18 Year Birthday Party Ideas

Depends on how much you would like to spend. Maybe he would like a family dinner somewhere special like a Japanese steakhouse or Medieval Times. Or you could take him (and a friend or two) to see a favorite sport, either professional or college. Another possibility is a family weekend vacation away somewhere he chooses (within whatever distance you offer). You could make up a list of possibilities and let him take some time to look at it.
Have fun!

If he insists that he doesn't want a party, then don't do a party. He's wanting to feel a little more like an adult at this age and the best way to give him that is to respect his wishes. Maybe you could celebrate his birthday with him in a more mature fashion. Take him out to a nice dinner, bring a few gifts for him to open, keep it low key but loving and let him know how proud you are of what a wonderful young man he has become. Maybe take him to do something that he couldn't do before by law, like buy lottery tickets, or register to vote or something like that. That should do it.

But of course, that's my opinion. The only word my DH said was "strippers". LOL ;) Men.

Our 12 year old daughter has mild asperger's. so, big parties are not an option. We usually let her choose a few friends, and we take them to the movies and then dinner. Or we rent a bunch of movies and have a quiet movie night at home with a few friends. Hope this helps. Jenn

If he is shy and doesn't want a "party" respect that. Maybe just let him invite a few friends over for pizza and video games or treat for them to go to laser tag or whatever he is into. Ask him what he would like to do to celebrate. Make his day special with a gift. A nice watch or something that tells him he is responsible and a man. Good luck.

We rented a stretch limo and took 9 of her friends (10 total) into town for a haunted tour of Old Towne. We followed behind the limo so the kids had their privacy and then afterwards took them for ice cream. They loved it. The cost wasn't much more than if we had had them all at my house for a party, fed them and had the females spend the night. This way both boys and girls got to come along.

I would honor his statement that he does not want a party, but I would allow him to chose some very special family event he would like to create. Is he interested in history, then a trip to Williamsburg might be great, or Gettysburg, or Antietam. There was a suggestion for a trip to Medieval Times (a favorite of mine and my son). How about weekend trip somewhere, or just a "family day/weekend" where you go out for a meal at his favorite restaurant, see a movie he wants to see, and visit somewhere he likes to visit? Maybe a trip to Ocean City and a meal at Harpoon Hannah's would be special enough. I do think that marking this milestone is important, but it is his birthday.

One time we rented a limo to take my daughter and a few of her friends to the movies. If you tried that, your son would not be the center of everyone's attention the whole time. If he is shy, that would make things easier and more enjoyable for him.

D.

How about laser quest?

When my younger sister turned 18, my other sister (30) took her to NYC for the weekend. Hopped a plane on Fri. afternoon and came home late Sun. Stayed in a hotel near Central park, went to Broadway, etc.

M.

I have been through two such parties for my guys very recently---ever since about 16 yrs old, they did not want "parties", but would agree to a group of friends eating out together at a restaurant or a group playing indoor laser tag and then some if not all of them ending up flopped back at our house for a late movie on DVD and more food. Those were days before they coudl drive and we sere still involved in such activities due to transport needs. But then when the oldest was about to turn 18---regardless of the fact he is VERY popular and not shy at all, with many friends, he insisted he did not want ANYTHING! Then on the morning of his birthday when we had to be at the younger son's track meet most of the day, and after I suggested he might like to just "hang out" at the house and end the night with a cake, his mind changed!! HE dashed out the door and returned having bought helium balloons for the basement and lots of sodas and alot of his favorite frozen little finger hors d'oeuvres in puff pastries. He even remembered paper plates and plastic cups!! Maybe HE needed to be more involved and we had not anticipated that. We quickly made a cake and grabbed candles and icecream before going to the meet. Then returned and worked fast and surprised him by making two big wall banners of copies of pictures of him from toddler through 18, with a copy of his senior photo (from the proof set...) in the middle of each. We made sure to include pictures of his friends through the years and especially some who we assumed would likely be invited to "hang out" that night. It was beyond a hit!! We placed one banner upstairs on a wall as the front door opened, and the other at the bottom of the steps where kids would be headed downstairs to the rec room for the evening. Every kid stopped and laughed and talked and commented on the pictures! They loved it. Better yet our son did too. Just get two old rolls of wrapping paper, attach each with tape at ceiling and let the roll drop to floor and cut. Next, grab old photos and scan them into a computer and print to a color printer on regular xerox paper. Tape them onto the roll of paper as a collage of sorts.(we had to do this in a single afternoon because of his sudden change of heart, but if you have more time you can go the Kinkos route and they will do it for you, or you can scan to a computer and upload to a photo place like Ritz---our method was the lightning fast, cheap ands easy version---but it was really an incredible hit. Our son still has one in his room taped to the back of his door though he is away at college!). All they did was truly hang out, eat and talk talk talk. Around 10pm I went down with the surprise cake and buckets of icecream for them to serve themselves. My husband and I only stayed to sing 'happy birthday'. We have enjoyed most of his friends for many years and they are very comfortable in the house and were all sprawled all over. Some even asked how we did the banners---mostly girls but some of the guys too--that's when you REALLY know something is a success <smile> Afterall, the press of college was upon them in their 18th year and they had similar school lives. Easy to throw such a thing for a boy: an endless pile of food and music they choose is all you need to have a successful party! Have fun with yours.

Is there a Dave n Buster's near you? That's a fun place for all ages. You can rent a little section and have a nice buffet lunch/dinner and then off to play for all of you. You can ask his closest friend to help you with inviting the young adults that your son is closest too!
Good Luck!

this may sound wierd but we just went to the Visionary Arts Museum today( in Balt City, Federal Hill area on Key Hwy)- It is such a cool place and they have restaurant on the top floor. take some friends- Totally not a stuffy place and you leave feeling inspired on so many levels. there is also this place on eastern ave. in baltimore county just before you hit the city- Mc Fadden Art Glass- they do have web site if you google it. They have individual & group instruction on glass blowing and you walk away with what you made. They also have a restaurant next door owned by the parents of the guy who owns the glass studio. I guess it really depends on what he is into.

What are his interests? I was just talking to the owner of TourGlides in Sharpsburg about my business GoGreenGals.com. Depending on what he is into, I could see a group of 'guys' getting into this sort of thing.
Good luck.

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~K.

Take him and any other close friends of his choosing out to a nice dinner.

You could take him and a few best buddies to a laser tag place, go to Dave N Buster's, or do what my stepson did and comandeer some tvs and play Halo. Or, as a family, go somewhere fancy and/or catch a show. Sheer Madness is great, and he might also like TSO.

The Melting Pot, a great fondue place in Gaithersburg has a great package for parties. Kids (and adults) love dipping meats and fruits...etc. in all kinds of sauces and dips. He can invite friends and the staff is great to work with.

You can never lose with that one day trip to New York City to see a great play, like Billy Elliott or the one with Daniel Radcliff. They have those buses that pick you up and bring you back the same day.

Another great day trip is a (snow) tubing trip at one of the ski resorts. My daughter went on one last year for a birthday party and it was great.

There are all kinds of organizations around here that do biking and kayaking...etc. if he is a real outdoors guy. They usually have birthday packages.

Rockville sportsplex or a large indoor rock climbing party would also be great, followed by a birthday cake (most of these places have party rooms).

If he is really serious about not having a party, any of these things can be done with one or two buddies!

Best of luck and Happy Birthday to your son!!!!!

try have him a party at home with just a few family and friends!!! we did its great ..