Leis make good decorations for a tropical-island-themed party.
Tropical islands, with their warm climates, sandy beaches, and palm trees are relaxing places to visit and escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. However, we can't always afford to visit tropical islands. Bring paradise to your residence by throwing a tropical island theme party for family and friends. Does this Spark an idea?
Decorations
Decorations will play an important role in creating a tropical island theme. If you're having the party indoors, create a slide show of tropical locations on your computer. Get a projector to display the images on a wall or screen for guests to see. Display blue and tan balloons to evoke the colors of the beach. Some stores even sell balloons that come in the shape of palm trees. Create or buy exotic flower centerpieces for tables. Accent the table with tiny seashells that guests can take home with them. Decorate the table with real or fake tropical foods such as bananas, coconuts and pineapples. Find tablecloths with a tropical theme, or just use green tablecloths to resemble grass or blue ones to resemble the ocean.
Food and Drink
The right food and drink choices add to the ambiance of a tropical theme party. If space allows and you're really determined to present tropical island fare, have a pig roast. Other main courses that may be easier to prepare include baked ham with pineapple glaze, pork roast, and barbeque chicken. Other dishes to serve include shrimp and fish. Sweet potatoes or yams mashed with coconut milk and bananas are a tropical alternative to regular mashed potatoes. For dessert serve coconut cookies, sliced pineapples and banana bread.
Beverages can be kid and adult-friendly. Non-alcoholic drinks can include Hawaiian punch or fruit punch, iced tea and virgin piña coladas and daiquiris. Other non-alcohlic drinks can include mango juice and pineapple juice. Alcoholic drinks can include spiked punch, mai tais, Kahula and coffee, and rum and coke.
Entertainment
During the party, put on some music by the Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffet or Bob Marley. Also play songs from Elvis Presley's album Blue Hawaii. If you're looking for some arts-and-crafts activities, try colorful sand art or make lei necklaces from straws, yarn, and construction paper. Other activities can include hula or limbo contests. Ask guests to come in tropical island attire and award prizes for the most outrageous outfits. Play relay games, such as pass the orange, where players try to pass an orange to each other without using their hands. Before the party, find out the Hawaiian (or other tropical island language) names of your guests. Write up a list of the translated names and see who can figure out which tropical name belongs to whom.
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