Party Ideas

Scavenger Hunt Birthday Party for Teens

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Teens are often the most difficult among us to impress. Too old for many of the theme party ideas that often appeal to younger children and not quite old enough to appreciate some of the more entertaining adult party themes there seem to be very few options available for awesome teen birthday parties that will go down in record books. If you are looking for something a little new and different to do this year, try an Amazing Race sort of scavenger hunt for your teen’s birthday. Be sure to have interesting prizes and a gift for the birthday boy or girl to give in the name of the winners.

This is a party that needs to be planned ahead of time as permission may need to be given by parents for some of the more exciting, scavenged items. It’s also a good idea to discuss this with other parents as they may have a few great suggestions for items that must be obtained in search of the holy birthday party Amazing Race grail. Keep the prizes simple and fun and keep the goals for each leg of the race challenging enough to be entertaining, but something that can be accomplished without risking life and limb. Make sure that there is a little more to the challenge than having to go from one house or store to the next and buy, beg, or borrow items. Make some of the items things that must be carefully considered and well planned on behalf of the winning team. This makes the entire process more fun for everyone and a birthday party theme that will be remembered.

The most important thing to remember when planning a party such as this is to keep safety a first priority. If possible it is probably best to divide into teams and have one adult per team (even if the teens are old enough to drive) you definitely want to make sure that the parents of every teen involved is aware of what will be going on and that you have contact information for everyone. This can be a lot of fun, especially if you get the parents of your child to participate by issuing challenges of their own, or becoming a “pit stop” for the process. It’s a great way for the parents to be involved and a lot of fun for them as well.

Finish the event with pizza, cake, and video footage (that you planned ahead of time) of the festivities from one location to the next. It should make for an excellent night to remember not only for your teen but all the other teens involved in your Amazing Race birthday party. This sort of party is a little more costly then some others may be (unless you plan very carefully). You also might want to include a couple of crafty activities in the Amazing Race or as part of the scavenger hunt in order to prolong some of the events and hand out disposable cameras to each team in order to “capture” some memories and create a scrapbook of the Amazing Race. If you have a scanner and printer you can make a scrapbook for each guests to take home.

The most important thing about a party of this sort is that you use your imagination to keep things safe and entertaining for all involved. The Amazing Race/scavenger hunt party has the potential to be a special memory for your teen and his or her friends for years to come. Go with the flow and remember that it’s about fun. If something goes wrong for some reason just pick up and move on to the next event rather than getting bogged down in the details.

One word of caution, plan to have plenty of food on hand regardless. A gaggle of hungry teens can go through plenty of food and pop in an amazingly short space of time.

Bring the Barbecue to the Birthday Party

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Grown-ups deserve to celebrate their birthdays too. Birthdays are after all a celebration of life and one more year on the planet. It makes sense however, that grown-ups would like a little something more substantial than the typical cake and ice cream and childish fantasy theme for their celebrations. This doesn’t mean that grown ups have forgotten their fantasies however and this leaves a lot of room for interpretation on the theme of barbecues when it comes to a great birthday celebration.

You can go the Cowboy way when it comes to a birthday party barbecue and throw a shindig that would make old “W” proud. Texas sized ribs, hamburgers, steaks, hot dogs, and country music for all. Be sure to wear your cowboy boots and have gingham table clothes for this event that should be a family friendly way to go. Don’t forget to bring all the “fixin’s” or ask the guests to pitch in their best dishes in true southern tradition. This is a great way to go for those with big families that want nothing more than an excuse to celebrate their lives together.

If the cowboy way doesn’t exactly ring all your bells and whistles there is always the notion of a Caribbean barbecue. This is a party that would make Jimmy Buffett proud. Speaking of Buffett it’s probably a good idea to bring some of his music along to set the tone and there are plenty of other Caribbean or island inspired musicians to get you through the evening. Caribbean Jerk is a great rub or sauce for the chicken or fish you throw on the grill and you can make do with other traditional Caribbean fare for your dining pleasure and that of your guests.

You could also go the humorous route for your big day and go the redneck barbecue birthday party route. You will want to use cheap paper plates, cheap plastic furniture, a metal tub filled with ice and RC Cola (r), plastic forks and knives (the Sunday best of course), and typical redneck food such as pigs in blanket, gumbo, fried chicken, and potato salad. This can be a really fun party if all the guests get into the festivities and dress and act the part. It is definitely a barbecue that will be remembered, and talked about.

One of the favorite types of barbecues for a birthday bash, however, is the Luau. There is something about those Hawaiians that really know how to do a barbecue the right way from the very beginning. Decorations should be island and tropical in nature. Be sure to use coconut cups for drinks and have plenty of Spam on hand (it’s a delicacy there)! You will also want to be sure to have plenty of leis for all your guests and grass skirts, hula music, and plenty of loud Hawaiian shirts for the duration. In fact, a Hawaiian shirt contest (for the loudest of course) is almost a pre requisite.

A barbecue is a great way to bring friends and family together to celebrate birthdays. If you are a little lost as to what to do to celebrate your grown-up birthday or that of a loved one, try one of the ideas above or choose your own unique spin on the theme of a barbecue.

A Night at the Drive in Birthday Party

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Birthdays are a very special time indeed. One party theme that works well with people of almost all ages is the idea of a movie night. Whether you want to make your movie a drive in movie or you prefer the modern conveniences of air conditioning in the summer or heat in the cooler months then that is understandable you can bring the movie night in. If you’d like something a little new and different then creating a drive in movie is a great way to go and you can invite all the neighbors so that no one chooses the moment your movie begins (hopefully) to start making a ton of noise.

The idea of a drive-in movie can be expanded somewhat by the movie you select as well. Screens for playing the movies and DVD projectors can also be rented as well as speakers to play the sound. A good place to put the screen is on a garage door if you are a little lost on that particular matter. Once you’ve decided the movie you can go about elaborating on the theme. If you choose something that is relevant to a specific time period (such as Grease for the 1950’s), Bill and Ted’s Adventures (for the 1980’s), and the like you can have your guests put on their best 50’s or 80’s finery and come dressed for the occasion.

Be sure that in addition to the movies you have music that is appropriate for the theme to play before dark arrives and afterwards. Everyone can have a lot of fun dancing and you can set up a concession stand area with pop, popcorn (an absolute must – you will be glad to know that you can even rent popcorn poppers for the evening as well), whole dill pickles, nachos and cheese, hot dogs, pizza (if you’re feeling really ambitious) and other favorite movie munchies. The idea is to make the evening a fun evening for everyone.

Great decoration ideas, in addition to the screen of course would be cardboard cutout cars, movie posters, and Christmas tree lights to create rows for ‘parking’. You will want to make sure that there is plenty of seating available. Folding chairs work perfectly for an event such as this. You should also make sure that you have plenty of waste bins available for the garbage that may be accumulated throughout the evening and recycling bins if appropriate (people who do not ordinarily recycle often will if presented with the option to do so).

If you take the party indoors you can still accomplish the movie feel, but make it feel more like a theater than a drive in. Use Christmas tree lights along the floor and turn off all other lights in the room once the movie begins. You can rent a big screen television for the evening or a projector and a screen. You may also want to consider pushing the furniture back against the wall and leaving the center of the room free for throw pillows that allow guests to sit (or lay) on the floor to watch the movie. Place movie posters throughout the room to set the tone and have the concession stand in another room so that it can be enjoyed and seen without disrupting the movie.

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