Celebration-on-a-budget for DD turning 16

[JessePinkmansHoody]

Can you help me think of some ideas? DD will be 16 just before Christmas... always a problem, birthday-at-Christmas as money is tight. She is not unaware or uncaring of the money issue but I DO want to do something for her over and above the usual sleepover but can't afford to hire a hall and have a party.. or do the "limousine" thing that some of the friends have had...

My boss suggested my friend's mum caravan for a little break for her and her best mates (and me and another mum!) and I think we'd cracked it as the friend's mum only charges for expenses.. but the site is Haven and shut from Nov to March... so back to square one....

Theme parks also closed...

Have now realised I need the Mumsnet collective for this....

Normal birthday in this household. Meal out with the family (as in me,DH and DCs)

Yes thanks.. maybe a family meal out and I could include her Dad and his wife etc and invite a couple of her friends..

Evening Theatre trip just the two of you?

Spa afternoon? Take a few of them to get their nails done? They'll be dead just before Christmas so you might get a midweek deal.

Have a look on wowcher etc they do spa deals or salon deals. You can get a travel lodge for cheap rate and 3 friends could sleep in one room. That and meal. Go early bird to save more money. Then snacks in the room. You pick them up in the morning. They would feel so grown up.

divorced mum of 16 year old with birthday at christmas here! Hers was last year and we went for a meal - all my side of the family, gparents, my brother and sister and their partners and my niece and nephew and my partner. And our gay friend Craig. Obviously. Made a big deal of her being the birthday girl, did pressies at the restaurant to make it even bigger, was lovely.
Didnt ever contemplate a party or a limo I must say - thats far to ott for a birthday, if she wants those things she will be paying herself, Im not prepared to deal with a hall full of lets face it drunk teenagers. Im not tarring them all with the same brush but when I did let her have a party (no occasion) last summer, nearly all kids bought booze.
Oh wait, I did let her have a big sleepover - yep, I did a sweep of the bedroom and found a bottle of vodka! Teens are shits! I confiscated it - they had other stuff but I Wasnt comfortable with that amount when there were only 5 of them.

What does SHE want to do?

My dd had her 16th in the church hall with a bouncy castle, fancy dress, and a party tea! An amazing, enjoyed by all ironic return to childhood.

Current form round here is for the girls to book themselves a table at a restaurant - chico's, bella pasta, frankie and benny's etc and they each pay their share.

then they pile back home for late night DVD's, girl talk and sleep over.

She put in a bid for the house party, we offered a community centre, she said no. Fizzled down to half a dozen close friends. We decorated the house as if she were 6 and did family stuff when she got in from school before he went out with friends.

Cake was lit when they all came in, big sing song, linked the two halves of the evening quite nicely.

I'd suggested a trip to get her hair done, nails, makeup then a family meal out but she wasn't that bothered.

I think her sister will do something entirely different. Possibly to do with horses......

Fab ideas thank you. :) Heyho I'm pretty such 15/16 year olds wouldn't be able to stay in a Travel Lodge ie similar, alone tho unfortunately.. Loving the spa ideas..