Themes for a Sweet Sixteen Birthday Party

• Let your 16-year-old enjoy her time in the spotlight with special party themes. Paul Viant/Photodisc/Getty Images

  A sweet sixteen birthday party celebrates a 16-year-old girl's transition from child to adult. Deciding on a party theme can make all the difference when it comes to making the event memorable and entertaining. Just remember to think of your daughter's personality and interests before you decide which theme to use.

Glow in the Dark Party

• An unusual but intriguing sixteenth party theme involves centering the entire event around glow-in-the-dark decorations and accessories. Invite your guests to the glow-in-the-dark party by asking them to come dressed in black clothing and wearing as many glow-in-the-dark accessories as they can find. Decorate the party space with glow-in-the-dark paint and stars. Insert black lights to the light sockets in the ceiling. Once all of your guests have arrived and are situated in the party space, bring out the birthday girl, the brightest of all the guests wearing a glow-in-the-dark dress. Create the dress by super-gluing glow sticks and jewelry to the fabric of an older dress. Present her as the Glowing Queen. Entertain your guests throughout the night by dancing in the dark to the Glowing Queen's favorite music.

Sugary Sweet Sixteen

• Make your birthday girl's sixteenth birthday the sweetest it can be by throwing a candy-themed sweet sixteen. Invite your guests to the event with candy-wrapper shaped invitations. Tell them to come dressed as something sweet -- this can be anything from candy bars and lollipops to brownies or cupcakes. Decorate the event with pink and blue streamers and balloons so it creates a "cotton candy" atmosphere. Adorn the tables with bowls of assorted candies and add to the walls pictures of candies, as well. Serve foods containing sweet ingredients, even for appetizers. For example, serve chicken wings with a honey glaze for sweetness. Decorate a circular layer cake with hot pink frosting and spell out your happy birthday message on the cake with unwrapped sweets. Play candy-themed games and string a pinata up and have people take turns hitting it for candy. Dance to songs like "Lollipop" and "Candy Man" for the rest of the party.

Black and White Movie

• A classy birthday girl with fancy tastes will enjoy this Sweet Sixteen party theme. Invite your guests by sending out black and white invitations. Explain to them that the party is based on black and white movies of the past. Ask them to come dressed in only black and white to create the black and white effect. Decorate the party area in black and white, as well. Use black and white streamers, balloons and banners. Place a director's chair and a fake film camera somewhere in the party area to convey to your guests the film making atmosphere. Continue the theme with the refreshments. Serve snacks like pretzels covered in white chocolate or black-colored tortilla chips with a white cheese sauce. Use food coloring to make your birthday cake completely black. Decorate the cake with black and white frosting. For dinner, serve pasta with white sauce and add black olives on the side. For activities, play plenty of card games like Old Maid and poker as well as old-fashioned parlor games like Charades.