Birthday Party Ideas for 8 Year-Old Boy? archived

let him and his buddies spend an afternoon with Monster and the Soulful Mr T at Bunny's!

Have it in your yard and have a lot of water...water balloons, sponge relays, slip n' slide, etc. Its summertime...and a perfect time to do that.

or set up a backyard carnival with some simple games (tennis ball knocking over cans; ping pong balls into cups; dart toss against a board full of balloons, etc.)

we starting skipping cake for a make your own sundae table too with all the fixins'.

Triple 8 is good luck in Chinese I believe...have a Chinese themed party.

For away from home, maybe Sports 'n' Games, or whatever the name of that place out on Rte 10. Or a movie & pizza if there's something he really wants to see.

We also had success around that age replacing a lots-of-guests party with a destination trip w/a few friends (maybe 3 or so?), to Coney Island aquarium, or a water park, or wherever he really would like to go.

At home, they'd probably have a blast with a backyard water park if the weather cooperates. Slip 'n' Slide, water balloons, Super Soakers, sprinklers....
If you know a middle school or high school guy who would come and help, that would add to the cool factor, and make your day a LOT easier.

Enjoy! as much as you can. I think simple is more fun at this age.

how about a pub crawl ? :cheer:

Thanks - great ideas.

Actually, a couple constraints. It has to be in the evening, because he doesn't get home from camp until 5:00. So I guess it should be fairly local so the kids don't get home toooo late.
Also? We have a miniscule backyard. I would love to do something in/at my house, but size is an issue. :sad:

Posted By: lazydoghow about a pub crawl ?

Heh. I was saving that for his 9th birthday. :devil:

OK, seriously.............

What a cool birthday-- 8 years old on 8-8-08. You should get some sort artwork to commemorate it.

Bowcraft on 22? There was a coupon for it in recent valpak.

Picnic and games at Orchard Park, or one of the other parks? Could still have sponge relays, plus 3-legged race or other silly-type run-around games, watermelon-seed-spitting, the old-time picnic stuff. I believe the towns have (or at least SO has) some sport/game equipment available to borrow, not sure what. hankz's great idea of sundae bar might be a little difficult, but you could probably pull that off too.

Bowling party at Eagle Rock Lanes in West Orange?

Posted By: srpWhat a cool birthday-- 8 years old on 8-8-08. You should get some sort artwork to commemorate it.

That's a great idea! Where does one get such a thing?

I want to do something a little different - mainly because it is such a cool birthday.

How about a cooking party? I know the Hulk likes to cook. A movie party? A "gaming" party?

how many kids you looking at?

Bowling is cool for that age, and inside and airconditioned, usually.

We did a sports party for my son at NYSC off northfield in Livingston for his eighth. The kids liked it and there is a side room you can decorate/serve cake in. for what it was the price was much more reasonable than Diamond Gymnastics or the place in Millburn. Plus the shoprite that does good cakes is right around the corner.

Oh, Pip - cooking might be cool. Looking to invite about a dozen boys, perhaps a few more. Can you imagine a dozen boys in my living room? :shocked:

Movies, bowling, and games of some sort would all be good. The NYSC idea intrigues me; it's offsite, but not toooo far away. At some point, like, tonight, I should ask the Hulk what he wants to do.

Posted By: essThat's a great idea! Where does one get such a thing?

Don't know. I'm thinking some sort of award /certificate thing that he can keep/hang for years to come. Maybe one of the framing shops would have a recommendation or that art store in Essex Green. I think it's Jerry's Artist's outlet.

Ess,

Look into one of those Laser tag places (i think there is one on route 10)

Transformers are pretty popular with 8 year old boys (i think) how about making a transformer cake? also Chuck e Cheese has games for 8 year old. Plus if you have the party there I think they give you free tokens and each game is only 1 token.


Good Luck.
Sly (a fellow Leo)


PS. NICE that Lil Essboy is a Leo! Leo's ROCK! :wink:

Link to party info, although not all locations have all parties, it'll give you an idea:

http://www.mysportsclubs.com/programservices/sportsclubskids/birthday.htm

How about a pool party at the community pool? You could get some of your friends to help chaperone and make sure no one drowns and maybe limit it from 6 to closing so that you have a cut off time. Order pizza to be delivered at a certain time and bring the other stuff with you.
If you are doing it at home, the make your own sundae idea is great...We have done that before.

I think Oriental Trading prints personalized birthday banners.

How about a science party? Cookie magazine had a neat description of one for 8-9 year olds.
A scavenger hunt might be fun.

Also Diamond Rock gym at the Funplex on Route 10 does a rock climbing party that is fun. The birthday boy and two of his friends or siblings gets to swing across a zip line at the end of the party. Quite thrilling!

Reeves Reed Arboretum has several birthday party options too.

I thought you were looking for birthday themes - my answer was going to be "How about a safari party?"

If you want to keep the party at home and start late (after 5pm) how about a movie night party? You can still make it Chinese themed with 70's era Hung-Fu movies or some of the newer Jackie Chan/Jet Li acrobatic martial arts fare. Go to Pearl River Imports on Broadway (just north of Canal) for super cheap treats, give aways and decorations. And try Costo or the Asian super market on Rt. 10 for snacks like crispy wonton, egg rolls, chicken wings, dumplings, etc. (Wow, now I'm hungry...)

And, if they're real sports enthusiasts, you can always "interrupt" the party with bits of the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Bejing.

Hope your boy has fun!

Cool....great ideas! Thanks!

For party favors, I am giving mini-Magic 8 balls, and am probably going to make a CD of songs about 8 (Eight Days a Week, Driver 8...now I just need to find six more of these songs). Going overboard on the whole "8" theme, but really, it's just such a cool birthday, how can I not? :smile:

If your son likes baseball, Newark Bears do a great party - they supply the pizza, goody bags, cupcakes and the game- you just send out invitations. My son loved his (even though it rained). The birthday kid gets to go on the field and have the crowd sing "Happy Birthday" and an autograph session with the players, too.

Other parties my 8 year old has been to this year are: Diamond Gym Rock Climbing, FunZone Laser tag, Take Me Out to the Ball Park (off 22 behind Staples), Eagle Rock Bowling, NYSC swimming party, a party at Maplewood pool, a cooking party at Kings in SH, a slime filled "games show" party a la Nickelodeon before it got too famous at a place on Rt 10 and a few Harry Potter themed parties at homes.

FWIW, we're taking my son & 3 of his friends to Philly for the Mets v Phillies game for his 9th birthday next month.

songs with 8? Why of course, the theme song from Tobor The Eighth Man!

There's a prehistoric monster
that came from outer space.
Created by the Martians
to destroy the human race.
The FBI is helpless,
it's twenty stories tall!
What can we do, who can we call?
Call Tobor the 8th Man,
Call Tobor the 8th Man.
Faster than a rocket,
quicker than a jet.
He's the mighty robot,
he's the one to get.
Call Tobor the 8th Man.
Quick call Tobor, the mightiest robot of them all!

Thanks, Hank. Now I need five more songs with "8". A new thread, perhaps?

And thanks, Hismom. The Hulk does like baseball. I am concerned about timing, though. I need to have a specific end time (likely, 8:08 pm......OK, I should go home now....).

Essex County Turtle Back Zoo.

Tons of improvements made, cheap rental fees for classrooms or free rental in the picnic areas. All you have to do is pay a group rate.

Just went to a Safari Themed Party and the kids loved it. Its a Homerun or should I say Wild Day!!! :p

Ess,

When my son turned 9 I went to the Maplewood Rec and reserved Orchard Park (the nice park off Ridgewood, I think the street is Dehart). It has a grill, is kind of isolated, has the tennis courts, a basketball goal, and lots of wide open space for boys to run in! It only costs about 25 bucks and you get the key to the restroom. Did I mention that it has picnic tables under a covered area?

You could get this space and use some of the great ideas that the rest of the MOLers gave you.

I know little Ess personally. (Did he get my letter from GA last week? hint, hint)

2cents - YES - he told me about that this morning. He was thrilled!

He is such a great kid! (and so smart, too!) I hope his birthday is the best! (Mine is 3 days earlier)

I like Hank Zona's suggestion about a triple 8 party with a chinese theme - you can order Chinese food for the dinner, give the guests Magic 8 balls in (clean) Chinese take-out containers -

or make a CD with "8" songs - Henry the 8th I am, 8 days a week, 18, I'm sure there are a few more - those are all the 8 songs off the top of my head.

If there aren't enough "8" themed songs, you could do number-themed working up to 8. Finish with Revolution No. 9 ('natch)

Good luck.

Im embarrassed that I did not immediately remember "Henry the Eighth", the first song I ever sang on stage.

Theres also "867-5309/Jenny, Jenny" and "Figure Eight" from Multiplication Rock.

My daughter had a Chinese themed party once...I remember it was very easy picking up favors in Chinatown...and I also made fortune cookies (very easy to do) and she and I designed the "fortunes" that went inside.

David Bowie - Eight Line Poem