Tween & Big Kid Christmas party ideas

Christmastime is here! Are you going to or having any parties? Adults love to celebrate with a bit of yuletide cheer.  But, it always seems to me that kids between the ages of 11 & 14 tend to get forgotten about on the internet of blogs. They are stuck in this place between worlds where they are still a kid, but are starting to feel grown up feelings. It’s really confusing and awkward, which is probably why some adults just ignore that demographic altogether. Below I’ve listed some party ideas perfect for your tween or big kid:

Tween & Big kid Christmas party ideas: Christmas photo booth props

Buy these Christmas Photo Booth Props in my Etsy store.

You know you want to take more photos of your kids because sooner than you think they’ll be grown up and moved to a state half way across the country. Since kids are at that awkward stage, you probably have to encourage them to get in front of the camera. Photo booth props are a great way to get them to let you take photos of them. No need to set up a huge booth, you can buy props online, download them, and print them out.  We used something similar at our wedding and it was lots of fun. We cut out the props, stuck them to a stick (a straw works too) and laid them out on the tables for everyone to enjoy. They are also a fun favor or decoration for the party too! You could also gather them into a cup or glass and display them like a centerpiece. As people see them, they will wonder what they are and begin to use them.

If you want to create your own, I suggest using PicMonkey. Not only can you use it to edit photos, but you can create fun graphics like the photo booth props in my images above. They have a free version and a Royale version, which is a great bargain at $33/year. Way cheaper than fancier graphic design software.

Tween & Big kid Christmas party ideas: Christmas movie marathon

The Bishop’s Wife (Amazon Affiliate Link)

Why not introduce your kids to some old movies you loved as a kid? There are so many Christmas themed movies out there. My personal favorite is The Bishop’s Wife. You can’t go wrong with Cary Grant. It’s something my parents would watch during the holidays and reminds me of being a kid.

You can always mix in some more modern classics like Elf, Scrooged, and A Christmas Story. Pop some popcorn and rent a bunch of movies to get the kids into the holiday spirit. It will be a memory they can keep with them forever and you could easily do it on a cold winter day.

I still remember watching movies with my family during the holidays. We would curl up in the living room under blankets while it was cold and rainy outside. My parents would talk about the actors and the other movies they were in as well as fun memories of their childhoods. Back then, we had VHS tapes, so our options were limited to what was in our library or what we could find at the video store. Now, you can download almost any movie you can think of right after you think of it!

Tween & Big kid Christmas party ideas: Christmas crafts

While they might be getting older, the kids still like to do activities. 14 year olds might look at this project with disdain, but the 11 year olds will think it’s fun. Why not have them create special ornaments to hang on the tree? It doesn’t have to be complicated. Just grab some of those cheap glass ornaments at Target or your local big box store and get creative. If you have clear ones, you can fill them with all sorts of stuff like candy, fake snow, or glitter. You can use the plain colored ones too. Use some glue and glitter to decorate the outside. Be sure to put the year on the ornament with a permanent marker so you can remember when your kids made them.

Beaded Candy Cane Ornament Craft Kit (Amazon Affiliate Link)

If the special glass ball ornaments are too complicated, there are tons of kits you can find on the
internet. Did you ever make the pipe-cleaner beaded candy cane? You can relive your childhood and make one with your kids.

I still have ornaments I made when I was a kid hanging on my tree. They remind me of the good times I had during the holidays. It might not hurt to put the kid’s name on the ornament too. I can’t tell you how many arguments you will avoid in the future (5 at last count) based on everyone’s fuzzy memories.

Tween & Big kid Christmas party ideas: Food drive/charitable volunteering

If charity starts at home (I’m probably using that phrase wrong), then why not have the kids do something to help those less fortunate? You can have the kids volunteer at a local food bank, collect coats, or even go through their old toys that they don’t play with anymore to donate to Goodwill. You’ll be purging out stuff they don’t use and giving it to a charity. Make it fun. Have hot chocolate, play Christmas music, see who can get the most donations!

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