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If you are on the lookout for teen birthday ideas, you have come to the right place. I have officially entered the realm of parenting a teen, and I am curating a growing list of all the ideas and inspiration you need to make sure your teenager’s birthday celebrations will be enjoyed and remembered for all the right reasons.
I’ve got everything from party themes, party games and activities to party favours, party food and gift ideas. All of them come teen-approved by the teen in my household and a bunch of other wonderful teens that I have the pleasure of knowing.
THE CHALLENGES OF PLANNING A TEEN BIRTHDAY
Let’s take a moment to empathise before diving in. I think most parents can agree that parenting teenagers is next-level parenting. One moment our teens are watching cartoons and wanting cuddles, and the next, they’re waxing philosophical about existentialism, all while you’re still trying to find the ‘on’ button on the TV remote.
And don’t even get me started on the ever-changing world of teen style, I’ve recently learnt that ‘fits’ is the current teen vernacular for ‘outfit’. I’m kind of loving that my ‘vintage’ denim jacket bought in the ’90s is now the height of retro cool! Except that on sharing this with my teen, I found out that it is apparently not cool to call something ‘cool’. Mind. Blown. Brain. Befuddled.
In short, it is hard enough keeping up with where your teenager is on a daily basis, so what happens when it comes to planning how to celebrate their birthday?
How do we parents come up with a plan to give our gorgeous, complex, shape-shifting teens the kind of birthday celebration that they will really enjoy? Whether that celebration is low-key, a small gathering or a party.
If you’ve ever organised a teen birthday party before, you’ll know it’s like trying to herd cats… on a skateboard… downhill.
And for those of you who still need to have this unique pleasure, well, aren’t you in for a treat? But fear not, brave souls, I’ve survived the storm and am here to guide you through it. This growing guide will be your North Star in the foggy universe of teenage parties.
I’ve got themes and entertainment ideas that slay so hard (that means they are ‘cool’), party favours that won’t get tossed into the ‘I’ll-look-at-this-never’ drawer, and birthday gifts that will actually earn you the prized teen nod of approval.
Let’s embark on this wild ride together, shall we? Trust me, with some planning, creativity, and a healthy dose of humour. It is possible to make your teen’s birthday an epic success.
ALL THE IDEAS YOU WILL EVER NEED
This is a growing list of all the teen birthday ideas content on Mums Make Lists. I will be adding plenty more to it over the coming weeks and months, so keep popping back!
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THE BIG TEEN BIRTHDAY IDEAS ROUNDUP
28 FUN PARTY GAMES FOR TEENS THAT THEY WILL ACTUALLY LOVE
This roundup of the best party games for teens is fast becoming one of the most popular pieces of content on Mums Make Lists. These are the games that are always a big hit at teenage birthday parties.
43 BIRTHDAY THEMES TEENS WILL LOVE: INSPIRATION FOR AN UNFORGETTABLE PARTY
Finding a brilliant party theme that you know your teen will love is a great way to kick off your planning and provides a useful focus to keep you on track with making a party a big success.
7 NO-BRAINER BIRTHDAY PARTY ACTIVITIES FOR TEENS THAT ALWAYS WORK
Here are some teen party activities that always go down well with the birthday boy or girl and their guests.
18TH BIRTHDAY IDEAS: HOW TO THROW AN EPIC PARTY OR PLAN A MEMORABLE WAY TO CELEBRATE
Here's a roundup of some lovely ways to celebrate your son or daughter's 18th birthday.
10 BEST PARTY GAMES FOR 13-YEAR-OLDS THAT GUARANTEE A SUPER FUN BIRTHDAY PARTY
Getting a little more specific here because the teen years span seven years where a LOT changes. Here are some games that go down particularly well with 13-year-olds.
KIDS' NEON PARTY GUIDE: HOW TO HOST AN EPIC GLOW IN THE DARK PARTY FOR KIDS OR TEENS
Neon parties are a thing! It's all very retro, but teens are loving them. So here's a complete guide to hosting a neon party, it includes the low-down on everything you need to make the party glow.
BEST BOARD GAMES FOR TEENS: GUIDE TO UNBEATABLE FUN FOR TEEN PARTIES AND FAMILY GAME NIGHTS 2023
Not all teens want to have a big party, some prefer to just have a few close friends gathered. If you have a low-key teen who loves chilled activities, this roundup of the best board games for teens will come in useful.
57 IDEAS FOR THE BEST GIRLS' PAMPER PARTY EVER FOR TWEENS AND TEENS
Pamper parties go down very well with teens, particularly teen girls. So here is a big list of ideas you can pinch to create a wonderful pamper party for your teen and their pals.
HOW TO HOST A WONDERFUL AFTERNOON TEA PARTY FOR KIDS AND TEENS
How about hosting a genteel afternoon tea party for your teenager and their friends? This is another great way to create a low-key birthday celebration, be it one with just close family or a close-knit group of friends.
136 BEST WOULD YOU RATHER QUESTIONS FOR TEENS
'Would You Rather' is a game that is always a winner at teen parties. But how to come up with great questions?!! This is how... use this big list of 136 questions to get the game going.
27 SLEEPOVER IDEAS FOR TEENS: PLUS TIPS FOR HOSTING AN EPIC TEEN SLEEPOVER PARTY
Ah, the classic sleepover party. This is one of the ways that my daughter celebrated her 13th birthday. I promise you, if you plan it carefully, it isn't half as daunting as it seems to be to host a bunch of teenagers overnight. Use this guide to create the most epic teen sleepover party ever.
SNACKS FOR SLEEPOVERS
One of the most important elements of an epic sleepover party is the food and drink. Here is a list of some great homemade snack food recipes that are perfect for sleepovers and slumber parties.
58 BEST PARTY FAVOURS FOR TEENAGERS (STUFF THEY WILL LIKE AND NOT ROLL THEIR EYES AT) 2023
Now I will say right up front the teen years bring with them the chance to kiss goodbye to party favours altogether. However, if you do want to round out a party by giving the guests a little something to say thank you for coming, you can use this list of 58 party favours that teenagers will gratefully receive and not roll their eyes at!
GIFT IDEAS FOR TEENAGERS
Here are some of the most popular teen gift ideas lists on Mums Make Lists.
66 BEST GIFTS FOR TEEN GIRLS, ACCORDING TO TEEN GIRLS (2023) UK
A roundup put together with help from my teenage daughter and her teen friends, covering everything from beauty gifts to sporting gifts and books perfect for teen girls.
10 BEST GIFTS FOR 13-YEAR-OLD BOYS (STUFF THEY ARE ACTUALLY INTERESTED IN) 2023
Here are some ideas for the best gifts to buy for 13-year-old boys that they will actually love and use.
23 BEST GIFTS FOR 13-YEAR-OLD GIRLS: YOUR COMPLETE GUIDE TO GIFT SHOPPING FOR 13-YEAR-OLD GIRLS 2023
This is a super useful list of brilliant gift ideas for 13-year-old girls.
Luci is the founder of Mums Make Lists (Est. 2011). Over the last decade or so, she has used her experience as a mum to create useful guides to organising family life. During that time, she has found the most joy in creating lists of ideas and inspiration to make it easier for busy parents to plan and host kids’ parties and find great gifts. Read more.