18th Birthday Ideas

Turning 18 only happens once in a lifetime and it is often a very exciting event for a young man or woman. Celebrate this milestone occasion with a birthday celebration. Get started on planning your party with online birthday invitations that you can send to party guests for free. This birthday is special and it deserves an awesome 18th birthday party to celebrate it! To plan this birthday party successfully, you may need to make a checklist of all the party supplies, decorations, etc. that you will need. Here are some great 18th birthday party ideas to consider in your party planning process:

• Surprise Party: This is a great idea for an 18th birthday party. You may want to ask your son or daughter’s best friend to help make the guest list to make sure that you don’t forget to invite anyone. Make it very clear on the invitations that the party is a surprise. Also, send online invitations so you can keep track of RSVPs in your private email inbox, rather than on your family's voicemail. This will help to ensure the surprise stays a surprise!

• Outdoor Movie Party: This 18th birthday party idea is the perfect way to enjoy nice weather with friends and watch a movie together. All that you need to do is hang up a large projector screen in your backyard. If you don’t have one, you can usually rent a blow up screen for about $200 that can be used with standard projectors. Invite your friends over, make some delicious snacks, and enjoy a couple of your favorite films. Don't forget the popcorn and candy!

• Night on the Town:  A fun 18th birthday party idea is to rent a limo to take the birthday girl or boy and their friends out for a glamorous night out on the town. After all, 18 is usually the age that teenagers can legally enter dance clubs, comedy clubs, etc. A limousine can usually be rented for a few hours for under $500 depending on the limo company. Make plans ahead of time with the driver about sights around the city to drive by, what restaurant to go to, and anywhere else you want the limo to take the guests.

• Rent Inflatable Fun: Remember when you were a kid and a bouncy house was the greatest part of a birthday party? Well it still has that “wow” factor for eighteen year olds as well! So much so, that you often see bounce houses and other inflatable games as part of "Spring Fling" festivals on college campuses! Rather than the typical bounce house, however, rent an obstacle course, inflatable slide, or other inflatable that is more age-appropriate. This is a great way for guests to revert back to their childhoods when they didn’t have to worry about midterms, SATs, and college applications. Play upbeat music in the background to get the guests bouncing around and having a blast.  

• Concert/Sports Game: This is a great 18th birthday idea for a party or a gift. Search for tickets to your son or daughter’s favorite sports team or band. Choose a night that works for the both of you and make it part of the birthday celebration. If tickets aren’t too expensive, you could also pick up some tickets for a few of your child’s closest friends to make it an even more memorable occasion.

• Beach Party: For late spring and summer birthdays (maybe even into fall), consider a beach party. Most 18-year-olds love the beach and the idea of a beach-themed party will make them feel like they've matured from the kids parties of the past. First, find out if your local beach requires a permit for a party on the beach, then plan for a late afternoon party that ends in a cool bonfire toasting marshmallows.