Backyard Bash

• Brightly colored decorations make a backyard exciting for a sweet 16 party.Thomas Northcut/Lifesize/Getty Images
  
  A backyard birthday celebration is perfect for 16-year-olds who want a relatively low key yet fun party. Before the party, jazz up the backyard with festive lights, paper lanterns and balloons. Sheets or blankets with fun prints can be hung to give the space more definition, as well as more color. When the guests arrive, they will be greeted by fun music and barbecued food. Keep the night going by playing games like flashlight tag, screening a movie with a projector and a giant screen, sitting by a glowing fire and roasting marshmallows. Even 16-year-olds can enjoy spending the night chatting in a tent.
  
  

Dance Party

• Accessories like hats or boas will add a bit of fun to the dance party.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Girls who love dancing to their favorite songs will enjoy starting a sweet 16 sleepover on the dance floor. While booking a dance hall or other venue ensures an impressive party that will make guests feel like they are at a club, even a home basement can be dressed up for a teenage dance party. Decorate the space with flashing lights, disco balls, streamers and fog machines. Have a separate area for food and drinks, to prevent spills. Also make sure to include seats for dancers who need a break. Instead of hiring a DJ, compile a playlist of energizing songs on an iPod or computer playlist. After working up an appetite on the dance floor, the birthday girl and her guests can set up their sleeping bags and relax by watching a concert or dance-inspired movie.
  
  

Luau

• A pool party is a fun way to beat the heat and begin a sleepover party.Jupiterimages/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
  
  During the summer months, a luau makes for a tropical sweet 16 sleepover. Whether the backyard features a pool or not, decorate the space with bright decorative lights, tiki torches and fake palm trees. When guests arrive, greet them with a lei and hula skirt to wear. With lively summery music blasting in the background, guests can splash in the pool, play limbo and hit around a beach ball. Food and drinks can be tropical too, such as fruity smoothies served in fun shaped glasses with little umbrellas.
  
  

Hotel Hang Out

• Celebrating a sweet 16 in a hotel gives a girl, her friends and a patient parent the chance to get away for a night. The birthday girl's parents can book a room or two at a nearby hotel. After going out for a birthday dinner, the small group of girls can head back to the hotel for an evening of fun. In the hotel room, girls can partake in some spa activities, like facials and manicures. Tasty snacks like chips and cupcakes can be enjoyed while watching a movie or chatting together.