Every party a parent or caretaker has planned up until this point is irrelevant — the success of yesteryear pales in comparison to the importance of honouring the 13th birthday. It's a milestone where a child officially goes from tween to teen, and for you, dear parent, the pressure is on.
While I'll always remember the embarrassment [1] that ensued at my 13th birthday when my mom invited the mean girls [2] over and then proceeded to have a two-person disco dance party with my dad in front of all of my friends, the 13th is still a formative memory.
Whether you want to throw a traditional sleepover [3] or something interactive like host an escape room, we have 11 fun ideas your kid will love.
Hotel night
Make a sleepover party feel a little more exciting by taking the pre-teens to a hotel. Make sure it has a pool! You will need to keep the party small in order to avoid any noise complaints, and definitely get adjoining rooms to accommodate everyone.
Amusement park
If there's an amusement park nearby, invite everyone to the park for the day. They're old enough now to wander around without you, but there's no problem if you want to hang out and claim some tables for lunchtime.
Movie night
You have at least two fun options here, aside from turning on Netflix and slowly walking out of your TV room.
Round up the kids and take them out to the movies; be sure to buy popcorn for the bunch. Follow up with a trip to an ice cream parlor or your favourite pizza joint.
If your backyard can handle it, string up a white sheet for a movie screen and rent a projector to show your tween or teen's favourite movie. Have your guests bring sleeping bags so they can get comfy on the grass while watching the film. Provide some homemade popcorn and snacks to keep it festive
Pool party
If you have access to a pool, have a pool party. The activity is easy — swimming and splashing. Win cool points by adding some festive floats to the mix — like a unicorn or slice of pizza. Hand out unicorn glitter snot sunscreen to keep the sun protection festive. You can always end the party with a barbecue or pizza feast.
Manicure or spa party
Teen girls dig spa parties. It makes them feel so adult and pampered — hello, sheet masks and pedicures. Step it up a notch and provide cucumber slices for their eyes while they lounge about. You can hand out slippers or nail polishes as party favours. Why not dedicate some time to a DIY [5] and make a sugar scrub or bath bombs?
Have a DIY pizza party
Have friends roll out the dough and finish off each pizza with an assortment of toppings before popping their creations in the oven.
Head to a baseball game.
There's something special about catching a game with the whole brood in tow. And no one says it has to be super expensive! To cut costs, try heading to your local college or minor league stadium since the tickets are usually much more affordable.
Go on a scavenger hunt.
Bring back the scavenger hunt you did for your kids when they were younger, but blow it out and make the boundaries bigger — this is great for teens used to getting themselves places on their own. Divide the guests into teams and start the party with the teams decorating tee shirts — make sure to have a robust supply of fabric markers and sharpies. Hand out lists of clues, have the kids use their smartphones to snap the items on the list, and meet up after an hour or so. Don't limit the clues to simply finding places or historical markers; include some silly acts that teenagers secretly love to do like singing a hit song from their early years or doing cartwheels in the park. This is great for a coed party too.
Camp out in the backyard.
Don't knock the standby classic of a slumber party. Since the kids are all older, you likely won't have to deal with separation anxiety in any of your guests. Activities can include making pizzas, decorating cupcakes, an ice cream sundae bar, and watching a movie. You can also put tents in the backyard and everyone sleep under the stars.