Hi Stacy. It’s my son’s birthday this weekend and I want to get him something really fun, something he’ll always remember as the best birthday. He’s turning 12. Do you have any ideas? My wife and I are thinking of asking one or two of his friends to come with so it will have to be relatively affordable so we can pay for all of them. Our budget is about £200 for two/three including snacks.

Michael.

Dear Michael,

I think we can definitely come up with something fun here! I’ve worked on three ideas, each for three kids aged 12 with a budget of £150 (to leave some over so that you can provide snacks for them during the activities).

The first one is an amazing Kayaking and Tubing Adventure for kids. This will give the three of them the chance to learn all about kayaking and tubing from first-hand experience! They’ll have such a blast and it’ll definitely be a birthday to remember. Just remember to pack in extra clothes because they will get very wet (which definitely means extra fun!).

The second idea is a Kids Driving Thrill Experience. This allows kids aged 12 – 16 to get to grips with the driving basics before trying them out in a Ford RS – the car of champions. The best part about this one is that each child will actually drive the car (with an expert instructor right beside him, of course!) and they’ll get a head-start on the rest of their friends! This is a definite hit for all car-lovers and adventure-seeking boys.

Finally, my third ieda is a Kids Spy Camp. This is heaps of fun for inventive and imaginative boys as it puts them in their ‘007 shoes’, ready to tackle the trickiest spy gadgets and gizmos! They’ll have to crack a safe, make it through a laser maze, play a game of laser tag, and do loads of other fun spy activities. Imagine how much fun they’ll have!

I hope this helps you!

x Stacey

Hi Stacey, I really like your blog, there are so many good ideas here! I have a question for you and I hope you can help because it’s not strictly about birthday gifts… It’s my daughter’s 12th birthday coming up and I already have the perfect present… I just don’t know what to do for her party! She wants to bring her two best friends with her, whatever she decides to do. Please help! I have three giggling girls on my hands and I have no clue what to do with them!

Sharon (Kent)

Dear Sharon,

This sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun! Luckily, I do have three great ideas that I think you might find useful!

The first thing I’d recommend is a Kids Deluxe Makeover and Photoshoot – you’ll have to buy a ‘ticket’ for each little diva but I can assure you, it’s affordable and the girls will adore it! They’ll get their hair styled, their nails polished and their make-up done before they take to the stage for their diva debut! I can think of nothing my niece would like better!

The second thing I can recommend to you is a fun day at a recording studio. This one is for a minimum of five people so it could be a lot of fun to get the other mums involved and have a whole mum-daugher sing-off! If you click on the link there you’ll see a really good deal that works out to just under half price per person when you make a group booking of 5 or more people. I think that’s a fab idea! The best part about this is that the girls will get a recording of their “hit single” on CD or mp3 to take home with them. The mums will all love to hold onto that as a charming keepsake!

And lastly, (this is my personal favourite) why not treat the three of them to a fun cupcake making and decorating class that will let them express their inner-creativity (and you won’t have to bake a birthday cake either!). This is such a fab class, just look at what they’ll be able to learn:

I hope this gives you the inspiration you were seeking Sharon!

x Stacey