Say you are turning 16 in 6 months...what would you want for a gift (excluding a car) and what kind of celebration/party would you want?

Any and all ideas, truths, dreams, experiences, desires etc are welcome.

Thanks.

Depends on the personality of the teenager...Give us more info!

Hmm... well I for one would want tickets to an Elton John concert... but I doubt thats what any other almost 16 year old would want.

Ok. Let her tell you what she wants for her party... who she wants to come... ect. ect. Cause, well, it is HER party. As for gifts... wow... um... (thats hard )like Jana said we need more info.

Like Sara, I wasn't the really a typical teen... So I don't think I can help with this one... But maybe if we did have more info...

What does she like to do for fun? What kinds of things does she like? 6 months .. that would be in March, right?

Around the age of 16 it seems my daughter went to a lot of birthday parties at hotels with nice pools. And a bunch of girls would spend the night in the room, with a parent or two in another nearby room. They would swim, eat junk food, and watch movies. You might find a good deal on a nice room at hotels.com, Expedia, or some place like that.

As far as a gift goes, something special for turning 16 .. like a real gemstone ring? They can be bought on sale for not too much. Does she like her birthstone? I think March is the Aquamarine, a pretty light blue stone.

This one is 79.99 from Kay Jewelers. It's set in white gold and has two small diamonds on each side of the center stone:



Gift cards from a mall are also a big hit with teens. The kind that you can use at any store in the mall that you get it from. You could tie it to a helium balloon and put it in a box, then wrap the box. When she opens the box, the balloon flies out with the gift card attached to a ribbon. I did that once, it was just a fun and clever way to disguise the gift card.

Other ideas for a party if you were to do one at home would be a theme party. Here are some theme ideas:

Costume Party.. those that don't come in costume can be judges for best costumes in different categories, like funniest, most creative, etc.. and you can make certificates on your computer for the winners.

Black and White Party .. everyone has to come dressed in black and white only. And anything they bring with them should be black and white only, such as purses, gift wrap, etc. Serve a white cake with white frosting and black letters. Other food would probably have to have color though.

Luau .. always a fun one. You can get lots of great Hawaiian decor at a party supply store. Make sure to have hula hoop and limbo contests with prizes. For food, Hawaiian Kabobs, tropical fruits, etc.

Sock Hop .. Have the guests bring their favorite music and buy some party lights, have a crazy sock contest. (Tell them in advance so they wear their wackiest socks.) Have a crazy dance contest where they have to make up a crazy dance or have them make up dance routines in groups of 3 or 4 to their favorite song. Parents or neighbors make for great impartial judges.

Mexican Fiesta .. buy some sombreros and morracas at the party store and serve tacos and other mexican snacks. Play festive music that fits the theme. Maybe have a Pinata filled with stuff 16 year olds like, such as gum, lip gloss, nail polish, and of course some candy.

Mall Party .. Meet at the food court for food and then go on a scavenger hunt at the mall. Break into groups of 3 or 4 and give them a list of things they have to find at the mall and bring back. Make it stuff they cannot buy, like .. a tag from a piece of clothing found already detached, a paper cup from a certain restaurant, a cigarette butt (gross I know but I'm sure they could find one outside any doorway), a coupon, a store flyer, a ticket stub to a movie (if the mall has a theater), a sticker (like the kind from Hot Topic or that other store that always gives out stickers), a free makeup sample, a bag from a department store, a used up gift card, a receipt, etc. Put a 45 minute time limit and have them report back to the food court and the team with the most items from their list wins. Then go home and have cake.

I don't know her personality or likes so it's hard, but I just threw out some ideas for you. You can also get some great ideas at a party supply store.

She has never really had or really wanted a birthday party before. She just gets weird about it. Her friend is turning 16 in a month and is having a "Ball" or some sort (rich people ) and my girl is in her "Court" whatever the heck that means. I know my girl watches all those crap shows on MTV "My Super Sweet 16" and all but I obviously can't do all that.

She LOVES soccer. She is a tomboy/girly girl and loves all the girly girl things that I tend to not know much about. I want to throw her a surprise party just because she would have fun with that. I think...

I like the idea of a Black and White party. I also like the luau. Her birthday is in early April so the beach is a possibility here. But could be risky, unless we hold the party after her actual birthday. I can rent a room at the beach and have the girls gather there for food and stuff and they can spend the day at the beach....I love it. I think she would love it too. Early April is tricky for weather though. Could be nice but the water would be a little chilly.


Paula, I also like the idea of a birthstone ring (of course April has to be a diamond!). I was thinking about a laptop for her BIG gift, but the ring might be more meaningful. But she aint all that sentimental. Maybe getting her a ring would help to jump start that. Who knows. It's hard to do for a girl who isn't mine and doesn't really look to me as "mom" so I need help.....

Ok I’ll speak up here! This is some me

One, if her friend is having a lavish ball for her sweet sixteen and your daughter is in her court (meaning a figure head in her entourage like a VIP) that is a big deal. Plus if she is the kind of girl that wants things to be just as posh as her friends have it there could be a problem if money is tight.

So best way to go on lower funds then the MTV Sweet Sixteen parties, play to her !LOVES! That way you can still do something big but more heart felt then “Hey lets get all dressed up for the night so every one can fawn on us!” (If you have a ball for a birthday, that is what you are really trying to get from it)

If she loves soccer and that is like “her reason for being” good idea to have that somewhere. Oh like take her to a live game or something. Do they play soccer in early April?

Here is my idea. Buy 6 tickets to a major soccer match and let her and her closest friends go. Maybe get a limo to pick them up and drop them off and then pick them back up again. Then when they get back from the game it would be time for the other gifts and cake and ice cream, even surprise her when she walks through the door.

If you want her help her embrace her inner girly girl maybe start the surprises the night before with a sleep over with the friends that will be going with her to the game the next day and let them have like a spa night. Call an Avon rep or maybe make up spa baskets for them to use. Then the next morning when they all get up tell her her gift is for her and her friends to go see “Fill in the blank” soccer team play. Of course that all only works if there is a team she is dying to go see play around her birthday.

Hope that helps any.

PS You can get all those things I mentioned on a bargin. Maybe even the tickets.

I don't really recommend surprise parties and the reason is, I have been to a few where the person who was surprised said that certain people were left off the guest list that they would have invited and they would have preferred to know because they would have dressed different, fixed their hair, etc. Plus trying to keep it a secret just adds more to the work of planning the party and inevitably, most people somehow find out anyway and then they have to pretent to be surprised. I've seen it all when it comes to surprise parties. It may just be me, but I would say it's better to allow the person to be involved in the party planning and to help with the guest list. Trust me on this, she would have a happier birthday, especially with how emotional girls this age are.

Also, if you had a surprise party after her actual birthday, it would appear to her that her special day came and went without anything special. The only cure for this would be 2 parties.. one she knows about on or before her day and one she doesn't know about, and that just doesn't make sense.

I would brainstorm some party ideas with her well in advance and having her thoughts and suggestions to work with your suggestions would help make it easier for everyone to be happy.

If you still decide to make it a surprise, it would be best to have it before her birthday and make sure to get the guest list that she would want from her closest friends.

Just my 2 cents!

Oh, and I like Kat's idea of a spa party. You could buy a bunch of stuff for hair, make-up, nails, facial masks, etc. Ask each girl to bring a robe and to arrive with freshly washed hair and no make-up. Start with the facials, then finger nails and pedicures, hair, make-up, an then have them bring a nice outfit to put on. Buy a disposable camera for each girl (they are cheap at Walmart) to take their own before, during, and after photos to take home to develop on their own. The photos would be really fun for them as a lasting memory of their day and fun to share each other's pictures. Once they are dressed up and pretty, maybe go out for ice cream? Allow plenty of time for the beauty process as you know these things usually take longer than you think, especially if you have a bunch of giggly girls together.

One more suggestion .. make her a sash that says, "Sweet 16" on it and have her wear it at the party.

I love the ideas. I am turning against the surprise party for many of the reasons Paula mentioned. At this age they go from best friend to best from daily. Not talking to his one and loving this one, hating that one but now talking to the first one again. It's all too confusing and dramatic! I do LOVE the spa idea! I know she would love that too. I was thinking about renting what's called "Cozy cabins" at a National Park here on the beach for the weekend and let her pick 3 best friends to spend the night with her for two night (minimum stay for the fees) and have a big blow out beach party on saturday. Problems arise with the weather in April! I love the idea of the cabins at the beach and a huge beach party. That is so her style of party too. She is girly but super casual and laid back.

I still have six months to do all this but I need to make reservations soon depending on what we decide to do. I have to talk to her about it, but I wanted to go to her with cool ideas of things we can possibly afford first.

Kat...the soccer game idea rocks! Problem is there are no teams around here. D.C. or LA would be sweet, but yeah, can't do that.

I had the idea of a black and white at a rent "room" but I think that would be somewhat boring for her and she would feel awkward about it. Like I said, she is so laid back. I don't think she would be comfortable with a ball for her party. She's more a beach party huge hang-out type girl. Shoot...I don't know.

Any more ideas...send em on. I would love to hear anything anyone has to say. The more the better. thanks ladies!!

^^Love the spa idea!

The cabin thing sounds like a ball, too.

Your are welcome Gidget! For now you are doing the right thing by planning ahead, brainstorming, etc. The cabin and beach party sounds fun! My daughter's birthday is in August and she has had many beach parties for her birthday because we have our own cabin and beach to go to. When we had the beach parties, I also had to narrow down the guest list because it's just to hecktic to have a crowd for a sleepover and keeping an eye on them around the water was easier with less guests.