Things You'll Need:
- Flower leis
- Decorative grass skirting
- Pineapples
- Tiki torches
- 3 dozen balloons
- Helium tank
- Blow-up or cut-out palm trees
- Wearable grass skirts
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Step 1
Choose a single area to decorate to really create the island ambiance. If the weather is nice, you may want to host the party outdoors. If hosting indoors, choose a large room and clear out as much of the furniture as possible. This will allow plenty of room for games and activities.
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Step 2
Set the scene with a backdrop of the inside walls of a tiki hut, available at your local party supply store. Alternatively, draw bamboo or palm trees on large pieces of paper and tape them to the walls. You can purchase long rolls of solid-colored paper at educational supply stores and some craft stores.
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Step 3
Purchase or rent a small helium tank and blow up around three dozen balloons. Tie six balloons to each of six pineapples, using the pineapple as a base to hold the balloons down off the ceiling.
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Step 4
Tape grass skirts to the tables as skirting or drop a fish net over a solid white tablecloth to create a tropical look. Grass skirting can also be taped in entryways, over windows and across door frames.
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Step 5
Go for the details. To really complete the island look, add some hibiscus flowers, tiki torches and grass skirts for the guests to wear. All of these items should be available at your local party supply store or online through retailers such as Oriental Trading. If you do not want to spend the extra money for tiki torches, use strings of plain white Christmas lights to create a festive look. Add blow-up palm trees or cut-outs. Borrow a surfboard from a friend and prop it near the entryway.
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Step 1
Make punch and add some round slices of pineapple. The pineapple will float in the punch and create a festive, tropical look. Or, serve virgin tropical drinks, like pina coladas. Another option is to either use a clean aquarium to hold drinks or purchase one of the palm tree drink holders available at party supply stores. For a less expensive option, use a Styrofoam cooler and cover it with a grass skirt.
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Step 2
For snacks, serve items reminiscent of Hawaii. These might include fresh fruit kabobs and pork. Children can be picky eaters, so stay away from fish and poi. Make sure you have normal food that teens (or younger kids) enjoy, such as pizza, chicken bites, mozzarella sticks and chips. Goldfish crackers make a nice addition to any tropical-themed party as well. Swedish fish laid out on a serving tray with toothpicks to snag them can be a fun addition.
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Step 3
Choose a Hawaiian-themed cake. Most large bakeries offer many different tropical themes. If you plan to make the cake yourself, frost with white icing and sprinkle brown sugar on top to create the look of sand. Add lettering, small plastic hula girls or little toy palm trees. Many cake supply stores offer a huge selection of topping pieces. Some craft stores offer these as well, or you can order them online. Although some of the big-box retailers' bakeries sell cake toppers separately, these often cost as much as $8 to $10 and really aren't worth the investment.
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Step 1
Limbo is always popular for a beach-themed party like the luau. Make it more fun by having guests stop and hold their pose for a picture. The pictures can then be quickly printed while presents are opened or snacks served and sent home in goody bags. Another option is sending the picture along later with a thank-you card for the gift the guest brought.
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Step 2
Give the kids a hula or Polynesian dance lesson (or hire a professional to do this), and then have a dance-off. Award the winners zany prizes, such as a pineapple or a picture of legendary Hawaiian singer Don Ho.
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Step 3
Play hot potato, using a coconut instead of a potato. Simply have the kids sit in a circle, passing the coconut from one person to the next. When the music stops, the person left holding the coconut is out of the game. Continue until one person is left. That person's prize is the coconut.
