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Bas Mitzvah Party Fun Ideas & Activites Help Please!



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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 9:30 am
Hi all
Looking for some inspiration please!

Im BH making my first Bas Mitzvah Party IYH and am really stuck on ideas!!

We are a "Beis Yaakov" family but DD goes to a more MO school (not going into that now).

The types of parties shes been to include quite a few stations of activities such as Hennas, temporary tattoos, hair braiding, artistic face painting, photo booths, making bath bombs, making perfume etc.

The parties are probably equal cost to their brothers bar mitzvahs.

And Im not really into all that and the costs involved. I will do a small buffet rather than a sit down meal.

I know there is unfortunately no point me making a meaningful party like taking challoh, doing a chessed, etc as I know the girls wouldnt be interested. They just want to have fun.

Please help me come up with some fun ideas that would entertain approx 50 girls for around 3-4 hrs!

I dont mind multiple cost effective activities (but I'm not into hennas and tattoos).

Any ideas??

Thanks!!

(Anon as discussed in real life)
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amother
Jade


 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 9:33 am
I went to a bat mitzvah where they showed a movie of the bat mitzvah girl
They made blankets for homeless people out of fleece they knotted the ends of the blankets
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saw50st8




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 10:14 am
I don't know why you think MO girls won't enjoy some sort of meaningful based activity.

My friend just made a scavenger hunt for her daughter's bat mitzvah. The girls were in teams and had to track down items based on a charity's wishlist. The charity was one that the bat mitzvah girl picked out herself.
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amother
Forestgreen


 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 10:23 am
Jewelry making - can even make that the "theme" and have more than one station if you want (bracelets, necklaces, earrings). There are a ton of DYI ideas online.

Art projects - locker signs, picture frames, get small canvases from Walmart and stencils, etc.

Cake/cookie decorating - can have stations for cupcakes, cookies, etc.

Mazel Tov!
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flowerpower




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 10:26 am
Have someone come down to do a Painting. It takes a good hour at least
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 10:53 am
Thank you for the ideas.

They would all be perfect for her old BY classmates and DD would like them too, but her current classmates would find all these things too "babyish".

They are interested in things that are cool and on trend with teenagers. They all have iphones and if it gets too boring they will just sit on the side and play with apps together.

(I only mentioned MO as I thought Id give a contrast to the type of girls. I know imamothers love to nitpick so to clarify, of course I'm not saying ALL MO girls would not enjoy meaningful activities. Im saying I know the crowd I am dealing with, so why not trust me on that? Where I live we dont have jewish labels for people, I just thought it might help USA imamothers understand where im coming from.. but I guess not).
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 11:05 am
I can't imagine. Girls here want a grown up simcha
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saw50st8




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 11:29 am
OP,

I'm not nitpicking. I live in a large MO community where many, many giirls have Bat Mitzvahs like you described. They also enjoy the other types as well. I think that if you can find a meaningful activity and make it fun, the kids will enjoy it regardless of what their own parties were like.
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flowerpower




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 11:53 am
Regarding phones, I’d ask them to put in a box until the end of the party. It’s a very valid request.
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Ruchel




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 11:58 am
What happens to dancing and eatin g and laughing?
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 12:21 pm
Thanks for your input Saw50st8. I guess its just a very different type of crowd. I know they will not appreciate that. I know that they compare parties in school and unfortunately the 'popular' girls make fun of the girls parties that werent up to their "standards".
(Yes I know they sound like a lovely bunch and obviously Im not keen on any of this but I'm just telling you the situation how it is. Yes I'd rather not make a party for these girls but hey ho this is where we are).

Id love to get them to put away their phones but wishful thinking it would never work.

Dancing isnt cool unless its a non jewish music disco, which is also out.

Thanks for all your input everyone. Appreciate the help and apologies if my posts seem negative, thats not intentional, just hopefully explaining where I'm coming from!
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Rutabaga




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 1:22 pm
If they all have phones, then how about a selfie station? Get a backdrop that says Daughter's Name Bat Mitzvah and provide props to pose with.

What time of year will the party be? Maybe we can help you think of some good seasonal ideas.

Cool food stations: smoothies bar or smores station?

Can you do something really out of the box so you're not competing with the popular kids? I remember one bat mitzvah we went to see a play at a university theater (so not as expensive as Broadway!) and then we got to meet with the actors afterwards to ask questions. We felt very sophisticated!
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amother
Lemon


 

Post Mon, Dec 09 2019, 1:38 pm
Not sure where you are located or how you got such a tough bunch of girls. Some years there is just something in the water. If I had to guess, I would think that she went to my alma mater.
Does dancing work with the "right" motivator? They are expensive but Azamra and Malka, for example, with strobe lights make for a different party than some of the women who teach simcha dancing.

Would great wolf lodge/camel back, or snow tubing.... work? What about cake-wars? There are professionals who can make it feel high end rather than like playing chopped in your own kitchen.
Space odessy? Trampoline park?

I find that many of the chessed art activities which are great, can get lost if you have too many people at a booth at once and don't have a sufficiently energetic person running it. The girls often have short attention spans.
My MO DDs have been to parties where they have made blankets, stuffed animals (think like imitation build-a-bear), headbands, jewelry, and all sorts other things-usually for either a chai lifeline type organization, orphans or victims of terror. The girls do better if it is a small group (multiple tables) you have nice looking supplies, and a leader who is energetic and gives instructions rather than just having supplies on the table.

You are correct, you cannot take away phones. That would be socially very bad for your DD.

Also, loud and darkness go a long way.

Mazel Tov on your upcoming simcha. You should have much nachas from your daughter and not let this social drama overshadow.
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amother
OP


 

Post Mon, Dec 16 2019, 10:35 am
Thanks so much for your replies, ideas and good wishes.

I don't mind doing a party that is different to this norm, as long as its not perceived as babyish.

I just don't have a huge budget for this and am happy to diy things and family would be happy to help and try keep short attention spans focused.

Regarding seasonal, it could be around tu'bishvat or purim.

And if you have any cool souvenir ideas that would be great too!

Thanks
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Rutabaga




 
 
    
 

Post Mon, Dec 16 2019, 11:28 am
Tu b'shvat seder? Do Israel themed stuff?

For Purim you can do a masquerade party - more Mardi Gras than kiddie costume but obviously appropriate only.
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amother
Sapphire


 

Post Mon, Dec 16 2019, 12:59 pm
amother [ OP ] wrote:
Thanks so much for your replies, ideas and good wishes.

I don't mind doing a party that is different to this norm, as long as its not perceived as babyish.

I just don't have a huge budget for this and am happy to diy things and family would be happy to help and try keep short attention spans focused.

Regarding seasonal, it could be around tu'bishvat or purim.

And if you have any cool souvenir ideas that would be great too!

Thanks

Cupcake wars-- https://www.momof6.com/at-home.....arty/

Karaoke

Murder or any type of mystery where they have to figure out who did it.

Escape room.

Sophisticated tea party.

It can be a theme from your daughters favorite book or movie. Lets say Harry Potter theme where the girls are "sorted" into houses and then they have to dress and act their parts, make their banners, etc. https://sweet16themes.com/harr.....arty/


Chopped competition.

You can do a Jewish theme of "Oh the Places You'll go". A travel the world theme where you can have different booth of different things they would be doing in different countries. Maybe a sushi or origami booth for Japan, a build the Kotel booth for Israel, etc. Or here are some other ideas, you can come up with your own booths as well depending on your imagination and budget-- https://tipjunkie.com/projects.....ions/
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amother
Hotpink


 

Post Tue, Dec 17 2019, 11:30 am
Can you do candle or soap making? It's relatively easy to set up on your own, though there are companies that can come in and do all the work! A middle ground might be to buy supplies and set it up yourself, but hire a few older girls to work at the stations. They can make some to give away (homeless shelter, etc) and some to keep.

What about setting up sushi making station? It will keep them busy and give them "sophisticated" food.

Could you take them somewhere? How many girls? Maybe an escape room, or a skating rink with some arcade games? The food can be casual in a place like that.
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amother
Pewter


 

Post Tue, Dec 17 2019, 12:01 pm
Please don't take away cell phones. My children have cell phones to contact me in case of emergency, including issues at events they're attending. Confiscating her phone would be a huge red flag to me that inappropriate things are going to happen that the hosts don't want others to know about, and my kids know that they would be obligated to call me immediately to leave.
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amother
Emerald


 

Post Tue, Dec 17 2019, 12:10 pm
I like the idea of a party at a trampoline park or ice skating rink. Take a party room on the side.

Or ditch the whole party, instead of a party take your daughter to Israel
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