DISCLAIMER: Los Tweens & Teens received a few party supplies from Party City. As always, our opinions are our own.
Okay, I’ll just say it… tween birthdays are hard to plan! Lately it seems though many tweens want to have dance parties. One even hosted the first ‘nighttime’ party of the 6th grade- that was interesting! As they get older, kids want to start experimenting with new options and hosting a fun birthday can be a parent’s way to allow for some fun while you keep watch too.
What is my first suggestion for any party planning? Listen VERY CAREFULLY. What do they really want to do? After you hear out most of the drama related to tweens and any planning, you can figure out their true goal for the party.
After I got through a double dose of ideas, friend lists, possible themes and locations- I understood that my twin daughters really wanted to:
- Have fun with their friends
- Dance (yes as if no one is watching!)
- Have lots of candy (like a 5 year old!)
- Host their first-ever sleep over (hard topic for most Latina moms!)
- Have no real ‘theme’ – it was all about being colorful and dancing
With help from our amigos at Party City, the girls and I put together a fun party theme that was all about ‘lots of rainbow colors, candy and disco balls’ while keeping the whole thing very affordable! PARENT ALERT: Set your budget and STICK TO IT! You shouldn’t have to spend lots of money. Without a set theme you can put together your own colors and patterns to make the setting more unique.
Check out some of our photos which include a candy table, individual homemade fruity drinks and silliness!
We created a candy table but the ‘goody bags’ were different. We picked bright-colored popcorn-style paper buckets that are empty and each tween can select their own party favors and candy. The idea is to provide lots of creative options so they make their own choices.
Here’s a very silly video we turned into a movie trailer- Parents, Just Let Them Have Fun!
The true secret to my success was (drumroll…) – bringing my college-age ‘prima’ cousin who could lead them in dances, silly games, movies, hair designs and just keep up with them! I focused on making my ice-cream sandwich cookies and cupcakes in colorful baking cups while my cousin Jenny led the music and dancing. She also stayed up most of the night as they planned their sleeping locations and giggled for hours! In a separate post, I’ll share my easy peesy sandwich cookie step-by-step recipe, as you don’t have to spend lots of money on fancy cakes anymore. They love ‘individual’ desserts that are messy and gooey – that’s most of the fun right there!
Dance parties are good for boys and girls. I love staying close to the action so I can know my children’s friends and build trust with their parent. Together, we all help guide our children. Most of all – JUST HAVE FUN!
Abrazos-
As a mother of twin tweens in 2011 and an active Girl Scout Troop leader, Cristy realized there was a need to develop bilingual digital content and foster a community facing the challenges of raising kids after first grade. That year she founded and remains co-Publisher of Los Tweens & Teens, to support multicultural parents and mentors with content related to raising Gen Z- tweens & teens ages 7-18. Through the Los Tweens & Teens LIVE events such as Teens & Me – the growing team aims to provide our community with essential resources from chats with therapists to battle anxiety and bullying, to understanding social media and technology.