These easy birthday party ideas for teens will allow boys or girls to have a great time without a ton of effort from the parents! I love birthday party ideas that come together easily and that keep kids busy and smiling.
LESS IS MORE WHEN IT COMES TO TEEN BIRTHDAY PARTIES
When my kids are younger I love to go all out for their birthday with decorations, games and more. Little kids love the WHOLE big event when it comes to parties.
Luckily as kids get older they don't care as much about decorations, special invitations etc. They care more about having a FUN party with their friends.
Personally, this makes me happy. I don't have to spend time or money on decorations. There is no stressing out over a themed matching party.
The only downside to teen birthday parties is that they may want to do activities that cost more money. It is a good idea to have a budget for the birthday and talk to your teen way in advance so you are both on the same page!
EASY BIRTHDAY PARTY IDEAS FOR TEENS
These ideas are activity focused that will keep a group of kids engaged and busy. I tried to come up with ideas that would appeal to boys or girls or a group that has a mix of both genders!
ESCAPE ROOM BIRTHDAY PARTY
Escape rooms are very popular right now and for good reason. This is a challenging and fun activity. Most mid-sized cities and larger offer multiple different escape room venues to choose from.
An escape room birthday party is a good way to limit the party to around 6-10 teenagers. Each location will have guidelines on how many people are allowed in each room.
The escape room venues near me offer birthday party packages to save you some money.
ARCADE BIRTHDAY PARTY
Arcades have appealed to teens ever since video games were invented. I will admit that video games and arcades have changed a little bit, but there is still a lot of fun to be had at an arcade.
There are lots of locations with large arcades. You may have a Dave N Busters nearby which is a great choice. There are also arcades located in many bowling alleys and malls.
My advice for an arcade birthday party is to set a spending limit before the teens go inside. Give each person a set amount of money or tokens and when it is gone it is gone!
The only downside of arcades is that the spending can get out of control because it is just so much fun to play!!
SWIM PARTY
Swimming is always fun for kids of all ages. I personally think that a wintertime swim party is even more fun if you can find an indoor swimming pool.
If you are having a summer swim party you may want to opt for going to a large water park to make it extra special. There are usually some good entry fee deals during mid to late summer.
Remember to bring sunscreen along!
LASER TAG BIRTHDAY PARTY
Kids love a good contest and laser tag is a great way to have some competitive fun. Two of my kids have done a laser tag party and both times it was a BIG hit.
There were so many hilarious stories after the game that the kids couldn't quit laughing.
One good thing about laser tag is that there seem to be a lot of really affordable party options and I see Groupon deals a lot too.
PAINTBALL BIRTHDAY PARTY
Paintball is not only for boys. I know a lot of girls who love to play paintball too. A paintball birthday party is best scheduled during fall or spring when the weather is not too hot or too cold.
You will probably need to have permission forms completed by parents for all the party-goers. Make sure the kids listen to the safety procedures and wear the proper gear!
MOVIE BIRTHDAY PARTY
Depending on what your teenager enjoys doing a movie party may be the ticket (excuse the pun, LOL). Some kids just plain LOVE going to the movie theater and taking along a group of friends will make it extra special.
Try to schedule the party for when a big movie is out that everyone will enjoy seeing. Be sensitive to kids who may not like certain types of movies like horror films.
If you have a drive-in theater in your area this would make a great party location!
TRAMPOLINE PARK PARTY
Trampoline parks have sprouted up all over the nation and they are a blast. This is a very easy party idea and almost any teen will enjoy the experience.
There will be release forms that have to be completed by the parents of the teens who attend. It is also important to talk to the kids about safety so you don't end up at the ER before the night is over.
CONCERT BIRTHDAY PARTY
Kids start getting really excited about concerts when they hit the teen years. It will take some advance planning to throw a concert birthday party, but your child will be thrilled if you do!
The top name concerts are going to be costly for a whole group of teenagers. It may be a good idea to check local fairs to see what their concert line ups will be.
I have been surprised how many singers at our state fair get my kids really pumped up. These concerts are usually more affordable.
SPORTING EVENT PARTY
Boys and girls alike enjoy live sporting events. This could be a semi-pro baseball or football game to even drag racing. Look at what time of year the party will be happening and look for sporting events that will be going on.
Think outside the box when you are looking at sporting events. We have a local roller derby team that has some very exciting events. There is also hockey and indoor football.
Be sure to tell the kids to wear team colors to the party.
THEME PARK BIRTHDAY PARTY
I love theme parks. One year my daughter celebrated her birthday with one friend and we did a weekend away and went to a theme park. They had such a great time.
Theme parks are costly especially when you factor food into the equation. Your child may have to limit how many kids can attend the party, but even one friend will make it special.
There are usually coupons available to help offset some of the cost of entry fees.
TIPS TO SAVE MONEY ON TEEN BIRTHDAY PARTIES
I know that many of these birthday party ideas for teens can get costly. We know as parents that the older they get the more expensive they get!!
When you are looking at the activity costs remember that you won't have to spend money on decorations.Â
One of the best ways to save money on an activity focused birthday party is to check Groupon or other local coupon type websites. You can save 25-50% off easily on many locations!Â
My other advice is to ask for a group discount if the location doesn't advertise group rates.Â
Many locations will have discounts if you have the party on certain nights or times.
WHAT KIND OF TEEN BIRTHDAY PARTY WILL YOU HAVE?
Do you have a teen birthday party planned? Which of these birthday party ideas for teens sounds good for your child? If you have any other ideas be sure to comment and let me know and I will add them to the list!
If you need some other birthday party ideas be sure to check these out:
- Easy Birthday Party Games for Kids
- 20 Ideas for a Girls 13th BirthdayÂ
- Birthday Scavenger Hunt
- Fun Way to Give Birthday Cash
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That’s a good idea to have a pool party for your kid. My daughter’s birthday is in the summer, so I could see how that would be a good activity. I’ll have to consider getting a venue with a pool if that is what we decide to do for her birthday.