How to Plan a Safe Yet Fun Event for Teens

Thanks to Sally Perkins for contributing this piece.

How To Plan A Safe Yet Fun Event For Teens

If you’re in charge of planning a party, concert, or another event for teens, you’ll need to be fully prepared to take on all the challenges of this task. While you have to stay on your toes to anticipate hiccups, you also have to ensure that the event is fun for teenagers and that they don’t engage in harmful activities such as drinking and smoking. The two places where teens drink away from home are at public places and house parties. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, by age 15, about 33% of teenagers have had at least 1 drink. Moreover, it has been said that people aged 12 through 20 drink 11% of all alcohol consumed in the United States. Making sure that your event is safe for teens can be a challenge, but it can be done. Here’s how to plan a safe yet fun event for teens.

Choose your venue wisely

Choosing a venue that doesn’t serve alcohol is one of the best ways to prevent underage drinking. While having a party or event at a bar can be fun for most teens, it’s also possible that some may find ways to get a beer or two while adults are preoccupied. A park, community center, or a place specifically designed to host events are ideal venues, and having the event during the daytime may also help to discourage teens from drinking.

Stay on top of security and crowd control

If you’re planning a big event such as a concert, you may want to use an event planning and management software to stay on top of little details that you may overlook such as security and crowd control. To ensure a secure event, you may want to consider hiring a security provider to keep everybody safe. While planning the event, include a representative from your security provider in meetings and provide him or her with a copy of the logistics, schedule, and personnel involved. For large capacity events, it’s a good idea to have an emergency medical crew onsite so they can handle unexpected allergy attacks, falls, head injuries, and the like.

Have plenty of food and drinks on hand

Teens like a variety of foods and beverages, so have a lot on hand. For drinks, mocktails and slushies are a big hit with teens, apart from soda and fruit juices. Chips and dips, finger foods, and sweets such as doughnuts, cookies, and mini cupcakes are also popular among teenagers.

Play great music

Teenagers spend more than one-third of their days watching an online video or listening to music, so good music is essential to the success of any teen event. If you have no idea on what kind of music to play, you may want to consult with a few teenagers to see what type of music they like. Once you’ve compiled a list of teen-approved songs and artists, you can make a playlist on your computer for the event. If you have the budget, you can hire a DJ or let a few teenage bands perform live at the party.

Teenagers can have a fun time at events and stay safe at the same time. Follow these tips to plan a successful event the next time you’re in charge of parties or concerts for teens.