Celebrate your teen's birthday with a sophisticated party.
A child's 13th birthday marks his first year as a teenager and can be very special. As a new teenager, your child is moving closer to adulthood and may want to celebrate that with a more sophisticated menu than the usual cupcakes and hot dogs from past birthdays. Explore some of the many food options for your teen's birthday to plan a menu that the birthday boy will enjoy. Does this Spark an idea?
Appetizers and Drinks
Serve appetizers and drinks that teens will be sure to eat and drink. Choose appetizers that are not too "kid-like"---skip the peanut butter and jelly crackers. Serve baked pretzel bites filled with cheese or even jalapeno poppers and mozzarella sticks. Young teens may not yet be able to fully appreciate goat cheese on crackers, but they can certainly appreciate some cheesy, beefy nachos or fresh veggies with dip.
Choose drinks that are not too sugary. If your teen really likes soda, offer it but ask the kids to drink it in moderation. If this could be a problem, make a mixed fruit punch and add some soda water. The result is a sweet and fizzy drink that will not cause the sugar rush that sodas do. Offer milk as another option. Chocolate milk may be a favorite of younger kids, but teens who like chocolate may choose it over anything else. Offer water as well, especially if the party is outdoors. Keeping kids hydrated in warmer weather is important.
Main Course
Allow the guests to get involved for the main course. Lay out a buffet of ingredients, and allow guests to choose what they want to add to their own personal meal. Make enough pizza dough for each guest to have an individual pizza. Offer different types of sauce, cheese, meat and veggies to add on top. Allow them to build the pizzas and then have an adult bake them. If you do not want to make pizzas, consider a taco or burger bar. Provide taco shells or burger buns, burgers or taco meat, and all of the toppings that the kids might like to add.
Dessert
Lay out several different types of dessert for your guests throughout the party, or save the sweets for after dinner. If you do choose to lay out some sweets, choose easy to eat items like cookies or brownies. Make a cake for the party, but allow the teens to decorate it themselves. Ask them all to pitch in on one large cake, or have them decorate their own cupcakes. Provide them with icing, sprinkles, whipped cream and different types of candy to decorate with.
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