Party Ideas

Birthday Party Ideas for Teens for an Exciting Celebration

By Megan Price

Planning a teen birthday can be quite a challenge! They’ve outgrown having a clown at their party, but they also want something more exciting than inviting a few friends over. We’ve put together some teen birthday party ideas that can make their big day truly special.

Set up sassy decor

No one can rock an attitude like a teen, so include a bit of that sass and confidence in the party decorations! Wall decor, centerpieces, and dessert tables can all get a spirited treatment with these ideas.

Get lit

Every list of birthday party ideas for teens needs to have “drama” at the top of the list! Light up the party with funky neon signs that can anchor the dessert table or provide a photo op. For evening events, LED furniture and LED balloons add more pops of light. Plan a glow party theme to make the most of this lit decor!

Take a selfie

Posing and taking pictures of themselves is certainly at the top of teens’ most-loved activity, so dedicate a space for a photo booth at their party! You can DIY the background with streamers and seating, and include silly props for all those social media posts on Tikn Toks and Instaface. This is a great place to showcase a theme, too, like “Under the Sea” or even something pop culture related, like Bridgerton.

📷 Take your picture game up a notch! For those teens that want something more than taking snaps with their phones, rent a professional photo booth. Your teen will have a blast getting silly and striking fun poses with their friends. And everyone can leave with a cool keepsake!

So fetch party favors

Make sure your teen’s birthday celebration includes some sweet party favors for the guests! You can tie them into your theme, like “Sonia’s Slumber Party” or “Maxwell’s Game Night” and offer small gift bags. For a party favor that will truly make a splash no matter the theme, set up an airbrush artist to spray hats, shirts, or other items.

💗 You might also like: 5 Trendy Sweet 16 Party Ideas for Any Teen

Plan for plenty of snacks

Since they’re notorious for their big appetites, our birthday ideas for teens had to include some easy recipes. Offer both salty and sweet options that are simple to make and totally grazeable. Throw some tasty drinks in the mix, and you’re all set!

Savory bites

They may be growing up fast, but most teens still have cravings for the simple foods of their childhood. When planning your teen birthday party menu, try bite-sized versions of their favorites like mini pizzas or pigs in a blanket.

Sweet treats

Having people sing while they blow out candles on a themed cake is probably a little cringe for your teen. Instead, focus on grab-and-go desserts like candy, cookies, and cupcakes. Or get more creative with an ice cream bar or a donut tower.

Refreshing drinks

You have to keep those active teens hydrated, so make sure your party menu includes some tasty beverages. A soda bar would surely be a hit with teens of all ages. And for older teens, some mocktails will have them feeling like grownups.

Focus on the entertainment

Cool decor is important for photo ops, and food is a must to avoid a bunch of mean-agers, but the main focus of the party should be lots of fun entertainment and activities. Ensure your teenager and their friends has an unforgettable time with these birthday ideas for teens!

Fun at home

If you’ve got an introverted teen or a homebody on your hands, keep the birthday party on their home turf so they stay comfortable and happy. Think slumber parties, board games, video game marathons, and movie nights.

You can rent an outdoor movie screen to take the party to the backyard for a fun change of scenery without really leaving the house. And you aren’t limited to movies – you could also binge some TV shows or hook up your Nintendo Switch for an epic Mario Kart battle or Switch Sports competitions.

Friends watching movie on outdoor movie screen
Find outdoor movie screens on GigSalad!

Take it outside

No matter what month your teen’s birthday is in, there are all kinds of fun outdoor activities you could try for their party.

❄️ Winter: When it comes to winter birthday party ideas, sledding or ice skating would be great outdoor excursions. You can also warm up around a big bonfire with good music and tasty s’mores.

🌼 Spring: The best part about spring is the weather is perfect for literally any activity. Set up games at a local park, plan a hiking trip, or hit up a local amusement park for rides, go-karts, and mini golf.

☀️ Summer: Beat the heat by hitting the water! If you have a water source nearby, throw a beach party or head to the lake. You can also visit a local waterpark or have a pool party.

🍁 Fall: The beautiful autumn weather is perfect for planning a fall birthday party. You can go camping, visit a pumpkin patch, or, our personal favorite, brave a haunted corn maze!

Turn the music up

Music has no age limit, so concerts are a perfect teen birthday party idea. It’d be great to take them to see their favorite artist live, but if that’s not feasible, host a backyard concert instead. You can book a cover band or DJ to play all their favorite songs so they can dance the night away with their friends.

If your teen and their friends love to perform and aren’t shy, you can take this teen birthday party idea to another level. Hire a karaoke DJ and let them take the stage themselves! Or, perhaps a dance instructor could come in and teach them a few moves.

Find teen birthday party entertainment on GigSalad

Get interactive

Teens are at that tricky in-between age where some games are too childish, but they still like to play and get creative. Satisfy their competitive streak with interactive activities like escape rooms, scavenger hunts, and laser tag. You could even book a murder mystery party if you have some dramatic, not-shy teens!

It can be hard to please teenagers, but at the end of the day, as long as they have fun and make some memories with their friends, they’ll probably be happy. Maybe throw in a gift or some cash at them, too. That always helps. 🥳

Ready to book something amazing for your teen birthday party? Find the best entertainers and musicians on GigSalad!

7 Comments
  1. George Hollington February 12, 2016

    I read these tips for my birthday, and I don’t feel like these are very accurate. they could help someone else but they didn’t help me

    Reply
    • Tessie Barnett February 15, 2016

      Hi George!

      Thank you for taking time to read the article! I’m so sorry these party ideas weren’t helpful to you. Were you looking for something more specific? Have you tried other successful party ideas that you want to share with our readers? We’re always open to suggestions, and our audience has contributed some of the best and most creative topics! I hope to hear more from you, so we can get you the information you’re looking for. Thank you again for reaching out to us!

      Reply
  2. Gina Henrie December 1, 2016

    My daughter loves Justin Bieber and keeps begging me for him to come to her party. Obviously I know that that is not an option, but I’ve never thought of possibly hiring an impersonator before. That is a great idea! Even though it is not the real thing, I think she would get a kick out of it, and it would still mean a lot to her.

    Reply
    • Tessie Barnett December 1, 2016

      Impersonators are always fun! Let us know how the party goes!

      Reply
  3. Yilliang Peng March 30, 2017

    Thanks for the help on how to plan a great birthday for my kid! I think that planning a party based off of one of his passions is really smart — creating some kind of themed party. I never knew that you could throw so many different kinds of parties; I wish I was that creative to think of these! Thanks again!

    Reply
    • Megan Frisbee April 4, 2017

      We’re so glad you found our suggestions helpful, Yilliang! We hope the party is amazing!

      Reply
  4. […] on the teen’s interest, you can create several games—Olympics style. You can invite a sports expert to educate the party. You can as well hire sports exhibition to wow […]

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