Fire up the grill for a Hawaiian barbecue.
A Hawaiian party theme is a great vehicle for staging an outdoor event to celebrate a 16th birthday. There are plenty of options for basing games and food around a Polynesian theme, so choose the activities and refreshments that will best serve the age group. Incorporate theme-appropriate music and decorations, as well, and encourage everyone to dress the part Does this Spark an idea?
Barbecue
A Hawaiian party is a good time to fire up the grill. Pork is popular in Hawaii, but you can also include tuna and mackerel steaks. For vegetarian guests, place a sheet of tinfoil on the grill and use that area to grill skewers of vegetables like onions, tomatoes and bell peppers. You can also grill pineapple for a bit of sweet tropical flavor. Serve tropical fruit punch with the meal.
Limbo Contest
A limbo contest gets the teens on their feet and playing a simple, amusingly competitive game with few rules and no teams. Decorate a long PVC pipe with ribbons and paint. Have two people hold either end of the pipe and get all of the guests to file underneath the pole, bending backward as needed, not forward. Play some island music to keep things lively and, after everyone has gone under once, lower the pole for the next round. The winner is the person who can bend backward the furthest to get under the pole as it moves lower and lower with each round.
Hula Hoop Contest
Pass hula hoops out to your guests and play Hawaiian music so they can hula to the beat. Whoever can keep the hoop going for the longest period of time is the winner. Send the party-goers home with their hula hoops as party favors.
Evening Lighting
If you're hosting a Hawaiian-themed birthday party in the evening, illuminate it with tiki torches. Stake them all over your backyard or pool area to create a fantastic ambiance. You can also use Christmas lights on the surrounding bushes or trees to enhance the lighting effect.
Tags: Hawaiian party, hula hoops