Do 6th graders have birthday parties?

[summerrluvv]

Parties w/ friends/classmates I mean. Just curious what the norm is. Thanks!

 

[MSSANDRA]

Sure, but that is about the age they start to change what they want to do. Middle school changes things. Some still want all same sex parties (sleep overs are good) other want more of a mixed party now. Fewer closer friends and an outing are popular as well. DS's birthday is summer so we were still doing pool parties at that age. No treat bags or anything organized by that age, just the pool, and lots of food worked!!

 

[ragtopday]

I think it really depends on the kid!

My oldest is in 4th grade and has a birthday in 3 weeks. Last year instead of a party she picked one friend and we did a special outing with the two of them. No "party" per se. This year she wants to do something similar.

Both my kids have birthdays shortly after Christmas, and they just don't need more "stuff" that soon, which is one of the main reasons I've tried to steer them away from parties sooner rather than later. Asking for no gifts doesn't seem to work! Plus, parties are expensive, man!

Ask your 6th grader what he/she would like to do, or give suggestions based on the budget you set.

Happy Birthday!

 

[JSadlak]

My niece is 12, she's in 6th grade. At this age its cool to act like a teenager. So put away the party hats and streamers. My niece had a bonfire party, boys and girls. They want music, easy food like pizza and soda and to be left alone. The girls will gossip about the boys, the boys will run around and be silly. All harmless fun that makes them feel grown up.

Hope this helps

 

[cats mom]

I have a DD in 6th grade and she has been to a ton of b-day parties this year. But 6th grade is still in elementary school here. I wonder if there would have been nearly as many parties if 6th grade was in middle school, I doubt it.

DS is in high school and he has friends over to swim, or shoot hoops, or watch movies, or play video games, etc all the time. He gets bent out of shape if I call his get togethers parties though - it's just hanging out. Of course I still have to have the cupboard well stocked like I would for a party.

 

[angierae]

for 14 and 15, DD had a mixed-gender group of kids out to play Laser Tag. Tomorrow she's spending her sweet sixteen in a mixed gender group of kids at a retro arcade.

If she had a summer birthday I'd probably just do a firepit at the house but with a winter birthday it's have all those kids in my house or do it somewhere else, so we opted for somewhere else.

This is the last one, though, that's been made abundantly clear. 16 is a good enough cut off dates for huge parties. For 17 and 18 (she'll still be in high school when she turns 18) she can go out with friends wherever she wants, but we'll only have a small family celebration (dinner out, probably.)

 

[disneydreamersx4]

Last year when my DD was in 6th grade she invited about 20 girls over to make their own personal pizza and watch a movie. Just her BFF slept over. We thought the floor was going to cave in when they were all dancing but it was fun to watch them! This year DD turned 13, in 7th grade and it was the first time she ever invited boys too. We had the party at our clubhouse, ordered pizza, I made potato croquettes and she had music and a strobe light. Everyone was well behaved. For the next few birthdays we are just going to let her take one or two friends to a movie. Then she'll turn 16 and we'll rent the church hall.
Oh, for the 6th grade party we gave nail polish as a favor and for the 7th grade party we just gave fun sized chocolate candy on their way out. Also forgot, when they are in elementary grades they usually invite all the girls or all the boys and girls to the parties but somewhere around 5th grade they just invite the kids they are friendly with.

 

[McKelly]

My DD will be turning 12 in January and is in the 6th grade. I told her we will NOT have twenty girls over, maybe just four or five. So she elected to have only one friend sleepover. Her reasoning, she couldn't narrow it down to 4-5 girls, and she didn't want to make anybody mad, because now, at this age, apparently that is a concern.

 

[summerrluvv]

Thanks everyone! My son could care less either way, but *I* feel guilty if we don't have a party. He doesn't have a lot of close friends (he has PDD and just has a hard time socially), and I've just always invited the entire class and usually about 15 kids would come. This year it's middle school...I really have no idea who is friends are.....who he thinks are his friends really aren't....and he just got moved into a different class (15:1) so doesn't really know those kids yet. I *thought* about inviting the kids from the new class, and the kids from his autism social group for a laser tag party ON his birthday. But wasn't sure if this is "babyish" for 6th grade. He does enjoy laser tag. We are going away 2 days after his bday to a snow/ski weekend at a ranch upstate for kids w/ special needs, so that was sort of our birthday weekend celebration w/ him, but I feel bad if we don't do an actual party. Soooo, after all that rambling, I think I'll call up laser tag today and book something!!

 

[McKelly]

I think laser tag is appropriate for that age - heck, even I like laser tag!! LOL!!

 

[sk!mom]

I think that it depends on the kid.

My DS25 didn't have big parties past maybe 10. After that he would normally just have two or three friends and they would do something- Hockey game, Globetrotters- whatever I could line up in the middle of winter. By 15 or 16, he didn't even want that and we would just have a family dinner and cake.

DD14 is a whole different personality. The girl loves her birthday and wants to celebrate. For her 14th, we rented a giant inflatable slip and slide and had about 15 girls over for a barbecue. I keep trying to convince her to do a few friends for dinner and a movie but so far she's not buying it.

It seems, thought, that most start to go smaller at around middle school- Just best friends hanging out type things.

 

[mhsjax]

I think laser tag is appropriate for that age - heck, even I like laser tag!! LOL!!

I agree.

We went to a party with laser tag, but for a younger kid. All the parents knew each other so we stayed so we could chat. All the dads ended up playing laser tag. lol

 

[bdcp]

My boys are in their 20's but I have nephews under age 16. Laser tag is very popular and we also used to do video arcade parties. Paintball is also an option. By age 15 or 16, most boys are done with birthday parties, or they just want to hang with a couple of friends or go to a movie.

 

[Tink-n-MrIncredible]

I think you need to ask your child what type of party they would like to have. My DD prefered to ask only a few friends (girls) for a sleep over. You will learn alot about the people they go to school with. My children no longer like to ask the whole class.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Thanks everyone! My son could care less either way, but *I* feel guilty if we don't have a party. He doesn't have a lot of close friends (he has PDD and just has a hard time socially), and I've just always invited the entire class and usually about 15 kids would come. This year it's middle school...I really have no idea who is friends are.....who he thinks are his friends really aren't....and he just got moved into a different class (15:1) so doesn't really know those kids yet. I *thought* about inviting the kids from the new class, and the kids from his autism social group for a laser tag party ON his birthday. But wasn't sure if this is "babyish" for 6th grade. He does enjoy laser tag. We are going away 2 days after his bday to a snow/ski weekend at a ranch upstate for kids w/ special needs, so that was sort of our birthday weekend celebration w/ him, but I feel bad if we don't do an actual party. Soooo, after all that rambling, I think I'll call up laser tag today and book something!!

Heah summer, hope you were able to book the laser tag. Its hard to find stuff to do for a winter birthday around here. Its either laser tag or bowling. Hope Nicholas has a very happy birthday. Is there a Paul or Stephen in his class? If so, I might know them. Love the pictures of Emma too!! Happy New Year!!

 

[summerrluvv]

Heah summer, hope you were able to book the laser tag. Its hard to find stuff to do for a winter birthday around here. Its either laser tag or bowling. Hope Nicholas has a very happy birthday. Is there a Paul or Stephen in his class? If so, I might know them. Love the pictures of Emma too!! Happy New Year!!

Hi! Happy New Year!! I honestly have no idea...I will ask him, but he was only in the class one day before break so he probably doesn't even know their names yet LOL

I didn't book it. I asked him last night, he said movies instead. So my thought was PJ Cinema...cheap, but the earliest they do on his bday is 7pm and that is late for a school night, and all the other cinemas are too expensive. Sooooo not sure what we are doing yet! Probably back to laser tag, but time is a tickin'!

 

[luvmarypoppins]

Did you check out Movieland. I know they also had a 10% off b day party cpn. in pennysaver for there but dont know when it expires.

 

[StitchBuddy]

That's generally when they choose to do something special with just a small group of friends. Like go to a nice resturant and a movie, or go to Great Wolf Lodge and spend the night etc... My daughter actually prefers to just get money and go on a shopping spree she is 13 and started doing this in the 6 th grade.

 

[crisi]

My son didn't in sixth grade. He never wanted to. We offered a "him and one or two friends" - but honestly, his best friends aren't necessarily into the same activities, and his activities friends aren't his best friends. We offered him bowling or something where he could have a crowd - that was definately out.

He's had a few parties this year, but its going really downhill. And so is the gifting around parties. When they do have a party, the birthday part of it is on the QT and its a big sleepover. Without cake. Or presents. Around the time of the birthday. Birthday parties have become an "uncool thing little kids do."

 

[RRL38]

6th grade was the year that my son decided to have a small group of boys over to play video games/nerf wars/pizza and spend the night. He did it again in the 7th grade and this year for 8th grade he took a small group of friends paintballing and then back to our house for pizza and cake. I think Lazertag would be fine.