Alcatraz Escape Games Blog

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.

Do the team members of your Draper or Lindon, Utah organization seem disinterested in work, always appear distracted, and provide little output? If so, they're not the only ones; actively disengaged workers comprised 16% of the American workforce in 2023, according to Gallup. Unfortunately, they cause an estimated $1.9 trillion in lost productivity.

The good news is that there are several ways to motivate disengaged workers, including inviting them to join fun team bonding activities. The primary goal of these events is to help employees connect with and trust each other, inspiring them to work harmoniously.

So, without further ado, here are the top corporate team activities to help unite your team and encourage every member to be happier and more active at work.

Food-Themed Contests

As National Geographic puts it, "To break bread together captures the power of a meal to forge relationships and provoke laughter."

So, why not use food as a theme for your future team-building exercises? While you'll design them to be friendly, healthy competitions, every member can still benefit since they'll get free food after (yay!). Such activities also encourage employees to bond and communicate better with each other.

For example, you can plan a monthly or twice-monthly contest where team members bring their best recipes. From the best chocolate chip cookies to focaccia and dips like spinach and cream cheese or guacamole, there are so many recipes that you surely won't run out of ideas.

You can even use the planning process as a form of team-building activity. For instance, you can run a poll to get ideas for the next contest and then have everyone vote. Alternatively, if you have a small team, you can designate one member to decide on the recipe.

Scavenger Hunts

A U.S. News and World Report article revealed why employees become disengaged. One is the lack of connection between them and their co-workers, bosses, or the organization they work for.

Sometimes, feelings of disconnection may result from ineffective communication or a lack of it. Another possible cause is thinking nothing else besides work ties team members together.

Scavenger hunts can be an effective way to start chipping away at that wall. After all, they're fun, exciting, and interactive group sessions that require participants to:

• Communicate effectively and collaborate to find clues
• Share information and insights to solve the puzzles
• Coordinate with each other by delegating tasks
• Work together to achieve a common goal

Since scavenger hunts require a lot of talking to each other, they're an excellent way to break communication barriers. As communication-intensive activities, they can help improve employees' abilities to listen actively and express ideas.

You can also set up scavenger hunts as a fun and exciting way to help new hires navigate the workplace and learn where is where. They're also an excellent way for new hires to get to know their longer-tenured, more experienced co-workers. On the other hand, existing employees may feel more appreciated because someone looks up to them for help and guidance.

Escape Rooms

If you're looking for teamwork enhancement games even more thrilling than scavenger hunts, look no further than escape rooms. Like scavenger hunts, they can also help improve:

• Communication
• Collaboration
• Problem-solving skills

However, escape rooms are more immersive because they add theatrics to gameplay, critical thinking, and physical adventure. Thus, they can help participants have more memorable experiences with their co-workers. The positive experiences these team-bonding events bring can then kickstart better teamwork.

At Alcatraz Escape Games, your team can choose from various escape room themes, such as:

• A ghost-themed adventure at the Chloe room
• Treasure hunting adventure at the Raider's Revenge room
• Apocalypse adventure at the Zombie Panic/Fallout room
• Magic-themed adventure at the Wizard Hysteria/Enchanter's Curse room

If you and your team members are up for high-tech gaming, we've also got you covered. Whether you're into haunted houses, dragons, pirates, or ninjas, you'll find our VR escape rooms up to your standards.

Team Picnics and Games

Draper and Lindon, UT, are home to beautiful parks with designated areas for picnics and activities. In Draper, there's Draper City Park and Hidden Valley Park, while in Lindon, there's Lindon City Park and Fryer Park, to name a few.

Consider planning a picnic in any of these parks because it allows you and your team to be in nature. According to the American Heart Association, spending time in nature can bring the following health benefits:

• Ease stress and anxiety
• Improve mood
• Enhance feelings of happiness and well-being
• Improve problem-solving skills
• Feel a sense of belonging

Everyone can enjoy those benefits while also participating in fun team bonding activities. For example, you can have each member bring their best recipe to share for the potluck. After the meal, you can then hold contests like:

• Board games
• Trivia
• Scavenger hunt
• Tug-of-war

Since a team picnic is an activity-filled day, you'd have to schedule it when everyone is off, such as on a weekday. However, considering all its benefits, it can be a fun and tummy-filling way to spend a day off.

Do Something Charitable

Last but not least, consider setting up a charitable event with the entire team. For example, you can volunteer at a soup kitchen, a clean-up, or a tree-planting event at a local park.

Participating together in something that benefits others brings a different kind of happiness and satisfaction. You and your team members can bond over these positive emotions and acts, strengthening your relationship and communication.

Try These Fun Team Bonding Activities

From holding food-themed contests to planning team picnics and having a blast in escape rooms, these are just some ideas for fun team bonding activities everyone will likely enjoy. So, start drafting your plan and scheduling these events as soon as possible. The sooner you do, the sooner you can help your team members feel more engaged and productive.

If you're ready to schedule your escape room experience, our expert team at Alcatraz Escape Games will gladly help you plan it. We're the best choice for your adventure, with over a hundred 5-star Trip Advisor reviews and 1,000+ 4- and 5-star Google reviews.

Connect with us today to book your experience or ask about our escape rooms!