towels though for those that can't or don't want to play the games.

Being she's leaving for 2 weeks, ask her a game of like 20 questions, but do it for like 14 instead of 20 being she's gone for 14 days, you can call it 14 days and ask her things like:

What are some things you want your friends NOT to do while you're away?

Who do you want to miss you the most?

Who do you wish could call you everyday?

Who do you wish you could take with you?

What do you want your friends to do when you get back?

What do you think your friends are going to be doing while you're away?

What do you hope to do while in Canada?

I'm sure her and her friends would love to hear those kinds of responses! LOL She would have fun with that and her friends would too!

Is there anything that she wants to do, can you ask her what games and things she would want at her party?  It sounds like you have, but maybe if she talks to her friends and they get together and think about an activity or two, that would help you a lot!

I hope some of these ideas help and that your daughter has a GREAT party and a great trip!