Create a festive Hawaiian luau for your child's next party.
A Hawaiian luau birthday party is the perfect theme for any child. Have your party outdoors or indoors and transport your guests to a tropical island any time of year. Luaus can be fun and done on any budget. Bright colors and luau-themed decorations are easy to find and make for a festive atmosphere. From the invitations to the menu, it is all about the details and incorporating the Hawaiian Aloha spirit into every aspect of your party. Does this Spark an idea?
Invitations
Invitations are important because they are the first impression your guest will have of your theme and party. Create or buy Hawaiian themed invitations that include things like Hawaiian shirts, leis, shells, palm trees, pineapples, coconuts or a hula girl. Get creative and include a photo of the birthday boy or girl in a Hawaiian outfit, make an airline ticket invitation or send your invitation in a bottle that has sand and shells inside. Don't forget to ask your guests to dress in their best Hawaiian outfits.
Decorations
Luau decorations are available at party and craft stores. Buy and create your decorations using lots of bright colors. Grass skirts and fishing nets look great on table edges. Leis, tropical flowers, pineapples and coconuts should be incorporated everywhere especially on tables, centerpieces and food areas. Adding sand and shells on tables are a creative way to bring the beach to your party. Hawaiian posters and postcards are also another way to include the theme into your decorations. Create large palm trees out of paper or cardboard and hang large colorful paper lanterns. Include tiki torches or even surfboards if available. Greet each guest with a lei and make sure to have Hawaiian music playing throughout the party.
Activities and Games
Limbo is a fun activity to do at a luau. Put an island twist on traditional games like "Pass the Coconut" instead of "Hot Potato" or "Pin the Flower on the Hula Girl." You can also hold a hula contest with guests dressed in grass skirts or find a local hula school and see if they might come to demonstrate and teach the kids hula dancing. You might also be able to find a hula instructional video that the kids can follow. Lei-making is another activity that can be done with children. Provide string or thread, artificial or real flowers and help them create their own leis. Flip flops can also be decorated with beads and flowers for minimal cost and make a great party favor.
Refreshments
Continue your Hawaiian theme with food and drinks. Think tropical and make sure to include pineapple and fruits on the menu. Hollowed out watermelons, pineapples and coconut shells make creative containers for fruit, snacks and munchies. Hawaiian pizza, teriyaki chicken and fruit kabobs are great island-themed foods. Make fruity drinks, like a punch or smoothies, and serve them in tiki or colored cups with a pineapple wedge or colorful drink umbrella. Beach-themed cupcakes or a cake make the perfect end to your meal. You can use brown sugar for sand and blue icing for water and add small Hawaiian-themed toys, drink umbrellas or flowers to your cake.
Tags: your party, Hawaiian luau, make sure, palm trees, party Hawaiian, pineapples coconuts, sand shells