5 Unique Birthday Ideas for Teens...

Let's face it, teens are some of the hardest to shop for. You ask what they want and you get either a grunt or something ridiculously priced that you laugh. They want to act older than they are but also still love being a kid.

So, what to do about birthdays......Do you thrown them a regular family party with cake? Invite friends? Have a sleepover? Can you even surprise them anymore?

I have 4 daughters and 2 of them had the same birthday but 3 years apart. (couldn't have planned that if I tried) I got creative with them because I had always thrown crazy birthday parties when they were young. I didn't want them to grow up too fast but yet be a bit grown up. I have put together 5 ideas that think you and your teen will love!

1) SCAVENGER HUNT IN THE MALL

Most areas have a mall of some kind. When my girls turned 16 and 13 I was lost at how to make 2 special birthdays, well special. I dropped them off with a large envelope. It had instructions for what to look for and a camera for proof that they did it. They had a 2 hour time limit. The funniest part was that I didn't tell them and the look on their faces when they got out and I drove away, WAS THE BEST PART! When they proved they completed the list, there was a pizza party with family waiting for them.

2) WATER BALLOON FIGHT

This is a fun one for kids of all ages! It does take some time filling up the balloons. But, nowadays they have little contraptions that make it easier. Get some friends together and make a night of it. I filled 2 tubs with 1000 water balloons (sounds daunting but it was a lot easier than it sounds). I set one up on back corner of the house and one on the opposite front corner. They had all the way around the house to run, trees to hide behind, and I set up a barrier to not cross for the food. Have them invite some friends and let the fun fly. By the time they were done with the balloons the food was ready.

3) Masquerade Party

This is super easy to do because most of us have Halloween decor you can use and costumes. I got some paper masks in black for anyone that didn't come dressed up. Boys and girls loved this party. They played charades, which isn't easy in a costume but really funny. They had a costume contest (put that in the invite and they get creative). Kids of all ages, even adults, like to get dressed up for night. This isn't a party they will forget.

4) Backyard Baseball Game

This is a fun for all party! What is more fun than a baseball game and a cookout? Anything can be bases and you are sure to know people with bats, gloves, even the baseballs. Get a few small trophies for the winner, so they all have one to take home. Throw some burgers and dogs on the grill and you have yourself a party that will make the toughest teens smile. This is super fun because the grown ups can play as well. Maybe a friendly adults v. teens?

5) Spa Day Sleepover

This is the best for the girly girls. Set up stations. Candle making, make their own scent. Color palettes for nail polish and make up. Hair style tutorials. Let's throw in some accessories like boas, a small purse to keep stuff in, hats to decorate, sunglasses, flip flops, hair bows, barrettes, clips. They can go through the stations and at the end take their stuff and start pampering. They can do it themselves or recruit some of your friends. I had a friend that did hair so I had her come and my sister did the make up. They will fall asleep beautiful, refreshed, and happy.

Doing a birthday party for older kids and teens doesn't have to be hard or frustrating. Just have to be a bit creative since everything we do, to them, is lame:)

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