With young children, face painting, animal-shaped balloons, and themed birthday cakes are all it takes to woo your kid and their friends. Throw in a bounce house, magician, or petting zoo, and you and your kid’s birthday party will be the talk of the town. Unfortunately, inflatable giant slides aren’t going to cut it anymore. Chances are your teen wants some elaborate shindig or vice versa. They respond to your party suggestions with a dramatic eye roll or slamming of the bedroom door. Oh, the teenage years! And as if brainstorming birthday party ideas for teenagers isn’t tricky enough, you’re also competing with social media. Not only does the party have to be a hit in real life, but the theme, decorations, and amount of fun they’re having must translate well on Instagram and TikTok, too.
It can definitely be a challenge, but there are birthday party ideas for teens that are far from “so lame.” Whether your kid is entering their teen years, gearing up for their Sweet 16, or heading into adulthood, these teen party ideas are icing on the cake.
1. Outdoor Movie Night
Take the birthday celebrations outside with a backyard movie night. Hang some string lights, lay out picnic blankets or oversized throws and pillows that can withstand the outdoor elements, and voilà, you’ve brought the cinema to your own backyard. Don’t already have a movie projector? You can shop several cheap options on Amazon.
Now, equally as important as the seating situation is the snack situation. You could order pizzas for dinner and whip up candy charcuterie boards for dessert. You could go full throttle and rent a popcorn machine (don’t forget the cute popcorn buckets!), cotton candy machine, and Icee machine. If budget allows, you could even rent a food truck to cater dinner or a late-night snack.
2. A Private Screening at a Movie Theater
On the other hand, you can take the fuss out of movie night by renting a theater for a private screening. This is also a great option if your teen is begging to invite their whole class or friends from their after-school extracurriculars.
After the screening, you could treat your kid and a small group of their closest friends to a meal afterward. If there’s an option for a double feature film, you could also order pizzas or something quick and easy (like sandwiches) in between.
3. Paintball
If you’ve got a thrill seeker on your hands, look to see if a paintball facility near you has a birthday package (many do or at least have special rates for large groups). Because paintball can get rough and rowdy, it’s a terrific birthday excursion for older teens, ages 15 and up. They’ll see it as an upgrade from the backyard Olympics or scavenger hunt parties they may have had as a younger teen. When thinking of who to invite, gently remind your teen that paintball is fast-paced and messy, and some of their friends may prefer to sit this activity out.
4. DIY Pizza and Game Night
Invite friends over for a DIY pizza night, followed by a few competitive rounds of video gaming or their favorite board games. Let your teen curate and cue up their own Spotify birthday playlist for the night. Depending on the number of guests (and, let’s be real, your level of patience), they could make the pizza from scratch with homemade dough. It would make for a great TikTok — if your teen is a TikToker, you know they’ll be all over the idea. Cap the night off with cake.
5. Rent a Party Bus
Is there anything more luxurious than being driven around by your own personal driver while scream-singing your favorite songs with your best friends? Whether it’s a joy ride around town, a way to commute while out on a shopping trip, or transportation to a fun sporting event, your teen and their friends will have the time of their lives partying it up on their own bus.
6. Hotel Sleepover
While more extravagant and costly, a hotel sleepover shows your older teen that you acknowledge and respect their growing need for independence (and they aren’t a baby anymore *proceeds to shed a tear*). There are a lot of fun ways to make this night extra special. You can decorate the room with balloons and streamers, make spa-themed gift bags, or get everyone matching pajamas.
Be sure to go over any ground rules you may have beforehand, such as no visitors and a spending limit on movies and room service. Alternatively, you could also supply dinner and dessert. Purely for safety reasons, you and your partner (or a friend) could have a hotel sleepover of your own down the hall. This way, you’re nearby — just in case. Recommended for teens 16 and up.
7. Escape Room
Escape rooms are all the rave right now! It’s a fantastic birthday idea for older teens who’d prefer to do some sort of physical activity or brain-buster over a movie night. Depending on the number of guests, you can split everyone into two groups to up the ante. See if the facility has an event room for food and birthday cake afterward.
8. Throw a Content Creation Party
This generation can edit videos, create original sounds, splice photos, choreograph dances to different beats, and so much more. It’s pretty impressive (shhh, we won’t tell if you don’t). So, why not give them a chance to put all those skills to use? Purchase a bunch of inexpensive phone stands and/or ring lights. Ask your teen to create a prop wish list so you know what they want in their vids. Music and excellent snacks are a must, obvi.
If your teen is dying to get out of the house and you have the budget for it, see if there’s a selfie museum near you — you can turn the teens loose to snap as many selfies as they want in front of cool backdrops and booths.
