In case you missed my last post, click here to catch up on the first of my ideas for making your teen's birthday party memorable without giving you a migraine!

Theme:
Here are some ideas for two basic age groups:

Younger Teens:

1. Movie and a sleepover (ever popular among the younger girls who are just turning 13 or 14 and getting to go to movies on their own a little bit for the first time).
2. Rent a bunch of movies, order pizza (or have mom cook a favorite meal for her and her pals), and stay in for the evening. (Make sure to supervise the movie choices since some parents are definitely pickier about this than others!)
3. Spa party: borrow a paraffin wax bath from a friend (or buy one for about $25); gather up a couple of foot Jacuzzi's and gobs upon gobs of nail polish, and you're in business. Plan on plenty of spills, so have lots of towels, or better yet, ask each girl to bring a beach towel to carry around with her at "the spa". That way, you won't run out of towels when they all suddenly decide they HAVE TO have a shower before going to bed. Yes, this really does happen...I'm not kidding.
4. Trip to a video arcade: this option can be quite pricey and in my experience often a disappointment in the end. If you do opt for this one, be sure to establish the limits early on, whether via a package deal or actually purchasing the tokens for each girl once you get there. Be firm that once the tokens are gone, that's it! (Yes, I am the mean mom...)
5. Pool party: If your child's birthday falls during a time of year when this is feasible, a pool party can be a lot of fun, whether you have the actual pool in your yard or not. Do be sure to check with parents regarding each girl's swimming prowess, and have plenty of adult swimmers on hand, especially if you are at a facility where there is no lifeguard on duty.

 Older Teens:

1. Invite a smaller group, perhaps even only one or two girls over for a trip to the amusement park and a sleepover.
2. Go to a decent restaurant (one where the kids might not get to frequent all the time...), and then have the girls over to watch videos and spend the night (mostly an older girl idea).
3. Shopping at a favorite hangout, followed by a sleepover. These girls are generally pretty easy to please, so you can look to your teen to set the agenda.
4. Sleepover with some kind of a cookout included (yes, a backyard barbecue; I'm serious...!). These seem to be all the rage with my soon-to-be-16-year-old and her bud's. If you've got an outdoor "chiminea" style fireplace, all the better. Teenagers are pyros, though, so beware! An adult should be around at all times. Don't plan on going out for the evening and leaving the girls at home. (Of course, this goes for all of the parties...)
5. Rent a bunch of movies, order pizza (or have mom cook her favorite meal for her and her pals), and stay in for the evening. (Make sure to supervise the movie choices!) Yes, this is a repeat from the younger set's list above, but it bears repeating. It's cheap, fun and safe.

Tune in next time for a few final birthday party notes. They're not to be missed and will ensure your ultimate success!