On a recent mild Saturday afternoon, a group of happy tweens
arrived at our home to help my daughter celebrate her 12th
birthday. They were full of energy and
giggles right from the start!
The birthday “Princess” was ready to greet her guests and
make them feel welcome. For twenty minutes, we met girls and parents and exchanged
pleasantries as one should. All went according to plan. That would be the last
time I could say that with any real confidence! The great thing about tweens is
their spontaneity! So my first tip to hosting an epic tween birthday party is: Plan to not follow your plan exactly.
My next tip is to pick a theme that has a lot of wiggle
room. While my daughter liked the “idea” of a Disney Villain style party, she
didn’t want it to be over the top with decorations. We went with simple purple, green, gray and
black pieces and accessories. The clear favorite was the villain banner! Hello
Ursula, Maleficent and Darth Vader!
After the girls had played outside for a while they came in
ready for a snack. We had lots of on hand, but before I could get a photo to
share- these girls descended upon the table with an appetite only a tween boy
could rival! Which leads me to my next tween party tip: don’t take too many
photos and never snap a picture of a girl with her mouth full of food! So, not
cool Mom!
After the girls hung out listening to music and taking
selfies (yes, the irony isn’t lost on me) they went totally off plan and asked
to do hair, nails and makeup instead of the crafts and games we had planned.
Tip number 3: Roll with it, when at all possible.
Here's my girls take on Maleficent nails. We used black, green and purple nail polish- but you could
use whatever darker colors you have on hand. I think they turned out nice!
Want to create your own Maleficent Villain style nails? Here’s
a quick tutorial for you to follow.
After dinner, which included lots of pizza and veggies, the
girls were ready to be frightened by playing flashlight tag! Living out in the
country like we do, Mother Nature provided us with a very dark and mysterious
landscape, perfect to frighten and amaze city dwellers! Maleficent would
approve!
While down at our pond, these girls got themselves so
scared, they ran back to the house and got us parents involved! It
was a perfect, crisp, clear night on our land for flashlight tag. Even with all
the flood lights on there was much screaming and laughter.
I must confess- this older Princess had a lot of fun outside
with her Prince.
Tip number 4: Let your tweens explore and push the boundaries
just a bit. Their party is the perfect time to allow ghost stories and playing
outside after dark (weather permitting) as long as you establish safety guidelines
first. Parents, even if you don’t want to be seen- stay close where you can
hear and see the kids.
Later that evening, the girls decided to get to the games
and crafts part of our party plan. The clear favorite was the jar painting
craft!
They laughed and talked and joked and ate and laughed some
more until it was movie time.
I cleaned up the happy mess as best I could and left the
living room to them. Which leads me to tip number 5: let your child host, but
set ground rules before guests arrive. Chat with your son or daughter about
snacks and drinks allowed, which movies are approved for watching and what time
the party must wind down so kids can go to sleep if you are hosting a sleepover party like we did.
As I was preparing breakfast the next morning, the girls
naturally gravitated back to the craft area to finish up their jars before pick
up time arrived. That's when I knew this craft project was a winner!
Even though this was a bit of a messy endeavor, I think all
the jars turned out as pretty and as individual as the girls who painted them.
My last tip on throwing an epic tween birthday party, one in
which your child and their friends tell you how much fun they had and how Epic! the party was. It's simple- sprinkle your party liberally with laughter and a healthy dose of
pixie dust style patience and you too can pull off a great tween party!
Disney wants you to show your #Disneyside by being happy and
sharing what you love about Disney! Showing your Disneyside will look different
for every family and that’s what makes life fun.
If you’d like to throw your own #Disneyside at home
celebration, head on over to DisneySide Celebrations and check out all the amazing themes, tips,
activities and recipes they have. I'm betting you'll be able to pull of an epic party too!
Please share in comments: What is your favorite Disney
Villain character and why?
Disclosure: My thanks to Disneyside for providing us with a
box of Villain worthy goodies to use how we chose to show our Disneyside. No
compensation was given or wanted. We are happy to show our Disneyside as often
as possible.
