A teenager's birthday party should never be short of lots of friends, good food and fun entertainment. Don't worry: even if you turn winter, there are plenty of options available to you. Read the article to find out how to organize games to play indoors or activities that can be done outdoors in cold weather, such as a sled race or a campfire.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Organize Fun Winter Activities
Step 1. Choose the venue for the party
Unless you want to stay indoors all the time, you can find a suitable place for winter celebrations elsewhere as well. The options available to you vary mainly based on where you live. When making your evaluations, remember to consider your budget and the number of guests you intend to invite. The best places to host a winter birthday party include:
- Bowling;
- Game rooms;
- Restaurants;
- Cinema;
- Discos;
- Indoor swimming pools;
- Institutes where courses are held (for example in ceramics or dance);
- Indoor or outdoor skating rinks;
- Museums available to host parties and events.
Step 2. Plan activities based on the theme of the party
The best way to find the inspiration you need to come up with fun and engaging activities is to first decide what the theme of the party should be. Here are some examples of themes and possible related activities.
- "Art party": creating drawings, paintings or sculptures. You can also organize a real competition with judges and small prizes for the winners. The guests could also create something to use in the future, such as t-shirts or cloth bags.
- "The Disney World": Everyone loves characters from classic Disney movies. In this regard, there are several themed box games, but you can also organize a cartoon marathon.
- "Winter landscape": if you live in a place that is often covered with snow, take advantage of it. You can organize a sled race or challenge your guests to create the most beautiful snowman; you can even try to build a fort with snow. The important thing is that all participants wear snow clothing.
- "Culinary feast": buy ready-made biscuits or cakes, then let each guest decorate their cake with icing, sugar paste and colored sprinkles. You can watch a TV series like "Cake Boss" to find the inspiration you need.
- "Dance contest": play some music to find out who can come up with the best moves. You can use the Xbox or the Wii if you have music and dance games. When you are tired of struggling, you can turn into judges by watching and commenting on some TV shows dedicated to dance, such as "Dancing with the stars" or "Baila!".
- "Treasure hunt": treasure hunts are versatile, fun and easy to organize even indoors. Prepare the clues in advance, then hide them in the place where the party will take place. Divide the guests into different teams; the fastest will win the prize up for grabs.
- "Summer Dreaming": Attending a summer party indoors when the weather is cold and gray outside can be a lot of fun. Make flower necklaces and provide deckchairs to sit on. Choose appropriate background music, for example Beach Boys songs. Turn up the heat and ask everyone to bring some beach clothes. If you want, you can watch a classic movie set in the world of surfing.
- "Wellness center": pamper and mentally transport your guests to a wellness center. You can do a manicure and style each other's hair. Create some homemade beauty masks, light some scented candles and prepare some gift bags for all the guests: they could contain some make-up products or a sleeping mask.
- "Mystery Murder": Organizing a mock assassination is a great way to turn the whole party into a real playset. You can use a themed board game, download one for free from the web, or invent your own. Match a character to each guest, then send them a small description before the party starts. Ask guests to dress up inspired by their characters. During the party, you will have to ask yourself questions to determine who the killer is.
Step 3. Plan the party around a bonfire
A crackling fire is the perfect star of any party and in this case it has the added advantage of keeping guests warm. Pick a spot in your garden that is suitable for a bonfire, then arrange camping chairs all around the fire so you can roast hot dogs and marshmallows directly over the open flame.
- Safety first of all. After lighting the fire, prepare water and sand to put out the flames at the end of the party.
- Have a pile of wood handy to feed the fire during the party.
- Make blankets available. Even if you are around a fire, it might be nice to wrap yourself up in a warm wool blanket. If you don't have enough blankets for everyone, ask each guest to bring their own from home.
- If you know someone who can play the guitar, ask them to join the party so they can sing together around the fire.
Step 4. Create your own cinema
Whatever the theme of the party, it won't be hard to find a relevant movie or TV show to watch. Guests will have the opportunity to have fun and relax. Recreating the atmosphere of a real cinema will help you make the atmosphere festive.
- Hang a white sheet on an empty wall. Rent a projector to project the movie on your super cheap canvas screen. Make the environment comfortable by scattering pillows and blankets around the "room". If you live in an area where winter is mild, you can organize an outdoor cinema; especially in this case, blankets will be useful, and you could also light a nice bonfire.
- Serve popcorn just like in the cinema. Announce the movie you intend to show in advance so that guests already know what you will be watching during the party.
- Organize a movie marathon. You will be able to watch all the episodes that belong to a certain saga.
Step 5. Liven up the party with board games
Boxed games are the perfect ally for a birthday to be spent at home: they are cheap and guarantee hours and hours of pure fun. You can also prepare prizes for the winners.
- You can propose the most classic games, such as Monopoly, Risk or Trivial Pursuit.
- Alternatively, you can choose more interactive and creative games, such as Pictionary or Cranium.
- Choose board games that allow all participants to play at the same time, or organize several game stations.
- In addition to board games, you can propose fantasy games, such as "Never have I ever …", "Musical chairs", the mime game, "Two truths and one lie". Many of these games also have a tabletop version.
Method 2 of 3: Organize a Winter Birthday Party at Home
Step 1. Decide how many people to invite
When you start organizing your birthday party, think about who you would like to invite, also evaluating how many people you can comfortably host at home.
- Don't feel obligated to invite someone if you don't know them well. It's your party, so it's important that you feel comfortable; there is nothing strange about inviting only your closest friends.
- In some cases it is better to be few but good. Evaluate the amount of space you have available to figure out how many people you could comfortably accommodate. Consider if anyone will need a ride and decide if you want guests to stay and sleep in your home.
- Generally, guests to a teen's birthday party can range from 5 to 15, but the choice as to the final number is up to you. You may be happy having only your two best friends by your side or you may want to invite about twenty people because you feel very comfortable in the company of all of them. Remember to ask your parents for their opinion on the number of guests.
Step 2. Set a closing time
Setting the start and end times of the party will allow guests to know what awaits them. Setting a duration will also help you determine how much food and drink to prepare and how many people you can invite.
- If possible, schedule the party over the weekend to allow as many people as possible to accept the invitation. If you're planning a sleepover, decide when it's best for guests to arrive, but also when they'll have to leave the next day.
- Evaluate the planned activities. For example, if you want to have a bonfire, it is best to have the party start at sunset time.
Step 3. Choose a theme
Once you have decided on the main subject of the party, it will be easier to think about decorations, invitations and food. For a winter birthday party, the simplest choice might be a snowy landscape. You can decide to decorate the room with fake snowflakes and prepare some typically winter warm delights, such as roasted chestnuts or chocolate. Other possible winter themes are:
- Campsite and bonfire;
- A film set in winter (for example one of the Harry Potter saga);
- A combination of a birthday party and a Christmas party;
- A sporting event (for example a hockey match).
Step 4. Prepare and send out the invitations
Creating invitation cards is a fun way to make a party look even more special by raising the expectations of the guests. You can write or draw them by hand, use a program like Microsoft Word or PowerPoint or you can buy them ready-made at the stationery.
- You can choose to send the invitations by post or you can deliver them to friends personally.
- Check that you have indicated the date, time and address of the party; also, specify how you prefer to receive confirmation of participation. If you want guests to bring something special, write it clearly in the invitation; for example, if it is a sleepover, you should specify if you need to bring a blanket and pillow in addition to your pajamas.
- If you don't want to send out paper invitations, you can announce your party by creating an event on Facebook. All your friends will be able to confirm their participation or ask any questions directly on the event page.
Step 5. Decorate the setting for the occasion
Even if you don't want to try too hard, a few small decorations will make the setting look more festive and organized.
- Choose some basic colors for the decorations. For example, if your party theme is a winter landscape, silver, white and blue will help you create the mood you are looking for.
- Get a nice tablecloth for the table on which you intend to arrange the food, blow up some balloons to liven up the main room of the party and, if you wish, add some streamers or festoons.
- You can make a birthday banner with cardstock, markers, and bows.
- Let the fun begin even before the party starts by inviting one or two of your best friends to help you decorate and set the scene.
Method 3 of 3: Prepare Food and Drinks for a Winter Birthday Party
Step 1. Serve hot drinks
A winter birthday party is the perfect time to spoil guests with irresistible hot food and drinks. Hot chocolate, for example, is liked by everyone and is a perfect choice to warm the hearts of the guests.
- To create an even more festive atmosphere, you can create a wet bar in which to serve hot chocolate. Set up a table on which to place the hot chocolate with a copious amount of decorations and additional ingredients to choose from. You can provide whipped cream, chocolate chips, colored sprinkles, crumbled cookies and candy canes to mix with.
- In addition to chocolate you can offer hot apple cider. Prepare a large assortment of cups and glasses to choose from.
Step 2. Amaze guests with finger food
Even if the party doesn't fall at lunchtime or dinner time, it's best to prepare different types of appetizers.
- Pizza is a finger food that everyone likes, perfect for both a main meal and a snack. In addition to pizza, you can serve tasty pretzels, croutons, taralli and bread sticks.
- Offer different types of sauces to spread on croutons; for example a cheese sauce or hummus.
- Add a healthier course by cutting out different varieties of fruit and vegetables in advance.
Step 3. Let the guests compose their own dishes
This way everyone can indulge their preferences and avoid ingredients that could cause allergies. For example, if you want to serve Mexican nachos, arrange the different ingredients on separate plates and let the guests fill them. Other possible recipes perfect for a birthday party are:
- Salads;
- Sandwiches, wraps and sandwiches;
- Hamburger (also prepare a vegetarian version);
- Croquettes and meatballs;
- Mexican tacos;
- Rice or pasta salad;
- Savory pies.
Step 4. Choose the cake
Dessert is a staple in any birthday party. You can choose a classic decorated cake, cupcakes or a different type of dessert to your liking. Here are some possible alternatives to the more traditional choice:
- Cheesecake;
- Ice cream cake;
- Cake made of donuts (American donuts);
- Cookie Cake;
- Apple pie;
- Brownie.
Advice
- Clean and tidy the house before guests arrive.
- The invitations will also have to evoke the theme of the party.
- Gifts appeal to people of all ages; prepare a small gift bag for each guest so that everyone remembers your party for a long time. You can buy nice and cheap items in shops that sell all items for 1 euro.
Warnings
- If you need to book a room for the party, ask guests to confirm attendance well in advance.
- Explain the entire schedule to your parents to make sure they agree.
