How To Choose A Party Idea For Teens

Parties for teens may be held for many occasions, including birthdays, holidays, sports victories, and life milestones. Some occasions create their own theme (such as a theatre cast party), but for others, a theme can add to the event. A theme helps with making decisions on party invitations, party supplies and decorations, activities, party games, and party favors.

The party theme ideas here are meant to be starting points for brainstorming a theme for an event that fits a particular group of teens. A nice theme for one group might feel sappy to another. The trick is to consider the group to be invited, the host or hostesses likes and dislikes, the ages of the teens or tweens, and whatever limits might exist. Limits might be budget, number of guests, place the party is held, and any special needs.

How to Begin Party Planning

Perhaps the best place to start is with the things that are already set. These will probably affect the theme. Will the party be held at a home, outdoors, at a special place with activities built in, a restaurant or school?

Limits need to be discussed with whoever is funding the party. Is there a budget? How many people will be invited? Will the party be co-ed, all girls, or all guys? Will parents be needed to help or chaperone? Are families invited?

Making lists is helpful, especially for a more complicated event.

Some Good Theme Ideas for Teen Parties

Keeping in mind the above, it is time to start looking for that perfect theme. The following ideas can be made to be suit different ages, sexes, guest numbers, and venues.

If the party is centered on a certain person (a birthday or graduation for instance), brainstorming that person’s likes is a great place to start. This could lead to a theme based on a favorite:

Song, singer, band, or musical instrument
Color, pattern (checks, polka dots?)
Food, food style, or restaurant (pizza, Asian, chocolate)
TV show or movie
Social media source (Facebook, twitter)
Animal (horses, dogs, cats)
Game (poker, Twister, a video game)
Sport (soccer, swimming, the Olympics)

Themes for Larger Teenage Events

A group event (like a teen dance, grad party, or a spring picnic) can have a wider theme, like:

A vintage or popular song (Rock Around the Clock, We are the World, Today Was a Fairytale, Fireflies)
A book or book series (Twilight, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Harry Potter)
A period in time (medieval times, the roaring twenties, 1960s)

Great sites for teen party ideas and party goods are Teen Birthday Party Ideas and Themes and Birthday Party Themes and Ideas, which are packed full of suggestions.

Party Planning and Party Themes

It’s easy to get obsessed with making every little detail fit the theme of a party. A party theme is only a guideline, so party planners can feel free to add other elements that compliment that idea.

We try to keep a relatively regular sleep schedule during the summer, but the morning routine kind of flies out the window when we don’t have anywhere in particular to be. To get little kids back in the groove of getting up and getting ready for school — or to help kids who are new to having a routine learn what to do when — printable routine cards can be a big help.

There are lots of different ways to do these. I like the flip chart style like this one from Mama Papa Bubba. This one is made with a file folder and you add magnets to each section so kids can close the flap on the items they’ve completed for the day. The post includes a free printable with some basic morning activities that kids can cut out and color.

Another version of this that is just paper comes from My Party Design. This one uses little pieces of peel and stick Velcro to close the sections when each step is completed, and there are versions for the morning and evening. (These are not free but might give you an idea of how to make your own with the steps you need.)

For a more detailed, full day schedule great for preschoolers, check out this one from The Savvy Sparrow. This paid resource includes tons of different icons from daily routine items to things like riding bikes, dance class and watering plants. There are 120 icons in all so you’re likely to find everything you need to visually build out your days.

If you want to see how a daily routine printable works for you without putting a lot of work in, try this printable checklist from Little Mager House. You can laminate it or stick it in a plastic sheet protector and mark off things as they get done. Then just wipe it off and start again the next day. This one is free when you sign up for emails.

Natural Beach Living has a free visual schedule printable with all sorts of items and including special things like picnics and nature walks. This one can be used at home or in the classroom and it includes days of the week. (Some of this is free for subscribers but there is also a bundle you can purchase.)

I also love the set of printable routine cards from Look We’re Learning, which includes a bunch of basic daily activities in both English and Spanish if you’re raising a bilingual child or just want to practice a little vocabulary. There are 16 activities in all and there’s a pronunciation guide if you need help with the Spanish. (This is a free resource for subscribers.)

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