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How to Celebrate a 16th Birthday Party

By eHow Parties & Entertaining Editor

Celebrate your sweet 16 in style

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A teen's 16th birthday marks an important transitional year. Whether you do a "sweet 16" party for your daughter or a bash for your son, try to remember that 16-year-olds consider themselves very grown up.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Ice Tongs
Camcorders
piñatas
Pizzas
Disposable Cameras
Birthday Cakes
Ice Buckets
Birthday Cards
Blank CDs
Stereos
Party Decorations

Step1

Sit down with your teen and establish what would make an ideal celebration for both of you.

Step2

Discuss issues such as noise levels, curfew and appropriate behaviors with your teen before the celebration. Decide if you want to have a special theme for the party, such as a luau or a car inspired party. If you go with a theme, adapt all things that go with the party to that theme, such as invitations, music, food and drinks.

Step3

Devise a guest list based on your available space and your child's list of critical invitees.

Step4

Consider a creative location for the party, such as the beach, a roller-skating or ice-skating rink, a bowling alley or a local pizza place.

Step5

Send out invitations at least two weeks in advance.

Step6

Devise a menu and buy more food than you think you'll need, especially if teenage boys are coming to the party.

Step7

If you don't want to cook, order pizza - always a teenage crowd-pleaser.

Step8

Jazz up the drinks. Although teens will drink a lot of soda, you might want to serve punch or sparkling cider to add to the festive mood.

Step9

For background or dancing music, buy blank CDs and have your teen and his or her friends make mixes of favorite songs.

Step10

Consider something special like renting a strobe light and clearing the living room for dancing.

Step11

Order or make a special cake. This is a milestone birthday.

Step12

At the party, keep a low profile, but let your presence be known.

Tips & Warnings

Make a special piñata and fill it with age-appropriate trinkets such as toe rings, nail polish, woven bracelets or rub-on tattoos.
If you decide to do party games, choose games that teenagers will like; avoid younger kids' games.
Warn the neighbors ahead of time that you will be having a teenage party.
Plan ahead what you will do if you find an inappropriate activity (drinking, drugs, sex) going on at the party. Possibilities include sending the offender home or calling his or her parents.

Who Can Help:

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Comments

cali72 said

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on 12/7/2006 Well first of all I told my daughter how many friends she could invite overall, which was cool with her, then we planing to spend the whole weekend up at the beach for her 16th bithday party, which her and her friends love the beach. I am giving her and all of her friends some money so they can run and buy them things there so they will always remember her 16th birthday as much as she will.

Anonymous said

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on 7/6/2006 I'm turning 16 next week and since it's summer everyone left for the states (I live in Italy), so it's hard to find a bunch of people for a huge party! So I have invited only a few friends and family.

We are planning on going to a waterfall to swim, go to my house for a barbecue, then out on the town for gelato! And it's with people I care about the most, so I will always remember it. :)

Anonymous said

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on 6/30/2006 As a DJ of more than 8 years, I can tell you that DJ's and dancing are a plus at Sweet 16 parties, but that doesn't mean that you don't plan games, food, sports and activities. Many of the parties I do end up with 20+ 16 year old boys outside playing football with all the girls sitting on the couch. Be careful when you plan activities, as you want for them to be for both guys and girls. The best part of a Sweet 16 is the following 2 or 3 weeks when all anybody does is talk about the party. The memory is the best part.

Anonymous said

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on 3/15/2006 Instead of a party, my son chose to take a couple buddies to an indoor paintball arena that's a couple hours away (I'll be along to pick up the tab). Afterward, they can swim or play video games at the hotel. We'll be stopping on the way home for a couple of laser tag games, too. We'll have a family party at the local pizza place when we get home. It's a perfect birthday party for him; physical, messy and lots of food!

Anonymous said

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on 11/22/2005 Nobody wants a bunch of adults running around, stopping dances and staring aimlessly when they get bored. So why not send them into another room where they can have a few drinks and talk about the birthday girl. It would be totally pointless. I figure have them come before all your friends show up and do the candle ceremony and then they can all leave, with a few exceptions; chaperons. Then all your friends can make this a night you won't forget.

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