Throw your teenager a 16th birthday party he’ll never forget. For many teenagers, turning 16 means big changes in their lives. Many will learn how to drive, some will start their first part-time jobs, and most will gain some independence. Before you begin planning the party, set some ground rules with your teenager. Decide whether the party will be coed, and set a budget that will determine the party’s size and location.
Theme
Choosing a theme can make planning the party a bit easier. Once you’ve picked a theme, activities, location and decorations will all seem to fall into place. You can choose a theme that is broad, such as “Sweet 16” for a girl or sports for a teenage boy. Other theme ideas include whatever movie or television show is currently popular with teenagers, the birthday teenager’s favorite activity, such as dance or music, or a makeover and fashion party.
Location
Holding a 16th birthday party at home may be what works for you. If you have a bigger budget or if space is limited at your house, you may want to take the party off-site. Reception halls and country clubs are great locations for a Sweet 16 birthday party. If the birthday teen is a movie fanatic, you may want to start the party by taking the guests to see a movie, then head over to a local restaurant for cake and ice cream.
Activities
Planning the games and activities for a 16th birthday can be a bit tricky. You don’t want to pick games that the guests will consider corny or babyish. Picking activities is definitely one area where getting input for the birthday teenager or his friends can be vital. Teenagers who enjoy music or performing will have fun singing karaoke at a party or participating in a dance-off contest. Guests begin dancing to a song. A judge walks among the guests, tapping those whose dancing she does not like. The contest continues until only one guest remains dancing.
Food
A 16th birthday can be a bit more fancy that other birthday parties in terms of food. If you have a Sweet 16 party at a reception hall, you may consider having a formal meal or a buffet. Snacks and finger foods should suffice for less-formal 16th birthday parties. You may want to invest in an extra-special birthday cake for your child’s 16th. Hire a bakery to make a cake that matches the party’s theme. If a professionally baked cake is not in your budget, invest in a piping bag and an interesting cake topper and make a fun-themed birthday cake yourself.
Considerations
You may want to have two separate parties for your child’s 16th birthday. Teenagers often want to spend more time with their friends than their family, so a large friend party held after a smaller family-only party may be a good compromise. The family party can simply be dinner together, followed by a few gifts and cake. You may want to have the family party on the teenager’s actual birthday and the friend party the weekend before or after.
Photo Credit
- sophisticated lady 16 image by Paul Moore from Fotolia.com
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