The Food List and the Drink List.

You can't have a party without something to eat and drink. It shouldn't be too hard to choose a menu for your party. If you are having a themed party, you can be creative and pick foods and drinks that go with the parties theme.

Party Foods.

Finger foods and appetizers, chips and dips, pizza, candy, and vegetables for dipping are all part of a good party, cuz let's face it, teens like to snack -and talk -and snack.

One of the best parts of a party is the food. Keeping the food simple is really the best way to go, but if you're adventuresome, you can also have some fun and experiment with new ideas for the appetizers you will be serving.

You can also have a variety of appetizers that serve as dinner and put out a few dessert snacks after cake.

Just plan on having a little over your head count so nothing is gone until the party is over.

Party Drinks.

Punch, sodas, root beer floats, smoothies, and water are all some of the drinks you may want to have at your party.

If you're having a pink party, serve pink lemonade. If you are having an outdoor party, have all the makings for a root beer float. These go great with hamburgers and hot dogs.

Make sure you have plenty to drink so you don't run out and it's nice to have a few different things to choose from.

We also have a section for party food recipes and drink recipes to help get you started.

Tips for Serving.

• You can serve the food on paper plates and paper bowls, paper or plastic cups, and plastic utensils - this means less mess for you to clean up. If you do this, make sure you buy sturdy paper plates.
• If you don't use paper products for the party food and go with everyday plates and bowls, keep a garbage can close to the sink so the uneaten food can be thrown away before putting the dish in the sink.
• You can even have the sink half full of water for the plates to soak in so they aren't too hard to clean when it's time to put them in the dishwasher.
• If you have a themed party, go with matching plates and bowls, cups, napkins, and utensils. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to have the exact same color for everything, just try to keep the colors from clashing.
• For instance, you could have a solid pink plate, with a white bowl, a white napkin with pink flowers or an edged checkerboard pattern, and pink utensils.
• Paper plates come in a variety of colors, patterns, and styles now making it easy to choose something for your party. If you choose to go with everyday plates and don't have what you want at home, look in the thrift stores for some good deals.

Some grocery stores also carry dishware, and plastic plates. Look in dollar stores and keep your eye out for sales.

Party Clean Up

Before the party you could ask a friend if they might be willing to stay a little longer and help you clean up. It most likely won't take too long and it will also show your parents you can be responsible to take care of things.

Take a look at our After Party Cleanup article for some cleaning tips.