Best Teenage Birthday Party Ideas
You must really be stuck to have clicked on that heading. Teenagers don’t talk like that, but that just goes to show how out-of-touch most adults are with teenagers.
The truth is, while teens are frequently troubled and troubling, they are human beings that think and act for themselves. And they want to be seen and heard. While researching for this piece it was sad to see so many reductive articles, blanketing all teens as liking sports or tech-heavy events. So we set out to create the teenager birthday party ideas list of the future.
Gathering Birthday Ideas for Teens
1. Take Notice of Interests
This might sound like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many people don’t engage with the interests of teenagers. There’s a cultural mindset that teens don’t know what they want. But chances are if you talk to a teenager about what they like most, the majority of them will have something that they look forward to most. And you’d be surprised at the varied range of interests you’ll find there!
Some teens like sports, others like gaming, others like to go on long walks, while others love nothing more than to read, or listen to music. If you spend some time getting to know them, a teenager will present you with a huge range of teen birthday ideas or present without even knowing it!
Is your teen a reclusive reader? Go on a book shop crawl and a nice dinner. Do they like music? Dedicate a day to their favourite artist, or see if you can get them a custom message from their most beloved muso. Are they an artist? See if you can find an exhibition of their favourite artist, or if they’re running low on any supplies see if you can get them some top-notch replacements.
2. Ask Them!
Unless you’re planning a surprise party, what’s stopping you from going to the source? Remember, just because they’re adolescent, it doesn’t mean they don’t have formed thoughts and opinions. Ask them straight out what they would like to do for their party, or if they even want one, and then go by that.
3. Don’t Criticise What They Say
There’s a big difference between presenting facts and criticising. If a teenager says “I want to have a pool party” and you crinkle up your nose and go “oooh, really?”, not only does they make them feel like their idea is stupid, but it will discourage them from opening up about their desires later on in life. Adolescence forms a major developmental stage in a person’s life and it’s here that people learn behaviours that may stay with them for the entirety of their existence. Meeting their ideas with a dismissive energy can be the difference between an adult who knows their worth, and a chronic people-pleaser.
Instead of criticising, treat the teen like an adult, and have an honest conversation with them about their choices. Using the example of the pool party, if you don’t think it’s a good idea, rather than saying: “No, that’s terrible.” You could say “A pool party sounds fun. How come you want that specifically?” Once you have the reasons you can continue on by saying “Those do sound like good ideas, but have you considered these [insert various reasons here] may happen at a pool party? Is there anything else you might like that has similar elements you like about it?”
Teenagers don’t want much, and a lot of the time they just want to be treated with dignity and respect. If you interact openly and honestly with them, you’re more likely to reach a compromise where everyone will have fun, and you’ll establish yourself as someone who respects their ideas and autonomy.
Some Actual Teenage Birthday Party Ideas
Okay we’ve lectured you long enough. The long and short of it is, ask your teen what they want, and be receptive to their ideas. That being said, planning and hiring a birthday party comes with a degree of planning, and with planning comes discussion. So, here’s some of our suggestions to help facilitate that discussion.
1. For the Outdoorsy Teens
There’s a ton of great stuff that can be down outside for a birthday party. For sporty teens there’s Go Karting, and the unique experience of Melbourne Cable Park. Or if your teenager likes animals, why not check out the Moonlit Sanctuary where you can hang out with some of Australia’s beautiful nocturnal wildlife! Or if the birthday person likes being outdoors but keeping it fairly chill, why not hire a marquee and have an outdoor dance party at home?
2. For the Indoorsy Teens
Can’t decide what to do? DO EVERYTHING! There are heaps of great indoor entertainment complexes in Melbourne, many with go karts, laser tag, bowling, dodgems, and more! Escape Rooms are also incredibly popular right now. If you’ve never been to an escape room, it’s basically a room that has been decorated and outfitted with multiple themed puzzles. There’s usually a storyline and the objective is to escape the room by solving all the puzzles in the allotted time frame.
3. For the Active Teens
Got a teen with a bunch of energy? Zorb soccer is a unique and fun way to engage your energetic offspring. Zorb soccer is a game of soccer played wearing large, bouncing, inflatable orbs around your body. The result? A game of soccer characterised with head-on-collisions, and chaotic bouncing around as you try to navigate a tiny ball into an inflatable goal. Are you honestly going to tell us this doesn’t look like a good time? Or if you’ve always wanted to try paintball but more…medieval, why not check out archery tag, an arena style shoot-em-up with foam-tipped bows and arrows. Unleash your inner Legolas!
4. For the Homebody Teens
Who said staying at home is dull!? Having fun at home doesn’t take much, and can be just as much fun as going out! All it requires is some good company and a chill atmosphere. Painting Parties are an incredibly popular teen birthday idea because they offer a calm, mindful, creative activity, in a group setting. Gathering a few melamine tables and chairs for a casual painting event with a Bob Ross episode or two and you’ve got a great party! Game Nights are also ridiculously fun, with hours of co-op or competitive board and video games out there, there’s no reason not to have a ton of fun with just a handful of people, in a relaxed environment.
Remember- It’s Your Teen’s Birthday Party!
We’ve given quite a few suggestions, and we hope you’ll be able to find a teen birthday party idea you and your teenager like. Just make sure that when you’re trying to help them plan that you’re making sure you pay attention to their ideas. Give them the avenues to express themselves and their party will be something they remember forever.
Want to learn more about hosting and planning events? Want more guides on how to get the most out of your marquee experience? Whether it’s for planning an engagement party, New Year’s Eve party at home, or a garden party, explore the Marquee Monkeys blog today!
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