DD's 16th Party-Help me out please.

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
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Registered: 03-26-2003
DD's 16th Party-Help me out please.
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Thu, 09-29-2005 - 10:51am

Haha -I'm in the midst of planning my dd's 16th birthday party. Originally, she wanted it on a boat. Thankfully, we couldn't book one (I think it's a little late in the season up here in New England to be boating around at night). Anyway, I work with a firefighter who is sponsoring us and we're having her party in the clubhouse. There is a dancefloor upstairs and a full kitchen with tables and chairs downstairs. There is a covered porch outside for smokers.

I will get platters of cliced meats and rolls, breads, etc., with pickles and olives and all that. Plus, I will make a GIANT tray of Ziti with Italian bread and a big salad. Plus, there will be some chips/dip and cold finger foods like veggies/dip, etc. For dessert, we'll have her cake plus some bakery items like eclairs and puffs as well (and bowls of choclates). I will supply beer and wine for the adults and sodas for the kids.

Thankfully, there will no kids under 15. However, I wanted to come up with some ideas that would still be considered 'cool' by 16 y/o's for the party - let's face it, they won't always be dancing and I don't want them continually outside smoking cigarettes when they aren't. In the dining area, we were going to set up a TV/DVD/VCR with rock bands continuously playing. Upstairs is where the DJ and dancefloor is. I was going to make a collage of all dd's pictures from birth on up. Someone suggested having a slide show of her constantly running with pics instead, but that sounds like a lot of work, to be honest and I'm fairly certain that she'll try to shut it off at some point.

But I need some 'activity ideas' or should I leave that up to the DJ??

So, any ideas?? Maybe some back up ideas in case the DJ's don't go over well? My H said to have bobbing for apples and a treasure hunt. At 16?? Jeesh, it was soooo much easier when they were little!!

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2005
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 11:30am
I sounds like quite a party - can I come?
Avatar for heartsandroses2002
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 11:35am

Sure if you're near the northwestern part of CT - come on over!

Tobylady I need some ideas!! Got any??

Avatar for arwen12
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Registered: 04-11-2003
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 12:00pm

LOL - I was going to ask the same thing!!! Can I come - it sounds like fun!

I think that at that age most of the kids end up just talking and eating and dancing.

I think the DJ should have some ideas on things to do.

Oh, just had a thought - how about a popculture trivia contest!

Questions like - where did Snoop Dogg get his name? (oddly enough, it was his mother)
And, you can add dorky questions, too like 'which presidents are featured on Mount Rushmore'...

You can do it like the playoffs or world series - where winning teams play against eachother and win a prize.

You can get questions from Trivial Pursuit - they have 80's and 90's trivia...
or BrainQuest...
They had a contest on the radio the other day where adult listeners were having a hard time answering fourth-grade brainquest questions (a.k.a. who is on Mt Rushmore), which is larger in terms of sq. miles, alaska or texas (alaska), etc. etc.
It was fun to listen to!

Just some thoughts... good luck!

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-20-2005
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 12:05pm
I'm sorry I'm fresh out! We just usually stick to the real simply things like family cook-outs. I imagine that what you have will be enough. If you don't want to do the slide show thing, you might take some pictures and have them blown up poster size and put up around the place so that everyone can have something to walk around and look at.
iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2003
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 12:42pm

It does sound like a fun party! Too far for us to travel, though!

I don't know if this is too corny or not, but if your DD and her friends are outgoing and like games such as pictionary or charades, this might be fun. My DD's theatre class did this often and I got to watch them play it on Shadow-a-Student day and it is a hoot. It's called 'Freeze' and is basically an improvisation game.

A few people (no more than 3) start out with a scenario that they've been given. Could be anything -- a mom and two kids going to the mall, two boys at a baseball game, etc. They improv the situation however they want. When someone in the audience sees an opportunity to take over, he/she yells 'freeze'. Everyone in the scene freezes and the person who did the yelling taps one person on the shoulder, putting that person out of the scene and gets to take over, however he/she wants. It can go in a completely different direction and if there are any real hams involved, it can be very funny.

DD went to a bday party last year where the mom had gone to a GREAT deal of trouble planning a 'Survivor' party with tribes, games and the who scenario. Seemed to go over well, but the crowd was a few years younger and it sounds like a lot of work!

A pre-planned scavenger hunt around the clubhouse? And there is always Pictionary, Scategories, Cranium and charades.

I also remember attending a party once where everyone was given a new, and famous, celebrity identity when they arrived and were supposed to take on that character and see if anyone else could guess who they were.

Hope your DD has a happy day, regardless.

Julie

Speaking of Sweek 16's -- I happened to channel check in the middle of the day earlier this week and that "Sweet 16" show was on. The bday girl arrived at her party in what appeared to be a wedding gown in a lit-up Cinderella Pumpkin carriage accompanied by her suited-up Prince Charming. Said bday girl was ready to 'take out' someone who arrived at the party, was uninvited and was not liked by bday girl. When I heard "I thought this party was supposed to be about me", I changed the channel. Egad.

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-17-2005
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 1:30pm

I hate to rain on your parade, but do you think its such a wise idea to serve wine and beer at this party "for the adults"? I mean, I know the kids will probably bring their own but to make it so readily available is not the smartest thing to do IMHO. Don't forget that you are liable when any teenager in your care consumes alcohol if you provided at your party (and having it present would be considered providing it). Otherwise, $ound$ like a great party. I hope your dd really appreciate$ it, as I bet it'$ co$ting you quite a bit.

Again, I'm sorry to be such a fuddy-duddy. As my dd would say, "Mom, you're old."

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 1:34pm

Egads is right! I hate that show -once in a while my dd's and I watch it for laughs but I usually end up nauseous and turn it off. Those girls are so fake and horrid!

Thanks for the ideas!

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-29-2005 - 1:47pm

Actually, I'm right along side with you, "fuddy duddy". Fortunately, no one is allowed in the kitchen except for the adults in charge and I've already enlisted 4 other adults to be on guard (we will all have stations throughout the evening). I'm about 99.9% certain that there will be no pilfering from the adult stash of wine!! But thanks for the warning.

And this is nowhere nears as expensive as some Sweet 16's I've heard about! My Goodness!

This whole event should run us about $1100 TOTAL. The clubhouse belongs to the local fire dept so we only have to make a donation of about $150-$200. the DJ is about $500 and the rest of the expenses are food/beverages and decorations...so we've budgeted about $1300 and we should come under. I'm psyched - If we had gone with the boat idea it would have cost waaaaay more.

iVillage Member
Registered: 02-18-2005
Fri, 09-30-2005 - 9:48am

Here are a couple of things we did at DD's Bat Mitzvah.

- a "Leah" trivia contest - 10 trivia questions about DD - how well do her friends know her? These included the last movie she saw, her favorite music group, where her grandparents live, what hospital she was born in, etc.

- a photo scavenger hunt - we made a list of 10-20 types of people, bought 8 or so disposable cameras - the kids worked in teams of 3 or 4 to find the people on the list and take a picture of them (and get their signature/names). It was a double bonus - the kids had a blast doing it, and we ended up with some SUPER fun photos of the party! Some of our categories here were
----second cousins
----knew Leah when she was 3
-----met Leah within the past 3 years
-----is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan (we had three friends from Pgh)
----speaks two languages fluently
----speaks three languages fluently

you get the idea.

I bought $20 gift cards at Barnes and Noble as prizes for the contests.

Also, do kids do DDR (Dance, Dance, Revolution)? Around here it's a big hit - and is a great way to get the kids to burn off all their energy.

Sue

Avatar for heartsandroses2002
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Registered: 03-26-2003
Fri, 09-30-2005 - 11:37am
Thanks! Great ideas! What is DDR? Can you describe how they play?

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