StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,718 
Location: Ohio
|
Post by StephDRebel on Sept 28, 2019 15:23:22 GMT
We have a new social circle this year and have joined up with a group that does dinner every Thursday night.
We've gotten to know them pretty well and one of the members is a single dad with 2 college aged kids and a girl, turning 13 in May. Mom passed when she was 7.
Birthdays and parties came up a few weeks ago and when I asked how she was going to celebrate her official "I'm a teenager" birthday she said that they always rent the trampoline place overnight and that they would probably do that...again but was not at all enthused about it.
As the conversation progressed she said that she wanted something different and her dad was on board and I think just kind of confused about what to do.
She came to me this week and said that she had been thinking about it and talking to her dad and she wanted to know if I could help her plan something.
Of course, I'm in.
Now what?
I told her we need to brainstorm, so I'm picking her up from school on thursdays to spend a couple of hours with her. Coffee, pedicures, and girl talk. She doesn't have much feminine influence and my nieces are all out of state so I'm thrilled to pair up with her some.
She really doesn't know what to even do for a party so I want to brainstorm and see what I can come up with.
I've never planned for girls 😂
Any great ideas that you've seen or done?
I'll be swiping her dad's Visa and the budget is pretty loose, he wants this to be the best experience yet.
Help?
|
|
|
|
Post by mom on Sept 28, 2019 15:29:57 GMT
No ideas off the top of my head, but I LOVE that you are taking this on. Whatever you do will be amazing!
|
|
kate
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,667
Location: The city that doesn't sleep
Site Supporter
Jun 26, 2014 3:30:05 GMT
|
Post by kate on Sept 28, 2019 15:33:20 GMT
What a fun project!
How many invitees? and does she have any hobbies that would lend themselves to an "experience"?
Off the top of my head:
Manicures (or professional makeup or something fancy like that) followed by high tea at a posh downtown hotel or restaurant
A cooking or baking class where the kids could eat the fruits of their labor
If it's a small group, a (touring) Broadway show would be fun
|
|
wellway
Prolific Pea
Posts: 9,203
Jun 25, 2014 20:50:09 GMT
|
Post by wellway on Sept 28, 2019 15:33:25 GMT
Good for you.
What type of girl is she? Sporty, fashion conscious, arty, musical or all of them? Does she have a big group of friends or a couple of close mates?
The answers might point to the type of thing she would like.
|
|
|
|
Post by moretimeplease on Sept 28, 2019 16:42:02 GMT
My daughter did dinner and an escape room for her 13th. They all had a blast.
|
|
RosieKat
Drama Llama
PeaJect #12
Posts: 5,690
|
Post by RosieKat on Sept 28, 2019 17:07:18 GMT
My 13 y.o. DD would love the coffee, pedi, girl talk thing for a party. She and her friends also love any time they get to cook something fun, like the baking idea above. And they all love to go indoor rock climbing - a lot of the gyms will do parties, maybe you get a chunk of time doing that, a chunk of time in the arcade, bowling.
|
|
|
|
Post by PenandInk on Sept 28, 2019 17:20:35 GMT
Steph, I don’t know you, except for here, and I have no ideas for you, but I just want you to know that you are the human I aspire to be.
|
|
|
|
Post by cmpeter on Sept 28, 2019 17:27:19 GMT
Some of my daughter’s favs:
At a trapeze place...lessons and getting up on the ropes. Lunch out after with a group of friends
Weekend in Vegas with her aunts and me to watch three Cirque shows, hang at the pool and eat out.
The time dh and I were both traveling to NYC for work and we brought her with us. A day alone in the hotel with room service. We also saw Wicked and Kinky Boots.
|
|
StephDRebel
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,718
Location: Ohio
|
Post by StephDRebel on Sept 28, 2019 17:31:15 GMT
Honestly, I'm not super sure. The time that I have spent with her so far has been in a big, loud, crazy group and she is kind of quiet and gets stuck playing with the little kids a lot of the times. She always sits near me, but across the table and we haven't had any real conversations outside of a group. Usually, they rent the facility and invite everyone but I'm not sure how many friends that includes vs family and her dads support system. I volunteered to start picking her up each Thursday so that we can hang, and I plan on finding out what makes her tick. She's huge into FFA so I thought about animals, but that is her whole life, this might should be something different. I asked her if she had any ideas last week and she said "I don't even have a clue, whatever you decide will be perfect I'm sure". She's intrigued by travel and always asks about trips and places that we've been so I'm also considering a weekend flyaway or road trip if she has a couple of besties. An escape room sounds super fun, I feel like we have discussed them around the table and she said they looked exciting. Putting it on the drawing board, thank you! We have a bowling alley with a private room with 4 lanes that might be good for a semi-decent crowd, I will definitely get more details. I don't think we have rock climbing locally, and a cooking class sounds like SO much fun. There is a big ass cabin near here with an indoor pool and a huge kitchen. Maybe I could have someone come in and do a cooking class and then hang at the cabin for the night. What about a painting class? Would they be into it or too young maybe? I think they're so fun, but I've also been overserved every time so I might be a terrible judge! So far, I've also got a spa day, a glamping sleepover with a disco ball in the trees and outdoor movies, and potentially renting a hotel suite somewhere with a cool pool. Let's hope she still thinks i'm cool after we hang out. Judging by my own children, she might be sorely disappointed  |
|
Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 21:22:14 GMT
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 28, 2019 17:31:39 GMT
Depends on how many girls and what's available in your area: Escape Room Glow in the Dark/Night Bowling Hotel that has pool Mani/Pedi Ceramics Painting Ice/Roller Skating Rock Climbing Horseback Ridding
ETA:
Concert Scavenger Hunt
|
|
|
|
Post by Basket1lady on Sept 28, 2019 17:38:02 GMT
DD had a sleepover for her 13th birthday. She wanted stations set up. I know we had a manicure station, a makeup station, and a craft station. They decorated a photo frame and we enclosed a group photo with the thank you note. Then they watched a movie. My best advice for a sleepover is to have it on a Friday night. That way, the girls are tired from a long week of school and fall asleep before 4am! And they have Saturday and Sunday to recover before school on Monday.
For DD‘s 14th birthday, we had one of the employees at Charming Charlie’s take the girls around the store and put together 3 outfits and then change them up with accessories. I had $20 gift cards for each girl. Some saved them, some spent them, some pooled their money. I was pretty impressed with how they all handled it. The girls had a BLAST and still talk about it 6 years later.
|
|
paigepea
Drama Llama
Enter your message here...
Posts: 5,609
Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
|
Post by paigepea on Sept 28, 2019 17:52:15 GMT
My dd did dinner and then escape room for her 13th. Next week is 14 and she wants dinner at a restaurant close to home to they can walk back and watch a movie.
|
|
gina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,461
|
Post by gina on Sept 28, 2019 18:31:36 GMT
A cooking/baking party is most popular with my tween. Then again, she also wants to go to culinary school so she enjoys cooking a little more than most.  Still a fun party idea! Escape Rooms were definitely a hit with my older guys at that age. As long as they haven't done a ton... then they get a little redundant. We have a zip lining park here. That was my son's choice at 13 (but sis and female friends also enjoyed!) The last party my youngest went to was a paint palette party. We have a local place here where you pick your piece and saying before hand... then everything was ready for them that day. It was 5-6 girls and they had a BLAST!! If they don't have the wooden sign option, usually you can find "paint and sip" type places that will do the canvas (obviously, no "sipping" for a kid. lol) |
|
|
|
Post by pierkiss on Sept 28, 2019 20:41:36 GMT
Tweens/tweens like to craft and make things. She could have an art party. Look into if you have a local painting/creating studio (like that does wine and canvas) and see if they have an option for kids. They can go do that for an hour or two. Then they can grab some food somewhere and go back to her place for a sleepover.
My daughter just turned 10. We had an epic sleepover for her. She REALLY wanted to do an escape room with her friends. So she got to pick 4 friends (because my car can only hold 5 kids), and we went and did that. Then I took them to Jimmy Johns for dinner, and we came back to our house afterwards. We have a pool, so a night swim with the tiki torches lit was a must. Then everyone changed into their jammies and we did face masks and manicures. Followed by cupcake decorating and eating and movies and treats. They had a BLAST.
|
|
Still a fun party idea!