Summertime is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather is warmer, the days are longer, and there are so many new memories to be made. For those of you who have summer birthdays, this is especially true. With the hotter days inching closer, now is a great time to start planning your birthday party!
As a summer baby, it is a right of passage to have your birthday party outdoors. With the aforementioned great weather and longer days, these days were BUILT for outdoor parties. You get to have more activities, and cool foods, and you can have more people there than if you had it inside because there is more room. Sorry, winter babies…we know you’re jealous! Planning this party is half of the fun, but it can be hard to get started. After all, you have so many options to choose from.
Birthday Party Themes
To help you get some ideas, I’m breaking down some of the coolest themes, as well as the games, and foods that go along with them. Feel free to mix and match whichever ones make you excited. Your birthday bash is going to be epic!
Outdoor Movie Night
This is one of my favorites and a surefire way to make some great memories. Since most of the world’s Drive-Ins are sadly closed, this is a wonderful way to still give your teen(and their friends) that outdoor movie experience! Here’s how to achieve this:
Movies
In order to have an epic movie set up outside you’re going to need a projector and a movie screen(or white sheet to save some coin). This is how you get that drive-in feel. If you don’t have one already, check out the list below. I’ve included ranging prices to help fit everyone’s budgets. The good news is, once you have this you can put on as many summer movie nights as your heart desires!
- $75 Movie Projector
- $89 Portable Projector with 100″ Projector Screen
- $169 Bluetooth Projector with 120″ Screen
Food
In order to be on theme, you’re going to need a concession stand! It has to be complete with decorations and foods that you would find at a real concession stand. I’ve included some decoration options below.
As far as food goes, you can include your teen’s go-to movie foods. Some favorite movie snacks include:
- Hot Dogs
- Pizza
- Nachos
- Candy
- Chips
- Soda
Bonus points if you serve them in the concession-themed serving trays I included above.
Decoration
As far as decoration goes, the possibilities are endless! Some staples that you simply MUST include are: Blankets and pillows for seating, fairy lights, felt movie boards, & balloons…lots of balloons!
The rest is up to you. Have everyone pick out a movie and get to streaming.
Picnic
A picnic party is a simple but effective party theme. This is for those of you who have more laid-back teens who want a chill birthday party. All you really need for this one is picnic blankets and lots of food! To make the experience extra cute, create small baskets full of party food for each guest. You can either have them set up on a table or hand them out as people arrive. This way each person gets to unpack a surprise bounty. Some things to make sure to include are:
- Music
- Yummy Drinks
- Simple Games
And that’s it! Sit back and enjoy some good food with the people you love.
Backyard Camping
Backyard camping is such an awesome theme for a birthday party. Well, technically this one is a slumber party but still.You may need a few more supplies for this theme but ultimately it’s pretty simple!
Supplies:
- Tents
- Flashlights
- Blankets
- Pillows
- Fire
- Smore’sÂ
- Snacks
- Dinner
- String Lights
Once you have all of your supplies, the hard part is over! Unless you don’t know how to build a fire…if that is the case I see many Youtube Tutorials in your future.
Outdoor Tea Party
If your teen is a fan of Alice in Wonderland, then this next party idea may be right up your alley. An outdoor tea party is a fun non-conventional birthday party that will leave you with lots of laughs and stories for the coming years. In order to achieve this, you need either a really huge table or a bunch of tiny ones. As long as there is a table and places to sit, you’re set.
Make sure you decide whether or not you want a fancy Tea Party, or a Mad Hatter Style one. In my opinion, the latter holds more laughs, but it’s up to you!
Here are some supplies you’ll need.
Supplies:Â
- Tables
- Chairs
- Decorations
- Tea Cups
- Tea
- Tea Snacks
- Balloons
- Cake
Fun Ideas:
- Make it BYOTC: Bring Your Own Tea Cup
- Make everyone change places at random times
- Have little mini cakes
- Birthday cake shaped like a Tea Cup
You can fill in the rest with whatever makes your heart happy.
Instagram Themed Party
It’s no secret that teens love photo taking. I can barely be around mine for more than 10 minutes without them taking a selfie. So naturally, an Instagram Themed Party is the perfect way to go! How do you make a party Instagram-themed, you may be wondering…well read on and I’ll fill you in.
Photo Shoots
The most important aspect of this party is the photoshoots. By setting up different stations around your yard with cool elements and aesthetically pleasing backgrounds, you are creating an Instagram WONDERLAND. Your teen and their friends can go around taking photos together and by the end of it, they’ll have so many new photos for their feed that Instagram will be abuzz with this party!
Some different station themes you can use are:
- Plant Themed
- Lemons
- Mirrors
- Simple White Background
- Picnic
Bonus points if you make the cake in the shape of the Instagram logo!
Teen Olympics
This one is for the sportier teens. And it’s pretty simple! All you have to do is get together some of the best outdoor games, keep score as the teens go against each other, and the winners get cute metals! Here is a list of supplies:
Games
Prizes
Don’t forget to keep your kids hydrated! Keep water bottles and drinks on hand at all times.
Pro Tip: Leave the food for AFTER the games, otherwise, you risk a teen throwing up. Which is even more mortifying for them at this age.
Outdoor Ball
The last idea is a Ballroom Themed Party! It’s a fun juxtaposition of classy attire and nature that your teens will love. In order to achieve this, you’ll need to set the space. I recommend stringing up fairy lights around the yard as well as classy balloons. Have a table for punch, and only the classiest of snacks….maybe even a charcuterie board or 2. And of course MUSIC!
Supplies:
- String Lights
- Loud Music
- Punch Bowl
- Fancy Punch Glasses
- Classy Cake
- Charcuterie Board
Have each guest come dressed to the 9s. Bonus points if you have the music playing on a record player!
And there you have it. 7 of the coolest Backyard Party Ideas for Teens. I just know that there is something on this list that you fell in love with, so go…make a party to remember. And have all of the fun!
More Ideas You & Your Teen Will Love
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HOW TO PLAN A TEEN ROAD TRIP + FUN DESTINATIONSÂ – Road trips are one of the most fun ways to bond with your teen. Not to mention a sure-fire way to make a core memory! With all of the sites, road snacks, and one on one time in the car, there is no better recipe for a good time. I think that planning the road trip is half of the fun, so take a look at this article on how to plan your next teen road trip to get this party started!
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RIDDLES FOR TEENS WITH ANSWERS (HARDER THAN YOU THINK)Â – Does your teen think that they’re all-knowing? Well now is your chance to put them to the test! Next time they’re being a know-it-all, pull out this list of riddles and see how much they really know. I bet they’ll be surprised!
- 17 CHRISTIAN PODCASTS FOR TEENS – Your relationship with Christianity will change and blossom as you age, but this takes work. Each path looks different depending on the person, so yours could look completely different than the people around you, and that is okay. One great way to connect with your religion is to study using podcasts. Podcasts are great because you can put them in the background while you are getting tasks done. You can listen to them while you drive, clean, draw, you name it. There is always time for a podcast! So listening to a Christian podcast is perfect for those of you who live busy lives but still want to dedicate your time to creating a great relationship with the lord. Take a look at this list of 17 Christian Podcasts that you can continue your journey with today.
I am Natalie, the eldest sister of two teens. I hope to bring not only a fresh outer perspective but an internal one as well when writing here.