There are over a billion adolescents in the world, according to UNICEF. Though the organization defines an adolescent as anyone between the ages of 10 and 19, the majority are likely teenagers.

Adolescence is often a confusing time, both for the teen and their parents or guardians. Seemingly simple tasks, like throwing a birthday party, can be tougher with a teenager.

You're not the first person to struggle with this, though. Plenty of others have been there and come up with some great birthday ideas for teens. We'll offer some suggestions and advice in this article.

Visit an Escape Room

Escape rooms took the world by storm several years ago, and their popularity hasn't waned since. The main draw of escape rooms is the mystery and challenge they offer. Players must solve some sort of puzzle before time runs out to complete a room.

Traditional Rooms

You can book an escape room at Alcatraz Escape Games in Draper, UT. We offer scenarios and themes ranging from pirates searching for treasure to a chilling haunted house escape where you'll encounter a vengeful ghost named "Chloe".

Virtual Reality

If you like the idea of an escape room but would prefer something a little more innovative, we offer escape experiences that utilize virtual reality. With this technology, we can explore intriguing ideas that wouldn't otherwise be possible.

Now, guests can explore time travel adventures and a dragon's lair, among other fantastic scenarios.

Throw a Pool Party

Whether you own a pool or book a public one, pool parties offer hours of fun. Pools are timeless. The only thing that changes is how we use them. While younger kids might play with pool noodles or practice cannonballs, older kids might try to swim laps or chat with others while relaxing in the water.

Water helps us feel better, whether we swim or not. Studies have shown that contact with water triggers our parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for calming us down after an exciting or stressful situation. Scientists don't know why water has this effect on us, but they do agree that it happens.

Have a Game Night

Whether you're fonder of videogames or board games, we can all agree that there's something special about gathering loved ones around for a friendly competition.

Board Games

The great thing about games is that they cater to a wide range of objectives and playstyles. A deduction game like Clue will play very differently from cooperative games like Pandemic, which in turn are a far cry from strategy war games like Root.

Videogames

Videogames don't allow for as many players as some board games do, but they do offer the same variety of objectives and playstyles, if you know where to look.

Whether you're looking for an innovative game, or simply a fun one, you have plenty of options. Ask your teen what games they like, and you have a recipe for unique birthday celebrations.

Theater Party

If you're looking for teen birthday party themes, host a movie night. Some theaters allow people to rent out rooms for parties, so your teen can catch a showing of a movie with their closest friends.

Most of us don't have the money to rent out a movie theater, but that doesn't mean that we can't have a theater party. Whether you have a bit of space in the backyard or a living room with a couch and a few chairs, you can still throw a watch party.

Having a watch party at home offers its own set of advantages, with the biggest one being more options. Perhaps your favorite movie is twenty or thirty years old. Maybe the local theater has a copy or can play yours on the big screen, but there's no guarantee.

Paintball

One of the most exciting birthday ideas on our list is a paintball outing. Any birthday party can be awesome, but not much beats paintball if you want pulse-pounding thrills.

Paintball is a simulated wargame that will appeal to everyone from dedicated athletes to amateur strategists. Paintball engages our bodies at every level, from physical endurance to coordination and planning.

There are a few things to remember when planning a paintball party. The first is that safety is a top priority for any reputable paintball attraction, so you don't need to worry about anybody getting injured. The second is that paintball gear protects against injury, but not pain. Unless you wear layers or padded clothing, getting hit will hurt.

Dinner Party

Hosting a nice dinner probably isn't high on your teen's birthday party planning list, but you shouldn't dismiss it. Dinner parties offer the unique advantage of working in tandem with other parties. For instance, you could combine a dinner party with a watch party by having a movie play while your guests eat a meal that pairs well with the movie.

Dinner and Escape

You can even mix it with one of our escape rooms. We host birthday parties that include an escape experience and an hour in one of our party rooms. These rooms come with plates, cups, and napkins, as well as free setup and cleanup services.

Themes

A dinner party with a theme is something we should all experience at least once. Whether you're going for Old Hollywood, an 80s theme, or anything else, dressing up for a theme party is a big part of the fun.

Try adding food and games that fit into the theme of the party as well. It might take a little creativity on your part, but a well-executed theme is worth it.

Birthday Ideas for Teens

Coming up with birthday ideas for teens isn't easy, but you have many options available. We've talked about a few ideas here, but feel free to add your own ideas or put twists on established ones.

You can book an escape room party on our site. If you have any questions about escape rooms and how our escape rooms work, read through our FAQs. They'll tell you everything from when to show up to what rooms have age requirements.