Birthday party for 11 year old girl

[ginx]

It's my dd2's 11th birthday on 19 May, just after Sats week, fortunately.

She wants to do something "different". She has been to numerous "beauty" parties and is rather tired of them and would like to do something more active.

She is thinking about Laserquest but I don't know if girls would enjoy it. Has anyone any experience?

She is also thinking about paintballing but that looks as if it is for older children and probably boys (don't know if her friends, who like looking beautiful, would enjoy wearing overalls and masks, and whether it is good for 11 year olds). Weather's never reliable on her birthday.

We're in the Midlands. Any ideas? She doesn't want to do swimming, disco, karaoke, snowdome, home or beauty or nature reserve - she likes doing things, indoors or out.

She wants to take about eight friends (different friends from previous years, as most have fallen out!). Girls did enjoy last year going on a train ... but where to? Any advice gratefully received.

[DC17C]

My DD took some friends to do the high ropes course in Bristol Zoo for ther 10th birthday - that was excellent. There is Aerial extreme at Trentham gardens - not sure if any others in the Midlands. we have also done a climbing wall party in Gloucester warehouse which was very good.

[Reading Mum]

My 11 yr old DD has been to a couple of laserquest parties and really enjoyed them - and she is not a particularly active child. Very sweaty affairs usually.

[koala]

I have two boys who have been to quite a few paintballing parties. Very few girls are there, if any of that age - they are there all day from 9.15 to 4.30 and later and are very dirty, tired and happy at the end. My friends DD had a cookery party in the Midlands and she really enjoyed that. It might be too far for you as it is on the Birmingham/Worcestershire border but there may be something similar close to you. She has also taken friends to the cinema and then to lunch. Some of the Go Ape activities can only be done if each child is accompanied by an adult which is logistically difficult and expensive so check that out if you go that route. I have always wanted to organise a treasure hunt for mine, where they find rewards along the hunt route in our local park but never got round to it and feel, as they are soon to be 13, they are too old for it now. I did organise an Easter Egg hunt for them and their friends last year and they loved that. Once they had found all the eggs, they split into teams and hid them many times afterwards - great fun.

[Pumpkin Pie]

My DD has been to several Laser Quest parties and the girls all love them!

Cake decorating parties are becoming popular now!

[ginx]

Thanks, everyone. Looks like it will be Laser Quest or cake decorating ...

[Okanagan]

My DD took some friends to do the high ropes course in Bristol Zoo for ther 10th birthday - that was excellent. There is Aerial extreme at Trentham gardens - not sure if any others in the Midlands. we have also done a climbing wall party in Gloucester warehouse which was very good.

There's a high ropes and climbing at Milton Keynes, both not far off the M1 junction so not an impossible trip from where you are ginx. Or they do climbing parties at Warwick University or at AT7 in Coventry where there's a shorter high ropes course too.

[Snowdrops]

My dd had a paintball party for her 11th. We invited equal numbers of boys and girls and the instructors were brilliant with them , pitting boys v girls and then mixed teams and also individual play. A really brilliant day was had by all!

[ginx]

Snowdrops, if we have a Laserquest party, we are not booking the "party" there, just the games. Would there still be instructors telling children what to do - or, horror of horrors, would it be up to me? Dh is away on a beavers camp that weekend (very convenient, although he thinks he has the worst option).

Dd2 considers she's too grown up to eat at Laserquest, she's had enough of the standard choice of food, and wants to go to Taybarn/Frankie & Bennie's/similar. So we would just want to book 2 games or whatever.

Do you get an instructor? Ds2 who is only 7 did laserquest recently and loved it but said it was quite scary. I can see a couple of girls not enjoying it. Surely it's not that scary for 11 year olds.

[DenDe]

Hi Ginx,

My DD has had a few laserquest parties and they have been enjoyed by all. We always eat somewhere a bit more "grown up" so that's not a prob. There is always an instructer there to go through the rules and regulations. I have never ben in myself, I just let them get on with it!