One birthday that definitely needs to be celebrated in style
is your teenager's sixteenth. Pulling together some great
sweet 16 party ideas can make for a very special occasion.
The teenage years can often be a difficult time for your
child, they may be feeling awkward and unsure of the changes
they are going through. Arranging for a unique and
unforgettable sweet 16 party will help your teenager feel as
though they are successfully moving away from childhood and
toward adulthood.

That being said, you should plan the party with a more
"grown-up" theme. Avoid games or activities your teen may
find childish. One of the most important aspects of a sweet
16 party like this is assembling the perfect guest list.
Avoid the temptation to invite a lot of other adults or
small children. Fill out the guest list mainly with your
teen's friends. The fewer adults there are, the more the
partiers will feel at ease and be able to enjoy themselves.

A good sweet 16 party idea is to send personalized invites
to all the guests. There are a number of software
applications you can use for this. Or, if the guest list is
small enough, you may even hand write the invitations on
fancy paper or letterhead. You can use paper embossed with
the logo of your teen's favorite sports team or movie
characters. Use your imagination and keep the invitations
unique and interesting.

A theme party is one of the more popular sweet 16 party
ideas. Make sure the theme will appeal to the teen's crowd
and is consistent with what is currently popular. You may
need to consult with some of his/her friends or other teens
to get a good grip on this. What we enjoyed on our sweet 16
party may not fit for your teen today. Some popular themes
are movies and Hollywood, rock, rap or rhythm & blues
music, or boys will enjoy a sports theme while girls may
prefer a fashion theme. A slumber party may work as a sweet
16 party for girls but probably not so much for the boys.

No sweet 16 party is complete without a great spread of
food. Arrange a menu of your teen's favorites. Don't be
concerned too much with the healthiness of the food today.
Let the partiers load up on pizza, burgers, fries,
sandwiches, cake and ice cream. Don't forget to provide an
assortment of cold beverages such as soda, energy drinks and
juices.

While games may have been the staple of birthday parties in
the pre-teen years, most teens won't be too excited by
lining up for pin-the-tail on the donkey or whack the
piñata. They may be more interested in simply
socializing with their friends or dancing to their favorite
music. However, some good sweet 16 party ideas that might
interest them are a game of limbo, egg toss or apple relays.
Up the ante by offering some great prizes such as CDs, DVDs
or gift certificates.

Another fun but seldom used sweet 16 party idea is an outing
to the local movie theater to take in the latest "hot"
movie. Teenagers love movies and love seeing them in a big
group. Try to plan for an early matinee or "twilight" movie
to save on the high price of tickets. Recruit a family
member or another parent to help with transportation. Don't
forget to get there early so you can get a whole row of
seats and everyone can sit together!

An enjoyable and memorable sweet 16 party can ease the
discomfort of being a teenager and give them a great send
off into adulthood. Use these or other sweet 16 party ideas
to plan everything out in advance and you'll minimize the
stress and pull off a great event.

Cheri Brennan is an avid party planning enthusiast. She has
planned many parties for friends, family and corporate
settings. To get more great articles, tips and party
planning ideas click over to
http://www.planyourbestparty.com - Visit today and get the
"Appetizer Recipe Collection" as a free gift!

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