# Tween Party Board



## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

if there are members out there that throw or have thrown tween age parties please join me/help me on this board!


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## CrypticCuriosity (Aug 18, 2012)

I have thrown parties for my nieces who are getting into or already are tween age. I could try to help out with any questions/needs!


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

yeah!!! a partner in crime!!!!!or just partying... this is the first year my son is being extremely judgmental. he and his friends are 10 btw..since we started his parties at year 4..i have always tried to change up the decorations a bit with their age. finding something age appropriate . everytime i show him what decorations i plan on for this year he says its not scary enough. i told him i wont do gore. i show him alot of ghosty things amd he says ghosts arent scary. we went thru pinterest together and he thought like 3 things were scary out of like 100! i didnt show him anything i thought was objectional. its going to be a tough year. i feel like i'm starting over from two months ago. two months ago i was using alot of zombie ideas. according to him ...zombies arent scary!


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## CrypticCuriosity (Aug 18, 2012)

Ahh, boys can be especially difficult with that, I think. They get to an age where they want to prove how tough and unimpressed they are (I also have a nephew who I helped raise that is 20 now, but he was the same way back then) 

It could be that some of that stuff is in fact scary to him, but he wants to pretend it's not. What were the three things he thought were scary? 

And though some people wouldn't like this method, you might have to just go ahead and purposely scare him to make a point. If he doesn't think ghosts are scary, show him the movie The Changeling from 1980. No gore, no special effects, pure atmosphere, and see how he reacts. I was shown the movie in 7th grade and it really stuck with me, and I've seen it suggested a lot as a creepy movie for kids around that age. 






Maybe once you show that what he thinks isn't scary CAN be scary, he might open up to more ideas.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

I think I saw that. A weird baby that came out or something? Need to look up. If you've been looking at Pinterest I can describe what he thinks is creepy. 1st is all of the antique looking pics of people in halloween costumes from about 100 years ago. He really was scared by the one with the two kids in old clothes with the pumpkin heads. He liked/scared by the boarded up fireplace with the arms crawling out. He liked the shadow of the bony hand on the wall.


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## mysterymaiden (Aug 11, 2008)

I recently wrote a scavenger hunt for a boys' party, based on The Sorcerer's Apprentice. They really enjoyed it - there were about 10 boys racing around, but they were so into it and so good at deciphering the clues that it was all over way sooner than I thought it would be! I loved watching them race around and compete against each other to figure things out as well as work together to find the next clue. It really went over well.

For the gals, the two most successful parties I have done are a (clean) masquerade-themed murder mystery party and a (clean) spa-themed murder mystery party. They all loved getting dressed up in elegant dresses, and with the spa theme we went all out and everyone gave each other treatments while they solved the mystery.

I think for the 'scary' stuff, it's a hard thing to master at that age - a fine line between "scary", "too scary" and "totally lame". And, if they are scared, they don't want to look like a wimp in front of their friends. Tricky.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

i did think about the scavenger hunt, but we had 68 ish kids last year and i try to keep them contained in the backyard so there arent too many scavenging areas??? just one big yard. the activities for the night are pretty taken care of. they arrive, go wild with their friends, eat, sometimes smores then sit down for the outdoor movie and we serve the popcorn and candy bags at the beginning of the movie. the dillema is not the activities its the decorations and what movie to show. cant be babyish anymore. tough age!


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## chinclub (Oct 6, 2011)

I second The Changeling! I absolutely LOVE that movie and it still scares me more than most movies made since then. I think there are a few tamer cuss words in there but otherwise it is safe kids to watch. You will want to preview it first. 

Our first year we had kids from 9-14. I didn't worry so much about decorating to be scary. Basically I just changed all of the light bulbs to black, red, and blue. The decorations were skeletons (Love the $30 Walgreen ones) and cob webs. The only real scare was one of those lay-down motion sensor props that rise up and yell really loud. I hide it in the bathroom which was also dimly lit. We heard more than one startled scream that night!


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Netflix, amazon nor iTunes has the changeling. Any ideas of where to get it/rent it?


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## tomanderson (Dec 6, 2007)

You should be able to buy the dvd on Amazon. It is one of the very best ghost movies out there. I am a big fan of *The Changeling.*


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## CrypticCuriosity (Aug 18, 2012)

Yep, it's on amazon. Only $5!

http://www.amazon.com/The-Changeling-George-C-Scott/dp/0783116926


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## chinclub (Oct 6, 2011)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Changel...?pt=US_DVD_HD_DVD_Blu_ray&hash=item1e7da8ad8b


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

If R rated movies are ok, you could show Pumpkinhead, or Pet Sematary, Silver Bullet, The Funhouse, Dark Night of the Scarecrow - Maybe kids this age have not seen any of these..LOL 
You want to really scare them, have someone dressed like Pumpkinhead come out while the movie is playing

and The Changeling is a great movie


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Thx. Maybe I wasn't spelling it correctly. Man where was I when this movie came out??? Love George c Scott. Must see it. R movies no...unless edited...shoot I've even had to edit pg's from the 80's. has anyone seen Ghostbusters on DVD?...Not the tv version? Boy did I forget a lot about that movie! I've been trying to show funny scary movies each year. After all they are pretty young and looooowwww attention spans. With the exception of one comment in the whole movie Paranorman is very good and really fun and scary for kids. May show that one....fav of all times for kids (and me). MONSTER HOUSE!!!!


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

Changeling - rated R


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## CrypticCuriosity (Aug 18, 2012)

offmymeds said:


> Changeling - rated R


I have no idea why this is listed as rated R. They showed this movie to us in the 6th grade and I can't for the life of me recall anything that terrible in it.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

I don't know why either but its been a long time since I've seen it.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

i guess maybe just because its scary. did u see dont be afraid of the dark? they said it got the r rating because of the guy hitting the woman's teeth which i dont think u even saw. there wasnt anything else wrong not even curse words.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

So I started scanning flicks this weekend and went into just pg13. Watched house at the end of the street with Jennifer lawerence. Thought the 10 year olds would recognize her via hunger games . Nix on house at the end of the street. Figured out the movie literally in the first minute. Also I am looking for spooky and not crime related aka something that could happen in real life. Back to the screenings this week. Funny spooky preferably like ghost busters. How bad was dark shadows???


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Dark shadows isn't gory or scary but there is a scene that is a bit risqué. I can't remember if there is any nudity but a sex seen is implied as they roll around the walls.


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## chinclub (Oct 6, 2011)

What about The Watcher in the Woods http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DFacqQp8uw


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Pumpkinpie u read my mind for my next question. will have to skip that one unleas i can find an edited copy. ill check it out.
Thx!


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

chin club, did u like that one? i think its on netflix ill check it out too.

Thx!!


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## chinclub (Oct 6, 2011)

I did, but in all honesty, I was just a kid when I watched it. I don't know what I would think of it if I watched it now.


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## offmymeds (May 26, 2010)

What about Willard? The original, not the remake........creepy rats


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Ha! DS has two pet mice. That would be funny. Even if we don't show it at the party he has to see it! Despite the awful song. Thanks!


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Here's a thread I came across, it has a huge list of PG13 movies some of which I've never even heard of.

http://www.tophorrormoviesclub.com/...ovies-my-kids-wants-to-watch-so...-56714.html


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

And here's a listing of tons of scary movies along with their ratings...

http://www.movlic.com/library/advan...&n=HORROR AND HALLOWEEN MOVIES (MOST POPULAR)


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## chinclub (Oct 6, 2011)

Great list Pumpkin! I was just looking over it. I loved The Messengers


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

great thanks pumpkin! i'm going to have to lean towards the newer ones. when i watch a movie from early 80's or before and even some into the 90's that i dont remember being risque...for lack of a better word, they are very un PC . not that any of the slang bothers me, but weve been holding our toungue for 10 years so he doesnt learn any of it. someone suggested Monster Squad to me last year and i bought it at Sam's. The first 5 minutes into it i was like...no that wont work!!!


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## pumpkinpie (Jul 9, 2011)

Lol, I know half of these I never even heard of but I figured it might make for a good reference. I'm not a huge scary movie watcher to begin with (bit of a chicken u might say lol) but it seems almost everyone I have seen is either too scary, too graphic or just plain inappropriate (with nudity and language) for little ones. You will definetly have to publish a thread called "kid safe scary movies" with your final draft cause I'm sure you won't be the last person having this much trouble finding a decent one  

I agree with sticking with newer movies, sometimes its hard to peek theyre interest in the older style. Plus I think rating criteria has changed over the years, so who really knows what ratings some of these older movies would get if reevaluated.


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

I've been doing teen parties for several years with about 30+ kids. Last year was age 13 thru 16. Last year was a zombie apocalypse party. I always mention the theme of the party and encourage them to dress to that if they want. Many rise to the challenge. This year is a classic monster party.

I try to do only one group activity. Teens usually just want to talk and mingle. Last year I hid 200 1-1/2 inch light sticks all around our backyard and attached field. The teens formed two groups and it was a game to see which team would win. This was a big hit. I bought small prizes for the winners, but they didn't even want the prizes. It was just fun for them to have the game. The previous year I had a "graveyard" candy hunt where they had to look for candy and trinkets with flashlights.

Teens like to feel brave so the scarier or creepier the better. I do not do gore but you can really set the mood with some good horror pics. Lots on Pinterest. You can check out the many I've saved here http://pinterest.com/zim2/boards/ For our zombie party the teens had to walk through a zombie diorama in our garage to get into the house. They spent a lot of time coming back and scaring each other in there.

Another big win for teens is black light and mood lighting. They like the novelty of their clothes glowing. 

For movies, it's whatever you are comfortable with. I only have a few kids that actually sit down and watch an entire movie (the shy kids). The Final Destination series and Scream series are big hits with the teens. Do not do the Scary Movie franchise. That is pretty vulgar with much nudity. Commonsense Media is a great website to check out movies ahead of time. It tells you the recommended ages for movies along with details of what is seen in the movie. Also includes movie reviews from parents and the kids. http://www.commonsensemedia.org/


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

has anyone seen a movie called "believe" im goint to watch it on netflix. its pg13. i cant find any reviews to find out what the "13" is for.


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

You guys got me thinking about horror movies. My husband and I enjoy watching horror and our teens have been in a horror renaissance these past two years—enjoying these films for the first time. 

Here’s what our teens and their friends have liked along with some of my recommendations. Check out the Commonsense Media links. They offer their own recommended age; parents and kids also offer their own age limits.

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter - Thumbs up from our teens, roller coaster ride of a movie - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/abraham-lincoln-vampire-hunter
Attack the Block – UK Alien invasion, our teens gave this a thumbs up - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/attack-the-block
Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon – Violent but funny, some nudity – our teens enjoyed the parody - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/behind-the-mask-the-rise-of-leslie-vernon 
Children of the Corn – Kids kill all the adults in town – big hit with the teens, hmmm. http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/children-of-the-corn 
Child’s Play – Good one for tweens but can’t say the same for the rest of the Chucky series - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/childs-play-1988
Drag Me to Hell – Lots of thrills and chills in this story about a gypsy curse - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/drag-me-to-hell 
Eight Legged Freaks – Another spider movie, more action than Arachnophobia - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/eight-legged-freaks 
The Faculty – This movie holds up. Students suspect their teachers are aliens. This movie does have a nude alien girl towards the end. An early Robert Rodriguez film - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133751/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
Final Destination – Our teens love this series and so do their friends. My pics are #1, #4 and #5. #2 was just bad and #3 was too crude - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-final-destination 
Jeepers Creepers 2 – We didn’t like the first movie but the sequel is great. Teens in a broken down bus are terrorized by The Creeper until someone fights back - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0301470/?ref_=sr_2 
Paranormal Activity – Our teens love this series but I think it’s kind of boring - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/paranormal-activity 
Pet Sematary - Our teens enjoyed this flick about coming back to life - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/pet-sematary 
The Ring – Good scares but a detective movie at it’s core - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-ring 
Scream - Our teens love this series and so do their friends - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/scream 
Shaun of the Dead – Funny and scary zombie flick - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/shaun-of-the-dead 
Trick ‘r Treat – Four interwoven stories that occur on Halloween, clever, funny and scary - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862856/?ref_=sr_1 
Tucker & Dale vs Evil – Another teen favorite of misunderstood hillbillies. Funny and scary - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/tucker-dale-vs-evil 
Van Helsing - Good one for tweens, lots of action, humor and some scares - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/van-helsing 
Wasting Away – Funny zombie movie where the zombies see themselves as human but everyone else sees them as zombies - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1027762/?ref_=sr_1 
Woman in Black – This was a PG-13 that scared the crap out of my teens. Plus a bunch of teen girls screamed throughout the entire film - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/the-woman-in-black 
Young Frankenstein - Another good one for tweens, lots of humor but some sexual innuendo - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/young-frankenstein 

Think these could be good for teens as well
Anaconda – Giant snake eats people - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118615/?ref_=sr_1 
Arachnophobia – Lots of spider scares. But our teens say this movie is a bit slow - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/arachnophobia
Lady in White – Not sure if this movie stands the test of time, but I remember really enjoying this classic ghost tale - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095484/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 
Lake Placid – Giant crocodile mixed in with some humorous hijinks - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139414/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 
Phantoms – Lots of jumps in this film of missing townspeople and a phantom menace - 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119891/?ref_=sr_1 
Something Wicked This Way Comes – Might be a bit slow for some kids but this Ray Bradbury story about a dark circus that comes into town is still a great story - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0086336/?ref_=sr_1 
Tremors – Graboids attack a small desert town. Scares and humor mixed in - http://www.commonsensemedia.org/movie-reviews/tremors


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Dawnski I can't thank u enough for your list. I reviewed each. Mine are young Tweens ... 10's some just turning 11. Need no f words no sex no drugs. I was interested on child's play but the f bombs are in it. Would love poltergeist but forgot about a pot smoking scene. Right now I would love to show either signs...(love the message) not that they would get it ... or the burbs. My son is just not into either, probably because they are my favs. I fight this each year. It's so tough!!!! Choices are either too kiddy or to adult.


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

I feel your pain. It is almost impossible to find real scary horror that doesn't include any of those things. And it's tough to get kids to embrace the classics because they're black and white. 

That Woman in Black movie would fit the bill and it's PG-13 if you'd let them watch it. That movie was like walking through a haunted house. 
The Mummy with Brandon Fraser also would be a good pick for tweens. And while not horror, the Indiana Jones series has some thrills and chills (but maybe some language). Jaws would also work.

I'm not sure if these are available on Hulu or Netflix but Goosebumps is pretty popular for that age group. Kind of a beginner into horror. Most kids remember the book and episode, The Mask. Those are available on DVD. R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour was a TV show that might be available on Hulu. There also was a TV show called Friday the 13th (nothing to do with the movie) about two cousins who have to find all these cursed objects that were removed from their Uncle's store. That had some good creepy stories. Another TV series was Tales from the Darkside. Since they were on TV, they should be safe.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

A friend told me about woman in black, I would be very hesitant to show it because of the subject matter. This is really driving me crazy. U may be right and I may have to go against the scary halloween theme and just do something like the mummy even though that really is more action adventure. I so wanted to make it a spooky movie!!!!


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## dawnski (Jun 16, 2012)

If it's a tween party, best to play it safe. All kids are different and some may have anxiety issues. Even in my kids' teen groups, there are some teens that just can't watch a scary movie. Too intense.


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## mamadada (Aug 18, 2008)

Ok I think I found it, has anyone seen The Hole? I just finished it. I wasn't thrilled with the major part at the end for kids, but maybe the party kids will appreciate their parents more. If anyone has seen it can u let me know what u think.. for 10 year olds?


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