13 year old birthday party

[seeker]

What did you do for your 13 year old daughter's birthday?

I'm out of ideas!

My dd is a summer baby so by the time her 13th came round most of the school year had celebrated their 13th's in various ways....disco's in village halls where the whole school year was invited seemed to be the most popular. I opted for a quieter & cheaper option, she took 3 friends to a local spa. They had use of the hot tub, had facials, nails & eyebrows done. I provided soft drinks & nibbles for while they were there. Then they came back for a bbq & sleepover. They all loved it. This year she's having a friend over for a take away, sleepover & trip to the cinema.

Local beautician round here does manicure and pedicure parties. Would that appeal to her?

We just took dd and a bunch of friends to a "little bit posher than pizza" restaurant. They all sat at one end of a huge table and then dp and I, with dd1 and her friend, sat at the other end, with a gap in the middle!

THis year quite a few of them seem to be back to having "traditional party games" parties at their houses.

She says that next year she wants to either: be left with her friends at a restaurant and then we just come back to pay the bill (!) OR have a party at home where they all make bags or purses or something and then get takeaway pizza delivered and watch a DVD.

I took mine with a bunch of her mates to a photographer's studio for a photo session - they did individual shots of all the girls and a load of group shots, and we got to keep the dvd of photos. They arrived after lunch for "makeovers" - they did each others hair and make up; we went off for the shoot and then home for pizza (home-made) & chocolate fountain and 3 hours on sing-star!! They loved it and we have a load of lovely photos of them all - downloaded and printed off shots for the girls to take home and if they wanted they could get prints made up. Wasn't particularly cheap (session was £95) but there were 12 of them so worked out at less than £8 each!

Shopping Party - take them to your high street or mall and set challenges. Cheapest set of earrings, largest bag of sweets for £1, tackiest CD. Put them in pairs and send them off. Then take them out for a meal. You'll need to give them money for the challenges, but £10 each max should be enough.

D1 had a 'sixties' party at home, and she and her friends all dressed up as various actresses/models. We had naff party food, like sausage on sticks/ pineapple & cheese chunks on sticks stuck into half a grapefruit, party rings and a bowl of punch.

Played forfeits, pass the parcel etc. and finally sang loads of sing-star. I think they all enjoyed it.

I might suggest sdr's shopping party to D2 who is a compulsive spender - she'd be in seventh heaven.

My dd would LOVE the shopping party - it goes against all my anti-consumer principles, but I might very well go for it!