Planning a Beach Birthday Party for Teens
This is a big year for our family. My oldest is graduating and turning 18 and will be starting trade school in the fall and my youngest is turning 16. She is not someone who likes to be the center of attention, but I couldn’t let the opportunity to celebrate her pass us by. Thankfully she was ok with me planning a teenage birthday party on the beach. But of course, I had to add my own finishing touches to customize it.
Brain Storming Beach Party Ideas for Teens
Follow along as I paint a picture of what I am planning for our surfside soirée. I’ll outline decor ideas, food suggestions and tips for hosting off site, as well as activities to keep everyone happy. Planning a teenage birthday party on the beach presented a few challenges; what activities would they not think are too ‘dorky’, what foods could we easily and safely serve? I’ve got solutions for you. Keep reading.
Things to Consider
When Planning a Party on the Beach
Location
Initially we wanted to host a bonfire on the beach but none of our local beaches allow it, so our next priority became finding a beach that was free to access and also easy to find. We have a favorite pocket beach that we love to visit because it is away from the tourists and major crowds.
It also has a great parking lot with plenty of space. Included with the invitations I created, we sent along directions that featured a QR Code that instantly pulled up the google map instructions. I also made sure to include step-by-step instructions to assist in finding it.
Food and Drink
We all love tacos, so we knew we wanted to serve Mexican food for her party. We had a couple of options here; we could grill our own carne asada or we could buy local. In the past I may have chosen to DIY it but this time we decided to order party platters of fajitas, beans, rice, chips, salsa, and all the fixings.
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Food safety is always a big concern of mine. The last thing I want to do is get someone sick simply because I served them food. Hot foods need to be kept at least 140°, so I made sure to pick up a few of these chafing dishes. Remember, if you aren’t keeping your food at a consistent safe temperature, it should be put away after 2 hours.
Our cake, ensalada de frutas (con chile y chamoy), and drinks will need to be kept cool, so we will be sure to have a large capacity cooler and plenty of ice. I plan on bringing gallon ziploc bags to store leftovers in the cooler after our fuel runs out, as well.
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Drinks will be Topo Chico, water, and Watermelon Agua Fresca, per the birthday girl’s request. I’ve got a wonderful 2 gallon beverage dispenser that will be perfect for it, plus it’s really cute.
For dessert, besides the cake we will have s’mores available. Because we can’t have a bonfire on the beach I decided to get a small, portable charcoal grill to roast marshmallows over.
Activities on the Beach For Teens
I’m not sure it’s necessary to have activities for the beach, as everyone always seems to keep themselves busy without issue, but I did want to have a few options for people just in case. Here are some of the ideas I considered:
- Bucket Ball
- Hula Hoops
- Ladder Ball
- Cornhole
- Giant Tumbling Block Tower (Jenga)
- Beach Volleyball
- Light Up Beachballs
- Horseshoes
Beach Decor and Party Necessities
I didn’t start this party with a theme in mind, but I happened to see the perfect plates, bowls, and serving platters at Dollar Tree. They never let me down for party planning. I made sure to pick up the Tableware Kit for 50 People from Party City. A match made in heaven. The birthday girl didn’t want too much fanfare, like I said, so I went pretty simple but it had to coordinate.
One thing I did want to try my hand at was a balloon mosaic. I don’t want to go BIG like most of them are, but I am planning on a smaller version letter A. I think balloons are such a fun and inexpensive way to make a big impact at a party.
To tie it all together, I used Canva to design invitations. I love Canva because it is so simple to use and you can’t go wrong when you use their templates and suggested font pairings. I had them printed on a heavy weight cardstock at the local office store, then I cut them myself. If I can make something custom, I will almost always choose to do that over buying something pre-made. I love to coordinate everything and make it unique.
Lastly, I always like to have some sort of themed party favor to give our guests. I am excited to make candy sea glass treat bags for the cherry on top.
I’ve really had a lot of fun planning for this teenage birthday party on the beach and I can’t wait till the big day comes. Can you think of anything I’m missing? What would you add to the party? Leave your comment below and let me know.
