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After first posting about my son’s 13th Birthday here, I’ve had a few questions from readers. Birthdays can be so difficult to plan, let alone for older boys.
13th Birthdays
Planning 13th Birthdays is HARD! And even harder when you live where I live. Winter birthdays in the Pacific NW can be tricky! Like many 13 yr old boys, he and his friends are into gaming. Video gaming. They all play together either in our basement or online via the Xbox. I love that he can play with his cousins in Utah whenever he wants. The Game Truck was PERFECT to wrangle his friends for a couple of hours. These trucks have 4 large screen TVs and all game systems and games any kid would want. The kids stay IN THE TRUCK for 2 hours. That’s the part I love! Who needs a dozen 13 yr olds running around your house?
Happy 13th birthday!
I HAD to make this party festive somehow. I had to promise that I wouldn’t decorate with streamers, banners, balloons, a fancy cake or cupcakes …….that didn’t leave too much wiggle room for party planning fun. I found a few goodies on Etsy for Modern Warfare that suddenly made my son stand up straight! Let the theme planning begin!!!! These invites were so cool, even the boys thought so.
Modern Warfare- Call of Duty Birthday Party
We found this image of a grenade, that I guess they use for the game.
I called my friend who could get me some t-shirts for a good price and decided to use my Simply Screen Silk Screen kit I received a few month ago. I was able to knock out 16 t-shirts in 30 min. I wasn’t sure if the boys would like them…..so you can imagine how thrilled I was when they all put them on. 
I tried hard to make the table look like an after thought………because party tables are not cool when you’re 13. I rolled each t-shirt, placed the modern warfare pin on it and tied with some twine. The pins were also ordered off Etsy. There were a few sayings from the game like “no noobs” “pwned” “game on”…….
Birthday Celebrations
I downloaded an image and made my own water bottle wrappers. This not only looked cool, but it was a genius way to not serve soda. As far as the cake, again…….I ordered an icing top off Etsy. Etsy is my new BFF. I had the gal that makes my Thanksgiving pies, make his cake. (because we all know I’m not going to make it)
I served Pizza and the Tyson Any’tizers. Let’s just say they were gone in about 3 min. After inhaling the food and since it wasn’t raining, they headed outside for a little basketball.
I had to practically threaten to not feed them anymore to get a few group shots. As you can see…….it was like herding cats.
Apparently my son’s elbow is pretty tasty.
After holding a piece of pizza up, they gave me this shot.
The Game Truck
Thank goodness the Game Truck arrived and it was time for me to watch a movie and for them to be locked inside playing games for 2 hours. (they really weren’t locked in, but I pretended they were)
And just so you know……13 yr olds don’t want a party table, but they do want their candles lit and to have their friends sing Happy Birthday.
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About Kim
Kim is the author of Today's Creative Blog where she brings you the best creative blogs out there. Being ranked #5 for overall best Craft Blog, she has featured over 500 blogs.
I love this idea for a party! So fun! We recently played in a game truck, and the kids loved it!
Ok throwing a birthday party for a 13 year old boy is not easy…but you make it look like it is! It looks like the boys had lots of fun. I hope you don’t mind but I featured this party on my Show Off Saturday!
http://www.mydecoupagedlife.com/2012/02/show-off-saturday-birthday-parties.html
Seriously, you are THE.COOLEST.MOM. EVER. This looks like an awesome party for a 13 year old and I bet his friends all think you’re the best. I’m having an Angry Birds bday party for Bunch (he’s turning 6 – how in the hello did that happen) NEXT SUNDAY and I have no favors, cake or much of anything else. Care to come take over?
So fun Kim!!
Thanks for linking up! I featured your post in my wrap up http://tidymom.net/2012/birthday-parties/
Have a great rest of the weekend!
This looks like such a great party! What a great idea for a teenage boy.
I think the party looks awesome! I bet your son had an amazing time, and his friends were probably all jealous.
This looks simply awesome!! I know that if game trucks ever make it over this side of the world, my almost 11 year old will want THAT and only THAT!! awesome!
I’ve never heard of The Game Truck, buy my boys would LOVE that! There isn’t enough out there about throwing parties for older boys…thanks so much!
Great party. I am filing this away and pinning it so I do not forget – my boy is 10 (going on 11) and we are so at this point…he would FLIP with a party like this.
What a party Kim! I bet he LOVED it! I love all the matching shirts. He will love looking back on all these pictures later on.
Whoever thought of the game truck is genious! I love the admit one invites. We did a Halo Reach party last year for my 11 year old and had backstage pass invites.
You aren’t kidding about tween/teen boys being eating machines. I sent all the boys outside with nerf guns after I fed them.
I posted about my son’s party here.
http://culdesacchic.blogspot.com/2012/02/halo-boys-birthday-halo-cake-and-all.html
This is awesome! I just booked a video game trailer for my soon to be 13 year old boy and was browsing for ways to theme it up without going crazy! LOVE your ideas!!!! Thanks for sharing.
if i were your son I’d be so thrilled to have a mum like you. you make it look so easy.
