A birthday party for teens

Food
Teenagers can eat a great deal, so plan to serve lots of food. Also, provide non-alcoholic drinks. You may want to serve them in cans instead of from a punch bowl, to which alcohol can easily be added.

Here are some tips for successful food planning:

Avoid messy foods Teenagers won't eat anything that they might end up wearing. Ditto on any food that gets stuck between the teeth, such as dips containing bits of spinach. If you want to make your teens happy, hang a mirror by the buffet table for quick appearance checks!

Wraps Put the ingredients on a wrap (such as cheese, prawns, ham, salad and so on) roll it up, slice it, pile the rolls on a platter and serve.

Mexican treats Make a large plate of nachos, suggests 'Jennifer', an iVillage community member. First, cook one pound of minced beef with a small onion and a green pepper. Add taco seasoning, a couple of tablespoons of salsa and three tablespoons of tomato ketchup. Mix well. Place a lot of tortilla chips on a plate. Using a microwave, melt grated cheese on top and sprinkle with the meat mixture. Add lettuce, sour cream and guacamole and serve.

Provide plenty of bowls filled with snacks Keep bowls well supplied with crisps, peanuts, and pretzels. Keep amounts small so that you have to refill the bowls often - a perfect, non-intrusive way to monitor party guests.

Gifts
Teenagers can't wait to grow up. Bear this in mind when buying them gifts, and you won't go wrong. Parents should, however, give family gifts prior to the party. Here are some ideas for appropriate presents for a teenager:

Clothes Go on a birthday shopping trip together. Allow your teenager to buy what interests him or her, without judgment from you!

Tickets Get two tickets for your teenager and a guest to attend a popular sporting event, concert or play.

Dinner out Take your teenager out to a special dinner. Make it an event by allowing your teenager to choose the venue.