Guide to Teen Parties

The balance between "I'm too old for that" and "You're too young for that" can be a hard balance to strike when planning a birthday party for teenager. Start with a theme like music that parents and adults can embrace and the age of downloads and MP3 players there are some creative twists on a standby theme!

The key to a successful teen party is keeping them busy.
It is tempting to focus on the food and decorations while foregoing an agenda but this is a mistake. Teens usually don't have the magic combination of social skill and maturity to entertain themselves without getting into trouble. Not having a plan of activities usually leads to either a dull party or trouble!

Piñata's and games that involve eating or getting dizzy always make teens smile.
Smashing things (like a piñata) will keep most teenagers entertained for longer than most parents imagine. If you are brave enough to let your guests destroy already malfunctioning piece of equipment your party will be a guaranteed smash!

Helium balloons bring up the fun!
Small helium tanks are available at many retailers and party stores. The prices can vary; call three stores and do your comparison shopping. The party helium tanks come with a pack of balloons and ribbon but it is a good idea to purchase extra balloons.

Start blowing up balloons when the first guest arrives.
Have the helium tank out and everything ready with a few balloons floating but give your teenage guests something to do as they arrive. Those awkward social skills can always use a little help as the pack comes together. Set the tone that this will be an active party from the moment they walk in the door giving them something appropriate to do and talk about.

Texting telephone games can bring guests together.

Harness the texting bug by making it part of the party. Most teens have a phone and the text messages don't stop but you can harness them and keep the attention on the party. If your teen must text (often they are texting people not at the party) give them something to text about. Try playing the old fashion telephone game by whispering a message to one person who has to text it to someone else. They have to pass the message on to another party guest without using the forward feature!

Space versus supervision.
We all know that teens want space but privacy is not something they need at a party. Let your teenager be the host and lead party goers through the planned activities but be involved. Having a few adults is great. For fewer than ten guests two adults are perfect. Add one adult per 6 teens if your numbers go up. Caution: too many adults results in the adults paying attention to each other instead of the kids!

Streamers and confetti are fun but messy.

Teens love to throw things at one another and party streamers are great as long as you are up to cleaning up the mess later. Don't be afraid to ask your teenage guests to clean up there messes. Most teens will actually be happy to help. Set a timer and make cleaning up a competition between two teams by dividing a messy area in half. The first team to finish or the group that does the best job gets to eat first!

Join in and have fun.

The best way to supervise teens is to get into the action. What is more fun than seeing an uptight adult push their face into a whipped cream pie? You can give them space by going in and out of the kitchen getting food and snacks ready but make sure that there is always an adult presence and idle chatting doesn't go on more than about fifteen minutes at a time and you'll have a more wholesome event. Party on, dude!