Event recap · Birthday
A 14th Birthday Beach Picnic for 21 at Tower 28
June 2023 · 21 guests · Lifeguard Tower 28, Ocean Park, Santa Monica
For their daughter's 14th birthday in June 2023, a Los Angeles family invited her friends to a midday beach picnic. It ran from noon to 2 p.m. at Lifeguard Tower 28 in Santa Monica's Ocean Park neighborhood. The invite list started at 16 girls and grew toward two dozen, and about 21 guests came.
For a group of teenagers who wouldn't sit still for long, we set up plenty of seating at the low picnic tables and put most of our effort into games. Cornhole, ladder toss, Spikeball and bocce were set up on the sand, so everyone had something to do while others ate.
The family brought their own food and cake, which we set out on two buffet tables in the shade next to the picnic. The chalkboard wished the birthday girl a happy 14th. For parents, a midday beach party like this is simple: the setup, games and cleanup are handled, and the kids get a birthday at the ocean.