• Plan a special 13th birthday party for your teen.birthday decoration image by Renata Osinska from Fotolia.com
  
  Plan a special party to honor your child's 13th birthday. This milestone birthday probably means more to your child than any previous birthday, as it bridges the gap between his childhood and his teen years. Base the type and style of your party on the interests and maturity of your teen.
  
  

Sleepover

• Sleepovers are common for preteens and teens, which make a sleepover party an ideal option. Arrange a video game marathon with multiplayer sport, racing, dance or music games if your teen and her friends enjoy video games.
  
  Plan a camp-out in your backyard, the woods, at a lake or at her favorite campground for a night or two if she enjoys the outdoors.
  
  Plan a hotel sleepover with a makeup artist or spa treatments for your child and her friends if she would enjoy being pampered like an adult for a few hours.
  
  Set up a mock reality show modeled after your child's favorite if she's adventurous. Challenges might include navigating obstacle courses, solving clues or eating strange food and guessing what strange or slimy objects really are.
  
  

Outings

• Put together an outing for your teen and his friends that gives them a little more freedom than they're used to. Clear your plans with all the parents first. Take the kids to a theme or water park for a day and let them do their own thing, with specific check-in times at a pre-determined location. Implement other safety precautions, as well, such as inviting along a few other parents to help keep an eye on the kids and making sure you have all the kids' cellphone numbers and they have yours. This gives them some freedom, but you can still keep an eye on them.
  
  Similarly, take the kids to a movie, give them ticket and snack money and go see a different movie with your spouse. Rent out a skating rink, ice rink or bowling alley and stay in the background so your child and his friends can interact freely.
  
  Consider a concert, sporting event or fancy dinner with limousine service if it fits your child's personality and you have the budget.
  
  

Activities

• Some activities might be more ideal than a traditional party. For example, take a group of girls to the mall for a scavenger hunt. Give the girls a list of random items to find and pictures to take, such as a button or a picture with a security guard. Arrange to meet in the food court for lunch and tally up the teams' points.
  
  Charter a boat for a coed dance party, casino party or fishing excursion. Hire a professional river rafting or rock climbing instructor to take the teens out.
  
  Art, pottery, cooking and music classes are additional options.
  
  

Themes

• Use a theme to plan your child's 13th birthday party if it seems appropriate. For example, a coed party might include a candy, glow-in-the-dark, black-and-white or Hollywood theme with music and dancing. A murder mystery where each guest is asked to play the part of a particular character is another option that allows the kids to relax and solve a mystery. Set up a mock casino or carnival with adults or older teens running the booths and games.