Tween parties are tricky – your child is too old for pass-the-parcel yet too young for a boy/girl mixer. Most tweens are keener on the company of their own gender, so it’s likely you’ll be planning a party to suit the interests of your daughter and her girlfriends, or your son and his mates. Here are some ideas to get the planning in motion.

• Themes

• Show-off tweens

  Tweens aren’t known for their shyness usually! So indulge their passion for performance with at-home karaoke (provide dress-up props like sunglasses, boas, funny hats); or a designated ‘dancefloor’ area set up with a disco ball and flashing lights. Ask the guests to dress up for extra fun.

• Sporty tweens

  Is your child mad about their scooter, skateboard, rollerblades or bike? Seek out a park that has a purpose-built track and host the party there. Ask each child to bring their preferred wheelie option, plus safety equipment including a helmet. Other ideas for active tweens are a pool party or a couple of hours at the ice rink.

• Glam tweens

  Most tween girls love anything sparkly, shiny and pretty! So think about a sleepover with an easy theme like ‘pink’; a pamper party with nail polish and glitter hairspray; or a cupcake-baking day with fancy patty pans and an assortment of sugary decorations for them to customise their creations!

• Crafty tweens

  Book the gang in for a plaster-painting workshop; set the girls up to make their own jewellery pieces with a selection of materials from a bead shop; visit your local toyshop and take inspiration from their DIY craft kits (such as decorating plain paper mache boxes to make precious trinket cases).

• Food

  It doesn’t have to be an all-out junk fest. But for special occasions like birthdays, you might like to treat the tweens to foods that they don’t normally have – and you can always mix up the offering with healthy additions. Think salsa with veggie sticks as well as corn chips, pizzas (ordered in or home-made), pink lemonade, a sausage sizzle, fruit skewers. And don’t forget the all-important cake – we have lots of tips to help you create a crowd-pleaser!

• Prizes and party bag fillers

  Tweens are impressionable, and know exactly what they do and don’t think is cool! So choose the party prizes and favours with care – don’t spend a lot, but do get your tween’s input before you buy 20 items they don’t approve of! Some ideas:
• • Lolly bracelets and necklaces
  • Fruity lip gloss pots
  • Small action hero figurines
  • Ink pad and stamper
  • Small balls
  • Keyrings
  • Fancy markers and pens
  • Mini notebooks with cute covers
  • Small torches
  • Stickers
  • Glow-in-the-dark items: slime, star stickers etc