Thai so what teens do. Sit around on phones or on video games. Why push it?

Poker

Drop them off at laser tag while you hang out

I’d pick up a cheap fire pit so they can hang out outside away from parents. Maybe a light-up frisbee or something to toss in the backyard if they get bored? They can warm uo at the fire pit between.

Jackbox games can be good in this situation. My kids like playing with friends and cousins and it works out pretty well in situations where the group does not automatically all mesh super well. Download it ahead of time and try it out.

Have lots of food for them and then I would probably plan for them to play video games.

What does he usually do with the 3 that he's friends with?

Movie in the basement?

Anonymous wrote:This is too old (the kids) to be inviting entire families. Very awkward for them.

Invite the couples and then the kids who want to make plans while you have plans will probably make plans.

If the kids are already friends it's not a problem. Even if they don't know each other well, it's a great way for them to get to know each other

Anonymous wrote:Video games, shoot baskets, etc. My kids would sometimes even bring out the board games (Catan, Ticket to Ride) at that age. They will figure it out.

This.

Video games, shoot baskets, etc. My kids would sometimes even bring out the board games (Catan, Ticket to Ride) at that age. They will figure it out.

This is too old (the kids) to be inviting entire families. Very awkward for them.

Invite the couples and then the kids who want to make plans while you have plans will probably make plans.

Hmm.

I would not assume their sons will come - the ones not friends with your son. I have a son this age and he no longer accompanies us to these kind of things unless he’s genuinely friends with the kids of our friends.

OP here. Thank you for your response. My son is good friends with 3 of the kids- the other 2 aren't really part of his close friend group. The parents of those kids did invite us over though and I feel it would be rude not to reciprocate.
This would have been so much easier in summer where the boys could just hang out outside, but with the cold weather, there aren't so many things to do indoors.

Is your son friends with the kids? If so, they will be happy just hanging out together. If he isn’t, that would be so awkward. Or, if a few of the kids are friends and the others are not that would also be strange at that age as they are beyond play dates. In which case I hope your son is super sociable and can play host (my DD at that age would have been horrible at it). Nothing wrong with video games if that’s what they are all into. Do you have a basketball hoop? Or can they watch a sporting event on tv if it’s on?

Our son is a freshman at a new school and we have been lucky to have had a very warm welcome by many existing families and formed some nice friendships with new families as well.
We'd like to invite 4-5 families over for dinner with their kids but I am wondering as to what the kids would do while the parents hang out (outside of dinner time). Any suggestions other than playing video games in the basement?