Looking for birthday party activities for teens and tweens? We have some cool teenager birthday party ideas for you right here.
Arranging birthday parties for teens and tweens can be a daunting experience (not to mention stressful). Balancing evolving interests, desire for independence and age appropriateness, it is essential to plan something that’s fun, engaging and memorable.
Luckily, we’ve put together some options when it comes to birthday party ideas for teens and tweens – which will ensure they have an awesome party.
Looking for gifts for a teen birthday party? We’ve got you covered with 60 Best Gifts For Teen Boys, Socially Conscious Gifts for Kids, and Fabulous Books for Tweens and Early Teens.
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Here are some of our favourite teen birthday party activities:
1. Escape Room
If you want an immersive and interactive experience that challenges your child and their friends to think creatively and strategically under pressure, then this teen party idea could be up your street.
It is possible, however, that you might also be locking your child and their friends in a room to flounder and shout at each other as they fail abysmally at a series of themed tasks and challenges!
Either way, it should be fun to watch!
✅ Book HERE for your Escape Room Experience
2. Rock Climbing
Tried and trusted teen birthday party option – allows your tween or tween and their friends to cut loose and physically challenge themselves in a safe environment.
As a bonus, you will find out which of your teen or tween’s friends is not quite as big and brave as they claim to be!
✅ Book HERE for your Rock Climbing Experience
3. Paintballing
Paintballing has never appealed to me (those from the UK and of a certain generation may understand when I mention a certain paintballing accident on Byker Grove as the reason I’m not so keen). It is also not a particularly cheap endeavour.
However, running around a field pretending you are a soldier and shooting your mates in the backside has a particular appeal to tween boys – especially those who enjoy gaming.
✅ Book HERE for your Paintballing Experience
4. Laser Tag
Along the same lines as Paintballing, but with the benefit of being indoors, not involving paint and a little bit more cost-effective.
It will usually result in very sweaty children…
✅ Book HERE for your Laser Tag Experience
5. Movie Night
If you’re looking for laid-back teen birthday party ideas, this might be the one to go for. Choosing an age-appropriate movie which will keep the tweens engaged can sometimes prove tricky.
However, your tween will enjoy having their best mates round, eating pizza, popcorn and an assortment of sweets and chocolate even if they hate the movie.
It can always be combined with a sleepover and/or child-safe and appropriate spa treatments (see below).
6. Indoor Zoo
So, your tween is probably a little too old for the run-of-the-mill party entertainer or magician. However, if they love exotic animals, you may well be able to organise an indoor zoo at your home.
Our zoologist wannabe daughter and her friends loved this party in large part due to Ranger Stu and his travelling menagerie.
Well worth finding out which of the kids is scared of spiders, scorpions or snakes…
7. Go Karting
Yes, this will involve you driving to an industrial estate in the middle of nowhere. Yes, you will be stuck on the sidelines watching in sheer terror as your child and their friends whizz around a go-kart track at speeds of up to 30 mph often crashing into tyre walls.
The upside is they will, undoubtedly, have an exhilarating time. I promise you will end up booking this for yourself…
✅ Book HERE for your Go-Karting Experience
8. Amusement Park
Definitely not cheap, but a serious option if your teen is an adrenaline junkie and wants to spend a day at an amusement park with their closest friends.
Yes, you will need to go and keep an eye on them, but nothing quite like seeing the wild eyes of a teenager who has been on a rollercoaster for the thirteenth time in a day…
✅ Book HERE for your Amusement Park Tickets
9. Murder Mystery Dinner Party
Give your teens a menu for dinner, and a card with details of the character they need to be that evening! This is a unique idea that everyone will get into (even if uncertain initially)!
Pick up a murder mystery game online, or – if you’d prefer for someone else to organise the party for you, there are companies who’ll do it all for you (Night of Mystery is one of them).
✅ Shop Murder Mystery Games HERE
10. Ninja Warrior
Basically, soft play for the over 5s, loosely themed on the gameshow from a few years back – Ninja Warrior is a lot of (very physical) fun!
Will allow your tween and their friends to test their not-so Ninja skills while climbing, balancing and swinging across obstacles or bouncing across inflatables.
11. Karaoke
Listening to a bunch of tweens scream tunelessly into a microphone is not usually the best way to spend a couple of hours, but they’ll enjoy it.
Remember, headaches are temporary and often cured with a glass of wine and some paracetamol.
Lots of venues offer karaoke parties, but you can also host this teen birthday party at home.
✅ Shop Karaoke machines and party kits HERE
12. Pamper Party
This one’s great for tween and teen girls. You have two options. Either book someone to come to your home, or look at whether local spas and nail salons can facilitate something for a smallish group.
Definitely do not DIY, unless you want your own make-up ruined and a gaggle of girls in tears as they blame each other (or you) for looking more like Pennywise and less like Maryam Maquillage.
✅ Shop for Pamper Party Products HERE
13. DIY Pizza / Baking
Food as a theme is always good! Pizza making is a great option as it’s fun, simple and you get to be as creative as you like with your toppings.
This is another teen party activity you can do at home (if you want the mess in your kitchen) – or you can see whether any local pizza restaurants offer parties as an option (Pizza Express definitely does in the UK).
If pizza, doesn’t float your boat, baking and decorating cupcakes is also a good idea – particularly if you combine it with other craft activities.
✅ Shop HERE for Pizza Making Kits
14. Gaming Bus/ Video Game Tournament
Likely to be popular with teen and tween boys, rather than have them all just gathering in a bedroom, think about making more of an event out of a ‘gaming party’. Companies such as Game Truck have gaming buses you can hire.
Or, you can set up gaming stations in your home and make it into a tournament.
✅ Pick up some Gaming Party Extras HERE
15. Outdoor Games
This one’s great for sporty kids and if you have a larger group or competitive children. You could go with the multi-game option, or focus on just one sport.
Games to consider include football, rounders/baseball, cricket, frisbee or archery. It’s a good idea to purchase a couple of fun garden games such as Cornhole too.
Always make sure the birthday child is on the winning team and the annoying child you wish you hadn’t invited isn’t.
✅ Shop for Outdoor Party Games HERE
16. Glamping
If you’re planning a teen birthday party in the summer, and you have space in your garden, a camping or ‘glamping’ party is a fun option.
Create a cosy atmosphere with bell tents, chairs, pillows, cushions and twinkly lights. If you’re up for an adventure (and trust your kids), you can have a fire pit for toasting marshmallows and other snacks.
You can combine a camping party with outdoor games, DIY pizza or even movie night if you have a big screen or projector!
Birthday Party Activities for Teens and Tweens: The Verdict
While every teen or tween has different interests, I hope this collection of teen party ideas has something your teen or tween will love!
Just make sure your teen or tween has vetted the teen party activities you’re thinking of before you go ahead. It’s always safest never to second guess what a teen might think of your idea!
Now all that’s left is for you to get planning!
