Tween & Teen

When he turned five, you just invited a bunch of his friends over and they all ran around the backyard for a couple of hours until you called them in for cake and ice cream. You did the party at a pizza place thing when he was eight. Last year he had a sleepover party with a couple of friends.

But now that the teen years are approaching, you sense he’s ready for a different kind of party, something that recognizes that he’s growing up. Here’s what teens have to say about the kind of parties they like:

Stephanie McGill planned her 14th birthday herself. “I invited about 10 or 11 girls — no boys — and we went bowling. The bowling alley has a party room and served us pizza and cake afterwards. It was all my idea and it was a lot of fun.”

Nick Boulton, also 14, had what most of us would consider a dream birthday celebration: His parents sent him on a week-long trip to Florida where he stayed with his cousins, went to Universal Studios, and got to meet one of the artists who works with his aunt and uncle. But Nick’s ideal birthday party is a little different. “I’d like to go out to dinner with a bunch of my friends — pizza or something — and then we’d all go play paintball. As long as we wanted,” he says.

Originally published in Today's Parent, May 2006