• Provide special lights and bright colors for any teen party.party time image by kolesn from Fotolia.com
  
  The teenage years are a time of great excitement, and the thirteenth birthday ranks as a lifetime milestone. More emotional and physical changes occur for children as they take this giant step towards maturity than at any other time besides infancy. It is an occasion to really celebrate and to create a memorable and fun event. Be sure to discuss party ideas with your new teenager as you make plans.
  
  

DIY Party

• A Do-It-Yourself party provides as many opportunities as possible for kids to get involved and stay active. Ask each guest to bring a pair of white sneakers to decorate and provide white T-shirts as well, along with fabric paint, markers, glue, and sequins. The partygoers can also create their own food with toppings for individual pizzas set out alongside toppings for salads. Cupcakes can be decorated as each guest desires. A karaoke machine provides the ultimate DIY entertainment and can be rented from a local party rental store.
  
  

Call in an Expert

• If your birthday boy or girl can't live without baseball or has a new hairstyle every day, a local community college can provide a student baseball coach or a cosmetology student (or two) to provide some instruction and hands-on fun. New teenagers are still impressed by older teens and will listen avidly to a college student demonstrate batting tips and fielding strategies. Student cosmetologists can demonstrate French braiding and talk to girls about makeup. The themes need to extend after the expert leaves: Provide the girls with more spa and personal-care activities like facials or an array of different nail polishes. The guys can watch sports videos, have a throwing or batting challenge contest, and eat hot dogs and peanuts.
  
  

A Musical Celebration

• Posters of a favorite band, a cake in the shape of a guitar, and music videos playing in the background will delight young music fans. A karaoke machine can also be the centerpiece for a party focused on your teenager's favorite band or rock star. Other ideas include opportunities to let loose and dance, movies with a dance theme, teaching the teens a dance step from your own era, or, if you have access to a drum set, finding someone to teach them a basic drum beat or two.
  
  

Take a Trip

• All teenagers love to get out and about, and a simple trip to the movies or a more active trip like river rafting or rock-climbing is sure to please. You might rent a cabin in the woods or at the shore and allow the teenagers a whole day plus a sleepover. Beach locations lend themselves to flying kites, volleyball games, and sand-castle-building contests. In the mountains, you and the teens can take a hike, build a campfire, and roast s'mores. Trips to local amusement parks or paintball locations may also delight.