The Best Bar/Bat Mitzvah Parties

Here’s the “guest book” for the sports fan!

I just worked on one of the best bar mitzvah parties I can imagine, which has prompted some thoughts on what kinds of parties are really appreciated by the guests.

As far as I can tell, the standard, Saturday evening party following a bar or bat mitzvah is dinner and a DJ for dancing.  That was pretty common when I was that age, and (according to the 13-year-old I was talking with recently) that is how a lot of them still are.  And that’s great, if you have both teens and adults at the party who really like to dance.

But what about when one group (or both) doesn’t really like to dance?  Should you still hire a DJ?  What are the other options?  Actually, there are a lot.

The family I just worked with decided that they wanted a low-key party, nothing too fancy.  And they followed the interests of their son, who really (really!) loves sports.  They rented a community center that has both a party room and a gym, and they brought in a company that does giant, inflatable games.  They filled the gym with games (and cool lighting and fun music).  And everyone loved it.  The kids, arriving at the party, went running into the gym with lots of sounds of “Ooooh, wow!”  The adults had a great time in the other room with a selfie station, a corn hole game, some music, and adult beverages–or watching the kids play the games in the gym.  There was a dinner buffet, so everyone ate when they weren’t too busy playing.  And it was one of the most fun parties for all involved.

So, what can you do if you are planning a similar celebration?  Not everyone is as into sports as this young man, but most kids of 13 have something that they are interested in.  If your child is, say, into chess and so are all their friends, you can bring in a chess expert to teach or run a tournament.  Or have a live chess game with the kids as players.  Or, if your kid loves art or theatre or music, there are plenty of organizations that would love to run activities for your party.  (Check with your local park district or favorite arts organization that runs summer camps to see what they have to offer for parties.)

Pretty much any interest can become both the theme and the activity at a party.  And if it’s something the kids at the party love, anyhow, they will all have a great time.  And maybe even the adults will enjoy it, too!