Ideas for an 18th Birthday for a Girlfriend

• A trip to an amusement park is a fun way to celebrate an 18th birthday. Thomas Northcut/Lifesize/Getty Images

  Many birthdays are important across a lifespan. Turning 16 means being able to finally drive on your own. Turning 25 typically means a lower car insurance payment. And milestones like 30, 40 and 50 each hold significance for a new chapter in life. There is perhaps no more important birthday than turning 18. Turning 18 marks the transition into adulthood: You can vote. You can legally enter into contracts. You graduate from high school. It can be both a scary and exciting time for your girlfriend so you will want to celebrate it accordingly.

Amusement Park

• Gather a bunch of your friends and blow off some steam with your girlfriend at a local amusement park. Nothing reminds you of being young and feeling alive more than the exhilaration of riding the park's rides. The ups and downs of a roller coaster are also a metaphor for the times that face you in your adult life.

Pool/Luau Party

• If you live in a climate that allows, put together a luau-themed pool party. Center the party on your girlfriend by having some of your strong friends carry her in to the party like Cleopatra. This kind of celebration can go long into the evening with limbo contests and tiki torches.

Romantic Dinner

• Your girlfriend appreciates nothing more than some one-on-one time with her boyfriend. Since it is a special birthday for her, mark the occasion by listening closely to what she likes and plan accordingly. Go to a restaurant she's always wanted to try but couldn't afford or make the evening extra special by making her dinner from scratch.

College-Themed Surprise

• For a girlfriend bound for college, give her a college-themed basket of goodies. Buy her a new sweatshirt and book bag with her college logo, along with other items you find. Plan a special day with her and visit the university she will be attending so you can start forming some memories there together.

'You're No Longer a Kid' Party

• Surprise your girlfriend by bringing all of her friends together for a "You're No Longer a Kid" party. Have all of your friends dress up in suits and ties as though they were going to a job interview. Set up the party like an office and have guests bring gag gifts like office supplies. Your girlfriend will appreciate the extra effort and the pictures make a great scrapbook page.