So, this is my first thread. At age 14, I am probably one of the younger users of this website, but I have gotten an account for two reasons: firstly, my father, Attack From The 3rd Dimension, posts here regularly, and secondly, I find this site interesting from a literary standpoint as an aspiring author.
I also have a question. I will be fourteen in a few days. I’m not planning to have a birthday party before then, but I will be throwing one a few weeks after. I live in a small town - the only places that I can think of in this town where I could do a shindig would be the YMCA (pool or gym), the bowling alley, or the mini golf course, or possibly a park but I don’t know what I could do there. My house might work, except that I would have to invite a minimum of 13 friends (my closest ones) and possibly more, so I really don’t know if there would be enough space in my house - it’s a medium sized place, but that many girls would be very crowded. Also, I don’t know what to do at the actual party (entertainment, food, etc.). So any ideas as to what I could do? 
My teenager loves to have ‘bonfire’ parties. We do them at the beach, and even in our backyard. One year we borrowed one of those patio fire pits and took it to the local park. Be sure to check with local regulations. We roast weinies and marshmallows, have a couple of coolers with drinks, and a ton of chips. This way we can have a ton of people, nobody’s house gets trashed, and its way cheaper that renting a venue. Us grown ups will have our our own fire just far enough away to supervise without being intrusive.
Welcome to the board and remember to smile kindly to those who yell. “GET OFF MY LAWN!”
Well I have an idea for a party, I don’t know if its a good one though. Please give me your opinion. My son is fourteen and graduating from 8th grade. I was thinking to cook out on the grill in the backyard and play some minute to win it games I should probably get some kind of prizes but I don’t know what. Happy Birthday!
We’re getting a grill/fire pit/barbecue thing, like the one linked above, between now and the party, so I think that would be great - it’s exactly the kind of thing that my friends and I would love. I like the idea of the minute-to-win-it games, I’d really like to try that, and I’d say that so would most 14 year old kids. I don’t know where the nearest beach is, but we have a backyard that’s big enough to do something in as long as we were in the house for part of the time too. I’d say that my parents would let me have more people over if we had the party mostly in the yard. 
Thanks for the suggestions, greetings, and birthday wishes! 
Welcome to the SDMB. I like a teen who uses the word “shindig.”
I don’t have much in the way of suggestions, I had boys and their ideas of a good time usually involved guns somehow. Lazer tag and paintball were very popular. If you do decide to do something in your yard I suggest a large tent or canopy, keeps the rain and sun off. Maybe set up some games there?
I would advise trying to do something outside too. You could do a whole camping theme even if you didn’t actually go camping, have different stuff to do so people can wander around. Maybe make smores instead of birthday cake? You could blow out everybody’s flaming marshmallows instead of candles 
If you have a tree anywhere in your yard you could hang a pinata and beat the hell out of it?
Let me add my ‘Welcome!’ My daughter, your age, just had a massive 12-girl sleepover, they took over the living room and it was wall-to-wall sleeping girls in the AM. They watched some chick flicks, talked until dawn (some of them). Or so I am told. Her 12 yr old brother and I made ourselves scarce.
She went to a really big party this weekend that featured a massive game of ‘capture the flag’, and she said that was really fun, too.
Happy birthday!