17 Unique 11 Year Old Birthday Party Ideas For Your Tween (2024)
13. Nurture their curiosity with a scavenger hunt party
Planning a scavenger hunt as the focal point of the event will help turn your tween’s party into a total hit, providing their guests with an engaging activity that ensures no one gets bored. You can also plan to hold the scavenger hunt in your backyard or living room, at a local park, or at a suitable Peerspace rental—whatever works best!
When the guests arrive, hand out custom maps and envelopes containing the first scavenger hunt clue. They’ll dive straight into solving riddles and tackling challenges that lead them to the big prize. Challenge guests to decipher codes and solve puzzles, and as they solve each clue, they’ll unlock the next step, approaching the grand finale. Spice things up and set an exciting tone by incorporating a theme such as pirates hunting treasure or secret agents on a mission.
A scavenger hunt is tons of fun, but it’s also a lesson in teamwork. As the group conquers these puzzles and challenges together, your tween and their pals will learn to cooperate and celebrate victories as a team. Meanwhile, the excitement of the unknown will keep them hooked for hours.
So for a birthday idea that’s more than the usual routine of eating cake and opening presents, consider a scavenger hunt party. It’ll make your tween’s birthday bash unforgettable!
14. Get artsy with a sweet DIY craft party
Here’s another idea that’ll make for an epic tween birthday bash: a DIY craft party! Providing guests with opportunities to get hands-on and let their creativity run wild, transform your space into a DIY haven for your group of young craftsmen and craftswomen.
One of the best things about throwing a DIY craft party is that your guests’ creations are pretty much the ultimate party favors, so they’ll all get to leave with a fantastic homemade memento. This saves you from having to buy tons of expensive party favors—instead, you’ll simply have to purchase the supplies required for whatever crafts you end up planning.
Not sure where to get started? Check out these fun craft ideas for tweens from The Spruce Crafts for major inspo—their suggestions range from colorful homemade bath bombs to rainbow tie-dye shoes, personalized flower pots, beautifully marbled smartphone cases, and tote bags made out of old T-shirts.
Before you choose, though, be sure to check in with your tween about which craft ideas they’d be the most interested in, and let them take the lead in making the decision. The more input they give on party planning, the more excited they’ll be about the end result (we’ll discuss this even more in the next item on this list, so be sure to keep reading).
15. Let your tween give input on the party food choices
As your child gets older, they’ll probably want to start having more say in planning their birthday parties than they did as a little kid! Especially as they transition from childhood to adolescence, their interests and preferences will become more pronounced—letting them choose their party menu not only gives the party a more personal and meaningful touch but also fosters a sense of empowerment and helps them feel involved.
Although the traditional pizza and cake combo is an awesome choice for party food, don’t be afraid to think outside the box, especially if your almost 11-year-old is an adventurous eater. In general, today’s tweens are more adventurous when it comes to their taste buds than those of the past, and involving them in the process ensures that their party menu will reflect their evolving palate.
How to involve your teen in menu decisions
Start by having a casual conversation with your tween about their favorite foods, snacks, and treats. Do they have a preferred cuisine or a go-to comfort food? Incorporate these preferences into their menu to make the celebration represent them more effectively.
You can even take it a step further and organize a mini food-tasting session at home. Experiment with a few different appetizers, finger foods, and desserts, allowing your tween to provide feedback on what they enjoy the most. This can even be a bonding experience for the two of you!
Do your best to indulge your tween’s preferences while also providing a well-rounded menu that caters to all your guests. For instance, be sure to offer satisfying vegetarian or gluten-free options if there’s a chance that anyone at the party will have those dietary restrictions.
Plus, if you don’t want to throw the party in your own home and would prefer to rent a venue, you can use Peerspace to find venues that come with working kitchens to make preparing food for the party on-site especially easy. For example, this Instagrammable, trendy event space in Austin has a kitchen as well as tons of natural light, three crystal chandeliers, and even a pink neon sign! And this multipurpose space at Le Village Cowork in Chicago is another great example of what Peerspace has to offer when it comes to affordable and appealing spaces for kids’ parties.
16. Don’t forget to hand out fun party favors
When you’re throwing a tween birthday party, nailing the party favors is one of the best ways to ensure that your party guests will be raving about their experience for weeks to come! Skip the generic stuff—there’s way too much plastic junk that no one wants out there being marketed as party favors for kids. Instead, opt for favors that match your tween’s vibe and interests as well as their chosen party theme. Create thoughtful swag bags filled with items that are fun, functional, or ideally, a combination of the two.
For the trendy bunch, choose accessories that’ll allow your guests to make a style statement.
Our favorite accessories include:
- Cool beaded bracelets
- Funky sunglasses
- DIY tie-dye bandanas
- And more!
Even if they’re small and relatively simple, tech gadgets are another party favor that’ll make your guests “ooh” and “ahh.”
Our favorite tech favors include:
- Mini portable speakers
- Cute and colorful earphones
- Or if your kid is more of an artistic and creative type, they and their guests will probably appreciate mini art kits or DIY craft supplies
Everyone loves snacks, so edible party favors are always a safe choice.
Our favorite sweet snack options include:
- Baking or purchasing personalized cookies
- Filling jars with delicious, colorful candies
Be sure to search for party favor snack ideas that are relevant to the party theme, if there is one—Pinterest in particular holds a wealth of thematic ideas that are easy to browse and that’ll help you get inspired. These party favors kids will actually use are super helpful and spot-on.
Whatever you choose, make sure to tailor the party favors to your tween and their friends’ interests, so each guest leaves the party with something they’ll actually enjoy. These kinds of thoughtful touches can help turn a party from just another gathering into an event that’ll stick in their minds long after the celebration ends!
17. Let them get sporty by booking time at a sports complex
Is your 11-year-old a ball of energy, but doesn’t like to confine themselves to just one sport or activity? Then you need to take your kid and their friends to a sports complex, quite like the ones you can find in cities everywhere through Peerspace!
For instance, you can book this multi-functional indoor/outdoor sports complex in Los Angeles, CA (pictured above) if your kid loves soccer, kickball, dancing, and more. Across the country in Philadelphia, PA, you can also rent the Clubhouse at Elite Sports and enjoy batting cages, basketball courts, and even table games like foosball and ping pong. Many places you rent even offer an inclusive birthday party package so you know what to expect for the total price up front. Your kiddo and their friends will love every minute when celebrating at amazing venues like these!
11 year old birthday party ideas: conclusion
With these 11 year old birthday party ideas in mind and the perfect celebration venue rental care of Peerspace for the setting, your kid is about to have the best birthday ever! Since they are getting closer to their teenage years (we’re sorry to bring that part up again!) it means you can consult them and see which idea(s) they like best.
Don’t forget to take plenty of pictures and enjoy every moment of this special birthday party!
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