Planning parties for teenagers can prove challenging. They need your help to plan and execute the big event, yet they also want their birthday parties to feel special. Make your 14-year-old’s party an event to remember by selecting a theme, activities, foods, entertainment and a location that pleases all parties involved.

Types

Parties at home may center around a game or activity, such as solving a murder mystery or having a barbecue in the backyard. Sleepover parties remain a popular choice for 14-year-olds, with guests of the opposite sex staying for a late movie and then heading home while others sleep over. Off-site, affordable parties may feature visits to a pizza parlor, arcade, skating rink, swimming pool or movie theater. More elaborate off-site locales include laser tag, paint ball, amusement parks, county fairs, water parks, spas or hotels.

Features

Update the classic features of a birthday party to make the event more teen-friendly. Provide customizable foods, such as a taco bar or top-your-own mini pizzas, and follow it up with a cupcake tower and sundaes with toppings for dessert. Entertainment may consist of reading tarot cards, painting henna tattoos, doing fortune-telling or watching a movie projected onto a big screen or a sheet hanging in the yard.

Function

Most 14-year-olds want a party that feels different from a child’s birthday party. Bring on special effects, such as a black light, disco ball or fog machine. Rent a karaoke machine for a sing-off, or hang up macabre decorations for a spooky party. Have the guest of honor create a soundtrack or video montage in advance of the big day.

Warning

Chaperoning a 14-year-old’s birthday party keeps the event safe, with other parents feeling at ease. However, you do not need to be ever-present at the event. Adopt a strategy of casually checking in, and stay nearby for the duration.

Time Frame

Most 14-year-olds want a longer event than the traditional two-hour child’s birthday party. You can keep the energy and good spirits flowing by staggering different snacks over a few hours and closing the event with a movie or some kind of entertainment.