Zombie theme for 13 year old's party?

[lisa48317]

My daughter decided she wants to have a Zombie theme for her 13th birthday sleepover at the end of this month (nothing like advance planning!!)

I need some creative ~tame~ ideas. We're having probably 8 12-13 year old girls, so it can't be too gory or over the top (yeah, I know. Sad. :rolleyes:) We'll have dinner at the local pizza buffet and then convoy out to my sister's house, who has more room, for the sleepover. I'm going to take a bunch of my props & stuff out to set up the weekend before.

So I need ideas for games / snacks / breakfast. I'm sure there will be a bonfire & smores that evening. And how to word the invties so the parents know that the sleepover is being held somewhere different from where they got dropped off?

Also, how do you get people to RSVP???? Last year I made sure my name & cell # were on the invites & we still had 3 show up who hadn't called. That is a huge pet-peeve of mine. It takes all of a minute to call & say "yes, my kid will be there" or "no, my kid won't be there". GRRRR.

OK, off my soapbox - thanks in advance !!!

[Warrant2000]

That sounds like fun! Here's some ideas:

Dress everyone out in zombie makeup and pre-made distressed clothes (or tell them to bring an extra set of "throw-aways"), THEN go to the pizza place. Make the entrance with the entire group slowly shambling in and going to their tables. If you can reserve the tables/area, dress it out ahead of time with toxic signs, yellow Caution tape, and signs that say something like, "Reserved for Zombies".

For games, do a Fear Factor style eating game where they have challenges to eat various weird things. Go to your local Asian food store to find strange meats, animal parts, and products. Or just mix a few common elements together like toothpaste and chocolate. Yum!

Have the house decked out with toxic waste signs, labels, red flashing lights. And not just a few things, put stuff on the walls, scene setters and such. Also deck out the bathroom and put a as-large-as-you-can-find zombie prop behind the shower. Then grin evilly when you hear them scream.

At some point in the evening, have an adult in a Jason (or some scary mask) costume and giant knife prop or chainsaw bust into the house, run around and scare everyone, then run off. A trusted agent can also flicker the lights at the same time for added effect.

Zombies are usually caused by mad scientists. Put together a mad scientist display area. Use the air pump from the fish tank to make bubbles in colored water.

Zombie mani/pedi's - don't all girls like those?

Pull out the dance music at some point and have a dance contest. Maybe pull dance-styles from a hat and the girls need to show their best moves. Robot, Running Man, Hustle, Bump, any dance style you can think of...the sillier the better.

Snacks can be things made to look like body parts...pretzel fingers, cake filled with blood red liquid, jello with a brain mold, fluorescent green "toxic waste" koolaid (use a black light), etc.

Best way to tell the parents about the different location is just like that. Tell them on the invitation what the game plan is. As long as they know exactly where their kid will be, they should be fine with it.

Show a scary PG-13 movie. Also best to tell parents about this so they can decide if they want their kid exposed to it. I know, but some parents freak out about exposure to violence and gore. Or maybe get a non-gore but still scary movie.

We have the same problem with people that don't RSVP, but that's just how folks are sometime. Expecting this, it's always good to have extra supplies on hand. And a bigger party is usually more fun!

Charge up and check the batteries of the camera! Have them pose for I'm-a-zombie-and-I'm-eating-your-arm pictures. Maybe have them all form a zombie line in the street to "scare up" some business? :)

[Harvester]

A couple of games we have played that might fit your zombie theme......zombie paintball, where you just hang a large black tarp or sheet up outside to use as a backwall. Hang fake body parts, heads, etc. up and let the kids take turns shooting at them with paintball guns. Can also use waterguns or slingshots. Whatever you want to use. Also, we've played eyeball hunt, where you fill a tub with cooked spaghetti. Hide as many fake, plastic eyeballs as you can in the noodles and let the kids dig and hunt for them. Each child gets one minute to dig. Who finds the most eyes at end of game wins a prize, usually a small halloween prop, such as bag of eyeballs or funny hat. A good dessert is to make a bundt cake, frost in chocolate, sprinkle crushed oreos on it and arrange gummy body parts and gummy rats, snakes, spiders, etc. crawling around on it and sticking out of it. Hope this helps you some. Have a great party!!!

[lisa48317]

Oh yeah, Warrant, we do plan on going in the pizza place dressed up. I think it'll be a riot! I may have my husband get his old constable uniform out & follow us around.

I learned from her party last year that little girls are picky :googly: and most of them wouldn't even try the kitty litter cake. The few that did thought it was good. The cupcakes went over better with that bunch.

So we'll probably just go with normal food and I'll just give it appropriate names. Salsa can be ground up guts, etc.

Thanks for the great ideas!

[schnibblehausen]

Oriental Trading Company has some fun "body parts" candy (including lemon flavored "ear wax"!) for after pizza snacks. What fun is a sleepover if there's no sugar?

Also, for breakfast the next day here's a recipe you may be interested in:
http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/10/26/orange-pumpkin-pancakes-with-black-cinnamon-syrup-and-spiders/

If you were going to be eating at home (or if your kid is really into zombies) the same person has a meat hands recipe (you may have seen it on Hauntforum, but if not, here's the link): http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2009/10/27/meat-hand/

It sounds like you guys are going to have a BLAST! I hope you post pics of the pizza place all zombied-up!

[lisa48317]

Oriental Trading Company has some fun "body parts" candy (including lemon flavored "ear wax"!) for after pizza snacks. What fun is a sleepover if there's no sugar?

I just got that catalog & was looking at that! NASTY!! The watermelon flavored "flesh fries" that look like dismembered fingers look pretty interesting, too.

Oh man! I think the hardest part is keeping it "zombie" and not "Halloween-y". The good news is, we had to push it back a week because she discovered that the original night of her party is Homecoming at her school. And since she's a cheerleader.....

[Dark Angel 27]

who needs homecoming when you can have a zombie party instead? just my opinon.

[Warrant2000]

A Zombie Homecoming! Imagine her, all of her friends, and their dates showing up zombified!

[kevin242]

everyone should do "Thriller" in full zombie makeup, (thats one I've always secretly wanted to do at a party).

[Pumpkin5]

Also, how do you get people to RSVP???? Last year I made sure my name & cell # were on the invites & we still had 3 show up who hadn't called. That is a huge pet-peeve of mine. It takes all of a minute to call & say "yes, my kid will be there" or "no, my kid won't be there". GRRRR.

OK, off my soapbox - thanks in advance !!!


I feel your pain...people that don't have the courtesy to rsvp need to be hung by their toes until their cold circulation deprived toes drop off. (oops! maybe that is a little over the top) but it is rude!!! When I don't have an rsvp from an invited guest, I do two things. First I take the time to call and get a yes or no as to whether they are attending or not. You shouldn't have to but people with no manners will NEVER call. Second I make a note letting me know not to ever invite that person again. There is no excuse for sorry-butts.:rolleyes:

[Dark Angel 27]

A Zombie Homecoming! Imagine her, all of her friends, and their dates showing up zombified!

hahaha. love it. won't that be a sight to see!:jol::zombie::xbones:

[Aelwyn]

Pin the Brain on the Zombie!!!! :) Either pin it to the mouth, or pin it to the head....easy to make on a large sheet of paper, and a Bristol board brain. :)

I love the idea of searching for eyeballs in spaghetti. What about searching for something in green jello? Like, when you make it slimey (the whole hot water/ice way). That would be fun!

Make a green "cocktail"! Mountain Dew, ginger ale, and green cool aid! Then make an ice ring with bugs, eyeballs, etc. in it. :)

Hope it goes well! Be sure to post some pics!!!