So my question is my little sister is turning 13 in a week. Her mom is not around so I'm the closest mother figure she has, so my dad wants to do something special for her birthday. We thought about bowling or skating party but she's a lot mature than normal 13 yr olds, so what are some good ideas? We don't have a lot of money but we're willing to try anything.
Thanks for all your input! I love the idea of a scavenger hunt in the mall but she decided that she wanted to go bowling.
How about a party at home? She can pick out craft sets or something, they kids can make easy english muffin pizza, read magazines, rent a movie, play games, make popcorn.... Maybe she has an idea on what she'd like to do. Those were always my favorite parties as a teen.
Maybe you all could rent a hotel room, with an indoor pool. Order pizza and watch movies..
A surprise party is always fun. Have the invited girls all meet at a restaurant and you tell sister you and dad are going there for dinner, but when she arrives at the table all of her good friends are already there,,
When my daughter turned 13, she wanted to do a spa type party. The girls did facials (used a recipe online that used yogurt), painted each others fingernails and toe nails. We had cupcakes and decorations for the girls to decorate their own. Each girl was given a bottle of nail polish to take home from the party. All the girls had fun.
Heck...Bowling and skating both sound fun. And ya know, I think we all (regardless of how old we are physically) like to have a little silly time. Even an oh-so-cool 13 year old is young at heart and will enjoy whatever you plan.
I may be way out of the norm here as far as responses but I kinda cringe when kids grow up too fast.
I really like the spa-at-home party idea, with the homemade facials and mani/pedis.
Another thought was, if there is a place close by, a paint-your-own pottery studio. Each of them can pick out a piece within a reasonable price range (like a mug or a small bowl) and paint it however they want - then the pieces are kept there to be glazed and fired, then are ready to pick up usually within a week or two. The places I've been to do offer party packages and will let you bring in pizza, cake, etc.
A girls' day out.
Have her invite two girls to go with her to have
lunch
shop and
get pedicures.
they feel like a million bucks!
Maybe this is out of the question...but what about a spa day or makeover with her sister then a nice dinner with dad and you (if $$ available you could even invite a special friend or two for the makeover/spa or dinner).
Last year we had a surprise party for my 13 year old with a Hollywood theme. We made her the 'star'. My sister in law took her out for the day to get her hair and nails done (she worked at a salon). Then when she came back and walked in the door, she came in on a red carpet and we all were taking pics of her like she was the star. It was fun and cute. The girls all loved it. Be carefull who you invite though. One of her girlfriends spilled the beans and told her about the party. I found that out the next day. They had a great time. They danced to music, had cupcakes. I had Hollywood themed decor from Party City. Then some of the girls stayed for a sleepover. Hope this helps!
We also had a "Hollywood" theme party for my daughter. Had the girls decked out in fancy dresses and then had them all fill out ballots for best hair, smile, laugh, funniest, etc. We set up the video camera and had them accept their award on film and give a speech. It was really funny. Who knew girls could be such hams, even the quiet ones!
What does she like to do? My daughters and their friends enjoy going bowling every once in awhile for an afternoon or night out.
For the past 2 years both my daughters have done pizza and a sleepover with just a few (5) friends. Since they are older and more mature, I let them go to the local pizza restaurant by themselves for dinner, then the come back to our house and do whatever. Very inexpensive, about $60 total, for dinner, snacks, and bagel and fruit for breakfast.
You could do a beauty day at a local salon, have their hair and nails done. Or you can have an at home beauty party doing mani/pedi's and facials.
I have heard of a scavenger hunt at a mall. I think you can find info on line. Obviously the goal is to obtain all these different items in a mall. They break up in teams and have a disposable camera to document what they have done. Cheap and fun.
