Any bright and original ideas for 9yo boys party? Please, it's first one in a new school and therefore COUNTS!

[WideWebWitch]

Please help! This is ds's first party since starting a new school and so I am being Competitive Mum and want to give him a good party.

[WideWebWitch]

God, sorry it's so long and hope you're not all too asleep to post by the time you've read it.

[Aero]

This sort of thing any good?

[Aero]

Or this? Both mentioned on mn before.

[Molesworth]

go karting?

[Lilymaid]

My DS2 at 9 was into football parties - these were held in the local community sports centre and a nice 6th former/sports studies student (our local sports centre employs all the locals who play/umpire in the better local teams and are interested in this type of work) would spend an hour (or two) with them organising football games and indoor hockey etc. Then they had a birthday tea laid out (prepared by me) in another room in the complex. It always worked out well and meant he could invite 20 to a party.
However, this was standard format for a boy's party in our village and would therefore not win a competitive mums' prize!

[SoupDragon]

DS1 (7) went to an indoor "rock" climbing party and loved it. It was one of those huge climbing walls.

[WideWebWitch]

Ooh Aero, I like the look of science boffins, not sure whether ds will but I will ask him. The reptile people prob won't come this far. Go karting's an idea.

[SoupDragon]

This is the one DS went to .

[WideWebWitch]

Sd, he blanched when we walked past one recently so I don't think climbing's a go-er ( I know, calls himself a boy?!) Lili, maybe football is a hall would be good, I can ask him.

[granarybeck]

Swimming? Hire pool with an inflatable? Not unusual but my two who are a similar age always love going to swimming parties.

[Marina]

Cinema trip followed by Yo Sushi? Ds is off to a premiere (has to be a local premiere I assume ) of a children's film for a classmate's party and is almost bursting with excitement.
Now come along WWW, you are a veteran of the private screening...what about that Japanese guy whose name has just gone totally out of my brian...Spirited Away - Princess Mononoke, you know the one...

[Marina]

Miyazaki - and maybe a print of his breakthrough film in the UK, The Castle of Cagliostro...

[WideWebWitch]

Marina, ha ha, yes, well, I did just say to dh, hey we could make our front room into a cool screening room couldn't we? And we need an excuse to buy a home projector and screen and I was just saying on the other thread if I could have an extra room it would be a cinema

Just looked at Silverstone website, they don't do kids parties

[Marina]

I meant at a local cinema not in yer house
Does Whipsnade do anything cool?

[WideWebWitch]

I know Marina, I'm on it! Just doing a search in another window of 'private screening rooms'

[Aero]

Ooooh Soupy - you've just inspired me for ds1's next birthday and we have a good local one I'm told.

[Aero]

Are you in London www?

[WideWebWitch]

No, an hour ish North of it up the M1 Aero.

[WideWebWitch]

Go Karting nearby is £35 for 15 minutes per child. I don't think so! Have emailed local football pitch about hire and am about to call local cinema about private hire. That's my preferred option, it's COLD in October!

[Aero]

Hmm, yes, I looked into go-carting too, but the cost put me way off!!

Was going to suggest Eagle Heights , but it's probably too far to go.

[tamum]

Rats, I was going to suggest ice-skating (my all-time favourite party at that age) and then remembered you're not in Bristol any more. And he's a boy, so it might not appeal. Are there any suitable theatre shows you could try? Ds started taking friends to the panto for his birthday at about this age and it's always worked brilliantly, but he has a November birthday . I do think there's something more special about theatre than cinema, although the home projection sounds really good. You could help them make their own popcorn before it, and ice cream sundaes

[Starmummy]

Hi
DS was 11 this week and he is having a party at the local maize maze, time 5.00 till 7 as it gets dark, we are giving torches instead of party bags (gulp) with a bbq afterwards.
In the past he has had swimming pool with the inflatable, an olympics party, lots of different games not just races, backward walking, egg and spoon, team games with medals and certificates. We had a pirate party with digging for the goldfish biscuits and a pirate assault course,loads of water pistols and sabres. He has also had a rock climbing party with a rock climbing cake - that was so cool although I see your son doesnt like that. Have just asked DS what the best ever party he has been to was and he said he loved his galdiators party at a local sports centre (its a big inflatable gladiator game like the tv series), he also like last years disco games party (cake with a real flashing disco ball inside it). We only had 4 girls but 30 kids in all at the local cricket club. The DJ was fab he did games with the kids and it was cheap. The kids loved it.
I do like to make a statement with parties, I'm not a pushy mum but I love the idea of creating memories, hence I really go all out for the cake and try quite hard with the party bags.
HTH

[mumblechum]

Haven't read all this thread, so sorry if i'm being repetetive. I took my son & 6 mates to Laserquest (nationwide organisation) 2 years ago. Our local one also does bowling, so they had a quick game after the Laserquest. They go into a semi dark "battle zone" with laser guns and shoot hell out of each other. They wear special suits which bleep if they get hit and they can't play for about 30 secs, then off they go again. At the end, they get a [printout of their "kills". Not at all pc, but they loved it. That was my son's 10th party. Last w/e, it was his 12th and we'd booked a quadbiking party at vast expense, only to be let down the day before, & so we took them laserquesting again and they enjoyed it just as much. Only £7 per child for an hour, with a drink break in the middle.