Teens just want to have fun at theme parties
SPARTA It’s no surprise that kids love to party. Unfortunately for teens, the boy/girl parties are sometimes frowned upon by parents or in some cases, get out of control when poor choices are made. But that doesn’t change the fact that we want to have a good time. I’m a teen and I enjoy hosting parties as much as going to them, and I figured out that the best parties I’ve been to are theme parties ... which really are not that difficult to host. Decorating for a theme party is easy. Menu and game planning is less stressful when you have a focus, and the activities will keep everyone busy and having fun. A Halloween party I hosted offered guests their meal served out of a fully dressed, mock corpse displayed on the dinning room table. The effect was eerie. Its arms and legs were sub sandwiches and its chest cavity was filled with baked ziti. Games included relay races of teams building a mummy by wrapping a teammate in toilet paper, and the old-fashioned favorite, bobbing for apples. Who says Valentine’s Day is just for couples? This Valentine’s Day my friends and I got together for a girls night in a night of games, good food, good company and no boys. They arrived dressed in valentine attire with a covered dish in hand. One of the highlights of the evening was mini-massages from Dana’s Cos-Medic Institute of Sparta. Guests were treated to hot stones, oils, and soothing music. Tables were elaborately decorated in Valentine’s Day themes complete with passion punch and rose petals scattered about. Games included bachelorette party-type games that were toned down and made more age appropriate. Articles of clothing were bestowed upon each loser in a hot potato type game, so each participant wound up with a silly outfit. We played a charade-type game using popsicle sticks with words of love. And the Ex-Boyfriend Dart Game provided additional laughs. We jotted down our love wishes and each girl tossed her note into a fire pit in the hopes that the Goddess Venus would grant their wishes for the following year. Going Hollywood Another idea I have is an Oscar or Emmy party. That could give us an opportunity to dress in formal attire. A red carpet could easily be made of out felt or inexpensive squares. Non-alcoholic drinks in elaborate stemware would be a must. And options for drinks can be named for the nominees. Luck of the Irish St. Patrick’s Day is a great time to shake off cabin fever. It doesn’t have to be full of leprechans. The party could have the themes of luck, good fortune, and superstitions. Game prizes could include lottery tickets and old horseshoes. A baby pool or metal washtub filled with water can provide the perfect wishing-well coin toss. Entertainment could be what else a fortune teller. Leslie Sullivan is a Sparta High School student and writer for the Sparta Independent.