Sensational Ideas for a Sweet 16 Birthday
By Penny Warner
Turning sixteen is an exciting rite of passage celebrated around the world. This milestone event signals that your little girl is growing up. Help her celebrate her Sweet Sixteen, Bat Mitzvah, or Quinceanera with a sweetheart party that commemorates this special time.
Themes
Choose a theme to wrap the party around based on a favorite hobby, like scrapbooking or jewelry making; or a special interest, like soccer or fashion. To make it easy, find a party package to match the theme, and add your special touches.
- “Hearts for the Sweetheart” with a heart-filled party room.
- “Pretty Princess Party” with fancy gowns and gloves.
- “Surf and Sand” picnic at the beach.
- “Sweet Sixteen Sleepover” with music, movies, and makeovers.
- “Primping and Pampering Party” with beauty makeovers.
- “Think Pink” with pink outfits, pink food, pink drinks, and pink poodles.
- “Crop Till You Drop” scrapbook party with all the trimmings.
- “Mystery Party” with suspects, clues, and red herrings.
- “Glow-in-the-Dark Party” to light up the night.
Invitations
- Choose an invitation to match the theme, such as a heart for a “Hearts for the Sweetheart Party”
or a scrapbook page for a “Crop Till You Drop Party.”
- Include a baby picture of the guest of honor on the front of the invitation and write “Before.”
Inside add a current picture and label it “After.”
- Sprinkle confetti, tiny hearts, or small candies into the envelope for a surprise when the guests
open the invitation.
Dress
- Ask guests to dress to fit the theme, such as anything pink for a “Pink Party,” PJs for a
“Sleepover Party,” or pretty dresses for a “Pretty Princess Party.”
- When the guests arrive, offer them matching accessories, such as heart bracelets and
necklaces, plush kitty cats, silk roses, or magnifying glasses and detective notebooks.
- If it’s a sleepover, consider providing inexpensive cami and crop sets or PJ Tees.
Decorations
- Match the theme with balloons, banners, and tableware. For example, if you’re hosting a
“Hearts for the Sweetheart Party,” fill the room with hearts. Hang heart mobiles from the
ceiling, tape up heart banners, float heart balloons, and set the table with heart tablecloths
and tableware.
- If it’s a “Pink Party,” turn the room pink, with paper decorations, flowers, ribbons, and table
settings. Set out some pink poodles around the room, along with pink candles and pink flower
petals.
Games and Activities
- Rent a karaoke machine and let the girls sing and dance.
- Hand out disposable cameras for candid shots. Let them make their own pictures frames.
- Play “Who’s the Baby?” Ask guests to bring their own baby pictures, then pass them around
and have players try to guess who’s who.
- Put together a scrapbook page with hearts, letters, beads, stampers, stickers, paper, etc.
- Offer beading and charm kits to match the party theme, and then let the girls make their own
necklaces or bracelets.
Food
- Pizzas, hamburgers, hot dogs, salad bar, chips and dips
- Chocolate dipped strawberries or chocolate fondue with a variety of fruits.
- Giant heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie, decorated with hearts.
- Have a bakery create a cake with a photo image of the guest of honor in the center. Choose
a funny photo for added fun.
Favors
- Red wax lips, chocolate foil wrapped lips, and gummy lips, for a Spa Party.
- Red foil, chocolate or silk roses for a Tea Party.
- Pink poodles for a Pink Party or plush kitties for a Kitty Party.
- Heart cups, mugs, pens, and candles for a Heart Party.
- T-shirts with “Sweet Sixteen” drawn on them, using fabric pens, for a Beach Party.
- Glow bracelets for a Glow-in-the-Dark Party.
- Notebooks and magnifying glasses for a Mystery Party.
