20 awesome playdate ideas for older kids in 2023

While it’s true that once you get past a certain age (around 7/8 years old), most kids like to be left to it on their playdates (phew! no more patrolling the playdate to ensure they are not poking each other’s eyes out). That said, occasionally kids do like to do something special with their buddy and look to we the parents for guidance. It’s at these times that it’s handy to have a stash of playdate ideas for older kids up your sleeve so you don’t just shrug and draw a blank or be stuck in an endless ping-pong game of “I don’t know, what do you think?”.

So today I wanted to share some playdate ideas for older kids that you can keep in your back pocket. Below are some of favourite playdate ideas for older kids you can turn to in those times of need that don’t involve parking them in front of an iPad or XBox!

Benefits of playdates for older children

Playdates are a great way to help your child develop social skills, explore ideas and strengthen friendships both in and out of school. At pretty much any age, tou can easily create playdates out of their regular activities, or help to create a specific activity for their playdate.

Planning the playdate

Even at a later age, it’s a good idea to set ground rules for how each child will conduct themselves at the playdate. For example, you could say no screen time is allowed until before dinner so that they don’t spend the whole time together online – which defeats the purpose of a playdate!

After you’ve planned your playdate, you should let your child know what to expect – even at this later age. Older children still want to feel in control and want to know precisely what is going on – perhaps even more so than younger children. Discuss which rules will be in effect for the playdate. Your child will have a better time at the playdate if they have full buy in and influence over the playdate and know exactly what to expect pm the day.

It’s a good idea to have several ideas ready when planning a new playdate – they must use some or none of them! Here are some ideas to get you started.

20 awesome playdate ideas for older kids

1. Tie-dying t-shirts (we love this kit from Baker Ross)
2. Dance party/rave up
3. Science experiments
4. Pizza party
5. Baking
6. Board game bonanza
7. Twister
8. Build a fort
9. Learn and take the cup song challenge (watch this video to find out what I’m talking about)
10. Make bath bombs/soaps (the Works is a great place for picking up these kind of kits for very little money)
11. Mini spa and pamper
12. Splash pad fun (for which you will need one of these)
13. Mini golf (either create your own course or invest in a mini golf set)
14. Treasure hunt around the house (I am amazed at how older older kids still love this!)
15. Spy games (older kids seem to love to spy on you during playdates!) – make sure your walkie talkies are charged!
16. Nerf gun battles
17. Scooter races
18. Sleep overs (if you can stomach it!)
19. Table tennis (covert your kitchen table into a TT table with this set)
20. Slime sesh

What else would you add to this list of screen-free playdate ideas for older kids? Do leave a comment below for any suggestions that go down well in your house, and follow us on Instagram where we love talking all things parenting.

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