That monumental 18th birthday party can be bittersweet. You’ve given your teen more than a dozen birthday parties, but now he is starting to pull away. This may be one of the last under your roof, unless it falls during a school break or he will be living at home after high school. Host a party that celebrates the adult he is becoming and the kid he was.
Memorable Moments
You can host a party in conjunction with a graduation party or other commencement celebration. The theme of the party can be a look back at the life of your child. Family and friends will enjoy trivia games about your teen’s memories, dreams and achievements. Use pictures, videos and music to guess which year each happened and ask questions about your teen’s goals in college or career.
Theme Party
Give your child a grown-up party with a sophisticated theme. Take a clue from a murder mystery night to personalize a party just for your child. The party can center around a murder mystery, or other forensic or mystery theme. If your teen girl loves fashion, the teens can arrive all dressed up for a fancy dinner and the mystery can surround a stolen diamond, for example.
Back in the Day
Hearken back to the popular parties of the past with traditional childhood games. Musical chairs, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, hide and go seek and tag can be fun for kids of all ages. Make sure your child and his friends have a good sense of humor. This reflection of the past is fun if the kids have grown up together. Print out pictures of the kids playing these same games when they were young.
Group Size
Keep your guest list in mind when planning party games for an 18th birthday. You need a solid group of kids, around a dozen or two, to pull off a mystery. If you don’t, the kids will soon get bored or discover the criminal too soon. Childhood games would work better with a smaller group of kids.
Preparation
Age 18 is synonymous with adulthood. For the first time, your child will be able to vote, smoke and gamble. For others, they are also about to go off to college living. Put together a simple trivia game to test kids on their knowledge of their new responsibilities. You can ask about their political knowledge to talk about voting. If your child has chosen a college or university, gather some history, alumni and trivia from the campus, and get the kids excited about their new lives at college.
Photo Credit
- Party blowers image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
