my daughter is turning 15 & just wants a small group over for a bbq in the backyard...any suggestions for ways to keep 5-6 14/15 yr olds entertained for a couple hours? this was easier when she was younger...the older they get, the harder it is to please them, y'know? weather permitting, i'm hoping to keep this outdoors, but will of course need a backup plan for rain too. keep in mind everything is a big deal to her socially (new friends, she just wants to "fit in"), so i'm wanting this to be a fun time for her and her friends.
Scavenger Hunts! Fork-ing or toilet paper-ing or streamer-ing or ballooning if a neighbor/friend is up for it (and bday girl is willing to clean up day after). Ballooning is pretty expensive, but also less work to clean up... and "prettier". Movie on the lawn (you can rent a projector fairly cheaply, and use a sheet as the screen). Campfire. Sparklers.
I don't know if you plan on doing any kind of party favors but when my daughter turned 15, we used pre-packaged beading kits for anklets or a choker....just depends on what the girls "are into" these days. The kits ran between $5 and $8 per kit but it gave them something to do for a while and they could talk while they did it ==i.e. get to know new friends better this way than watching a movie while eating pizza, lol! With all the texting going on these days I honestly wonder if they really know how to have a conversation of substance some times! Well, hope this helps....this link is for the beading directory for MO, so if you're interested, maybe one is near by or you can order and have them shipped...........good luck and have fun!
http://missouri.uscity.net/Beads/
I own The ARTbar in Santa Ana, Ca, and we do birthday parties for teen girls all the time -- its our specialty! But if you don't live near us, here's one of our favorite ideas that the girls love:
A Teen Vision Board Party!
You get a bunch of old magazines (teen ones, Glamour, Cosmo -- work great because they have "cool" images).
They get to tear out any images, words, colors they like and glue it to a board or our favorite, a composition notebook, so they leave the party with a journal. You can have them focus on images they like, or images that relate to their future, hopes and dreams. And then have them share their final artwork!
Email me if you'd like an info page -with directions and samples - happy to send it to you!
Blessings,
N.
____@____.com
www.theARTbar.net
www.MyLifeCompass.com/NicoleSteiman
(P.S. Visit website listed above if your daughter really likes self improvement and has a lot of goals -- she will love the resources for teens to connect in groups and even have their own personal coach. Mom and daughter can also go through the monthly map by Diana Sterling called the Parent as Coach Approach).
Volleyball!! My sister just threw a party for her 13 year old (might as well be 16!!) and they did volleyball, basketball and food. Try to stay out of the way. :) I'm dreading these days. Mine are only 9 and 2, so I'm counting myself lucky as of yet. lol! I know the days are coming.
S party: sparklers, s'mores, spa, socks, sodas & socialization. Have each girl bring something to do that starts with S.
One thing we liked to do at that age is build campfires and make campfire pies for dinner (basically 2 pieces of bread with pizza sauce and toppings, cooked over the flames in a press). We also put on talent shows, played games like Catch Phrase (which we renamed "Whip the Disc), Trivial Pursuit, Cranium, did makeovers, sports. Gosh, I miss that age!
At quite a few of the high school parties, as the guests arrived we pinned a sheet of paper (you could use a sticky name tag) with either a person place or thing written on it.
Then each kid had to walk around and ask each other 1 questions to try to figure out what was in their backs..
Suggestions?
Ipod.
Lady GaGa
Avatar
senior ring
birthday cake
homework.. you get the idea..
Karaoke
We've done parties with a DJ that are a huge hit. Even if you don't go the DJ route, music is fun. I know my daughter's group of friends LOVE to dance.
For smaller parties we've done limo parties and stayed overnight at a nice hotel. Also limo parties and be dropped off at our home for food, crafts and sleepover.
I don't know about your area, but a lot of kids here are celebrating their birthday at a favorite teen restaurant. A group meets (management is advised ahead of time) enjoy a fun meal and each other chatting a lot.
As for the toilet papering, etc... I'd say a big NO. That is called vandalism and some teens who were enjoying being little vandals at my house got caught and it is not pretty. Even the mom who drove them here got in trouble. We nor the police in our area think it is funny.
We had a party at that age and did craft like things (lots of kits you can buy at Micheal's, Hobby Lobby, Joannes) you can rent a movie and let the girls make homemade pizza and eat popcorn. If it's solely outdoors, do the bbq, let them play games like katej suggested. let them do makeovers on each other... usually a big hit at that age.
