How to Plan the Perfect Birthday Party for Your 12-Year-Old Son

When your son turns 12, he’s at a pretty sensitive age. He’s almost a teenager, but he’s still a little boy in many ways. This makes planning a birthday party for him somewhat tricky. With that in mind, here are some tips to help you succeed.

Plan the logistics

Take care of the setup logistics first thing so you don’t run into any snafus down the road. You need a venu, seating, entertainment, lighting, speakers, caterer, and other elements that result in fantastic parties.

If it’s a large party, a local tables and chairs rental company in Long Island can be helpful, and many of these services come and set them up for you. Once you have this squared away, you can forget about it and focus on planning the fun stuff.

Shop for the perfect gift

This birthday is particularly special, as it’s considered a milestone for entering the teenage years. Therefore, make his gift extra-special. It might be a good opportunity to buy him a dirt bike or another outdoor recreation gift. This will encourage him to get out and play while fulfilling some of his childhood dreams.

Just be sure to include all the proper safety gear, including a couple of dirt bike helmets, knee pads, and other goodies to keep him safe. Offer to teach him the ropes or put him in classes to make sure he’s safe and knowledgeable with his new bike.

Ask his advice

It’s time to face the facts: your little boy is no longer a little boy. He’s 12 years old, which, in some cultures, means he’s practically a man. This means he can make a lot of his own decisions regarding his birthday party.

Ask him what he wants to do. He might have a theme in mind already, as well as some entertainment and games ideas. This can be extremely useful in helping you plan every detail of the party.

But don’t be surprised if he isn’t too helpful. At this age, he likely has other things on his mind. If that’s the case, you might let him choose from a list of suggestions rather than ask him to come up with ideas on his own.

Let him plan the guest list

Obviously, you need to consult your son regarding the guest list. His friends have probably changed as he’s gotten older, and you want to make sure the people he truly cares about are in attendance. Avoid inviting people he doesn’t want there. You might want it to be an all-inclusive party, but remember that it is his party.

Consider giving your son a little more responsibility in helping you plan this party. Along with having him write out the guest list, get him to help you stuff envelopes and mail the invitations. Be sure to do this with plenty of time in advance, since young boys are known for their procrastination.

Order lots of food

Remember that your 12-year-old son will be inviting lots of 12-year-old boys. These growing young men will eat a lot. You might think the worst thing you can do at his birthday party is to embarrass him in front of his friends, but it’s actually to run out of food. You’ll have a lot of hungry, cranky boys on your hands if you do.

Plan the menu carefully. Take into consideration your son’s favorite foods. You’ll want to plan a main course, such as pizza or a nachos bar, and then add several snacks as well. Boys at this age tend to enjoy snack foods like pigs in a blanket, bacon-wrapped foods, cookies, chips, and lots of candy.

Since planning a party is stressful enough as it is, consider having the party catered rather than doing all the food yourself. That’s one thing you can check off your list so that the rest of the party can be an utter success.