By Guest Blogger Suzy Fielders
Tween and teen years are always a struggle for parents when it comes to planning birthday parties or festivities for them. Kids in those ages often feel they are too old for traditional parties, but of course still want to celebrate their birthday. My daughter will be celebrating her 13th birthday in October, and we’ve been debating what we will do for it. While we continue to ponder the debate, I wanted to share some ideas we’ve had in the past that worked out really well and some of other ideas that other teens might love!
For the Intellectual or Problem Solver Teen
Two great ideas for a son or daughter who love to solve puzzles or enjoy mysteries are to host a mystery dinner party or a party at a local escape room.
For my daughter’s 11th birthday, I held a mystery dinner party for her and some of her friends. They all loved it and had such a fun time. Visit this Triad Mom’s on Main blog I wrote to get some tips on how to host your own murder mystery birthday.
Another great idea is an escape room, or M1ND 6YM, which is an entertainment center with a focus on mental fitness.
For the Athletic Teen
Trampoline Parks are a great place to host a birthday for a teen. They can ‘play’ and enjoy themselves, but not feel like a little kid doing so. After Dark and glow nights are the best option for tweens and teens as it’s a step above the normal trampoline experience and perfect for older kids.
If your teen loves their school’s sports team or maybe a college or professional team, then consider throwing a sports themed party. They can even do sports related trivia or games and see who knows the team or sport best!
For the Adventurous or Travel-Loving Teen
Forget the party and go on a trip. Yes, that’s right. I said skip the party! For my daughter’s 12th birthday last year, we skipped the party and all that mess and fuss. Instead, I took her and three of her friends to Great Wolf Lodge. It was an unforgettable birthday for her, and one of the easiest birthdays I ever had to put together! Here is a recent Triad Mom’s on Main blog I wrote with some tips on traveling to Great Wolf Lodge.
If your teen loves the mountains, then consider a day or weekend trip to the NC Mountains. If your teen is all about the beach, then head that way.
For the Artistic Teen
A paint party is absolutely the way to go! Some painting studios have splash rooms, which would be the ultimate fun for an artistic teen and their friends!
Or, if they’ve been dying to have art classes, skip the big party and let them have those lessons they want that have maybe been out of budget.
More Fun Ideas
Here are just a few more ideas of potential party ideas for tweens and teens:
- Host a trivia night – be sure to pick a topic(s) your teen loves!
- Hold a camp outing
- Take them to do something they’ve always wanted to do – i.e. ziplining, white water rafting, etc.
- Scavenger hunt – a friend of my daughter’s did this and it sounded like such a cool idea!
- Rent a limo and take them and a few friends out for a fun dinner, lunch, shopping or wherever else they’d like to go
Additionally, visit TMoM’s comprehensive Birthday Party directory HERE for a TON of party ideas for all ages – and by city. On top of that, TMoM also has a directory that lists fun things to do with teens and tweens in the Triad. You can find that list HERE. Finally, click HERE for more birthday party blog ideas featured on TMoM.
Memories are what really matter most on a birthday, not a fancy party. So, don’t feel boxed into hosting a party when you or your teen have a slightly out of the box idea to celebrate the big day!
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