The last time I hosted a birthday party for my daughter I decided that I would never do it again, at least not a party with friends. Most of the kids did not show up, and their parents did not bother to respond to my written request for a response. The majority of the girls that did show up did not behave, and it was three hours of torture for the adults in charge.
My daughter asked for a last minute birthday party, and despite my apprehension, I decided to give in. My little girl will be turning ten, and instead of planning games, food and prizes, I am doing it much differently this year. She can do most of the planning. A last minute birthday party for a ten year old girl can turn out to be more fun than a celebration that includes costly decorations and expensive activities.
Last Minute Homemade Invitations
When planning a last minute birthday party for a ten year old girl, do not rush to the store for invitations. Have the birthday girl make the invitations. The money that would have been spent on store bought cards can be spent on the food. If the kids want to come and their parents do not have other plans, they will show up no matter how cheap the invitations are. What matters is the information they contain.
Last Minute Food and Beverage Ideas
Do not spend a lot of money on food and beverages for a last minute birthday party for a ten year old girl. Most kids like pizza. Offer frozen pizzas of two or three different varieties, and serve decaffeinated soda pop and bottles of water. Forget about buying or baking a fancy birthday cake. Buy or bake cupcakes, and decorate the frosting with candy. When planning a last minute birthday party for a ten year old girl, cupcakes are ideal. Kids are less likely to waste cupcakes, and they are easy to serve and even easier to eat. Forks are not required.
Have the Ten Year Old Birthday Girl Plan the Party Activities
I refuse to buy games and birthday party favors after my last experience. Since my ten year old daughter wants to plan a last minute celebration, she can come up with all of the activities to keep her friends busy. Movies are not a good idea since groups of excited kids rarely pay attention. Parents are usually clueless when it comes to activities for a ten year old girl, and I am one of them. One of the girls at her last birthday party said that my games were boring, and I will not plan them again.
I asked my daughter what she wanted to do at her last minute birthday party, and she suggested a dance contest. She will come up with last minute ideas for activities. The kids will undoubtedly have more fun following her lead than going along with my ideas. Let your ten year old birthday girl come up with last minute party ideas, and take a giant step back while the kids have a great time.
Source: My Ten Year Old Daughter and Our Personal Experiences
