Plan an age-appropriate coed birthday party for your 15-year-old, combining proper supervision with enough freedom. Coed parties add more stress for the parents and teen, so it is important to be firm with your expectations. Making the party a hit with your child’s friends is most likely a huge deal for your teen, especially if this is her first coed party.
Types
The easiest way to allow teen boys and girls to intermingle at a birthday party is to plan a dance or specific activity for the party. There are numerous themes you could use for a dance, which would likely interest boys and girls. Put together a carnival in your backyard or host a poolside luau that teens of either gender could enjoy.
Themes
Incorporate a theme into a dance party for a mixed group of teens. Glow-in-the-dark dances are interesting because they are different. Encourage guests to dress up for a disco, 1950s-style sock hop, Hollywood red carpet, murder mystery dinner, costume party, masquerade or even a single color party where everyone should come dressed in a single designated color. Put together a nightclub scene for the teens to feel more mature for the evening.
Locations
Your home is a possible location if it is large enough to accommodate all the guests your teen wants to invite. If not, or if you just don’t want to deal with having that many teens in your home at once, consider renting a hall, banquet room or even a nightclub when they are closed for business. Ask a friend or relative to borrow their home if they have a large home, backyard or pool. Skating rinks, bowling alleys, arcades, amusement parks and the mall or movie theater are all possible locations to host a successful coed teen birthday party.
Activities
Dancing is an easy activity for a teen coed party, particularly if you have a DJ or other professional who can easily get all the teens involved. Scavenger hunts can encompass the entire town if each team has a dedicated chaperone and driver, or be limited to the mall or your neighborhood. Mystery dinners will occupy the teens as they try to figure out who the culprit is. Swimming, playing video games or carnival-style games will likely occupy the teens as well.
Considerations
Simple food is the best for a teen party, just as it is for a younger child’s party. Pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, chips, candy, soda and other teen favorites are ideas. Include party favors that are acceptable for boys and girls. Ask a few other parents to help chaperone if you’re expecting a lot of teens or hosting a dance. Establish clear rules, such as making bedrooms off-limits. Determine a specific “end” time for the party to avoid lingering teens in the wee hours of the night. Give the teens enough freedom to relax, mingle and have a good time. For example, don’t hover during the entire party but occasionally walk through to refill snack tables or get a glass of water.
Photo Credit
- The boy and the girl in the swimming pool. image by RUZANNA ARUTYUNYAN from Fotolia.com
