Welcome your 13-year-old into his teen years with a cool birthday party celebration he can enjoy with family and friends. Not quite a little kid anymore, but not a full-grown teen, planning a party for a 13-year-old can be a daunting task, even for the coolest, hippest mom.
13-Year Old Party Must Haves
The most important elements of a cool birthday party for a 13-year-old include mood, music and menu. You can create a cool mood by decorating the party area with your teen’s favorite colors. Teens can relax and enjoy a room that looks like a hip, lounge hangout. Achieve this vibe by tossing large pillows on the floor, using a black light to illuminate the room and by decorating the room with glow sticks the kids can take home as favors. Talk to your teen about the type of music he and his friends enjoy listening to and use his suggestions to create a music play list that will last the duration of the party and get party guests out of their seats and dancing. All that dancing is sure to make a bunch of teenagers hungry, so offer a menu that includes crowd-pleasing foods, such as tacos, pizza, nachos, chips and dip, chicken fingers, mini burgers and french fries.
Don’t Over Plan
The older children get, especially once they reach their teen years, the less of a fuss they make about their parties. N.Y. Metro Parents, an online publication for parents, notes that many teens are even willing to skip parties and wait for their Sweet 16 celebrations. A cool party for a 13-year-old doesn’t have to incorporate a fancy theme or elaborate activities. Lisa Kothorai, an author, entrepreneur and kid’s party expert, says that when parents over plan their teens parties, teens may rebel because they’d rather have a simple party where they can just hang out with their friends, chat and enjoy snacks. Add music to the mix, and many teens are happy.
Consider Making the Party Coed
Face it–your 13-year-old is friends with both boys and girls, so consider allowing your teen to have a coed birthday party. Just keep a watchful eye to ensure that all guests are behaving appropriately. If your teen wants to have a sleepover, come up with a designated time for members of the opposite sex to leave the party–ideally, after cake and ice cream are served.
Number of Guests
Leave it up to your teen, and she’ll probably want to invite half of her school to her 13th birthday bash. Keep the guests limited so that you can adequately watch each party attendee, and so that you don’t exceed your budget.
Time Frame
Teens know how to celebrate, and their parties will last as long as the music and food are readily flowing. Schedule your 13-year-old’s party to start in the late afternoon and end at night around 10 p.m.
