Have a Hawaiian Party!

The next best thing to going to Hawaii is having a Hawaiian party.

Palm trees, the big surf and sand beaches of Waikiki, Hula girls, floral leis... Hawaii holds a great attraction for many-and makes a great theme for a fun children's party.

This article assumes that you are planning to hold your party at home (of course if Hawaii is your home, you have a leg up on the rest of us:)

Use the ideas below as a springboard for your imagination. They are intended as suggestions only.

Most supplies can be made at home or purchased nearby inexpensively.

Below are links to reputable online suppliers if you'd rather your keyboard 'do the walking'.

If you don't have the time or inclination to do it all yourself, there are wonderful resources online which will provide you with complete party packages.

So feel free to use as few or as many as you want and modify them as you wish.

Invitations
In her classic but very practical book Children's Party Ideas, Margaret Dunne suggests taking a stack of Hawaii travel brochures and pasting your invitations inside.

Or you can make an 'airline ticket' to Hawaii. Cut oak tag or white card stock or construction paper into oblong shapes. On one end draw or cut out a square. draw or paste a picture of a palm tree or Hawaiian scene. On the other end, write in big black letters, 'Airline Ticket to Hawaiian getaway.

On the back write the invitation detail (you can do this on your computer if that is handy).

Decor
You can purchase leis, paper plates and napkins, cups with tropical designs, balloons, etc. at your local party store and turn your back yard or your rec room into Oahu.

Draw, then cut out palm trees from construction paper. String fishnet across the room (also works for pirate and tropical fish themes).

Travel posters, posters showing surfers, Hula girls, etc. add to the effect. If you don't have any readily available, AllPosters is an excellent source.

Music
There is so much wonderful Hawaiian music that it is easy to add it to the festivities to evoke the mood. Here is a source for Hawaiian music.

Food
What to drink? Why, Hawaiian or tropical punch, of course!

Order a pu-pu platter from your local Chinese restaurant.

If the event is outdoors, then fire up the grill and serve the old favorites such as bar-be-cued hot dogs and hamburgers.

Fish, coconuts, macadamia nuts and tropical fruits such as pineapple are also associated with the Islands.

Bite-sized pieces of tropical fruit in a bowl are colorful and tasty.

Pretzels or potato chips can be served in a Beachcomber hat turned upside down. Line it with colorful napkins or plastic wrap first.

Whole pineapples and coconuts are not only tasty, but make great centerpieces.

Games and Activities:

Have a hula contest. Or watch a theme related movie. Elvis in Blue Hawaii and South Pacific are two that come to mind. This idea is particularly good for slumber or sleepover parties.

Kids can make drawings or cutouts of Hawaiian related themes such as tropical fish, palm trees, pineapples, hula girls.

Pool games are great if it is summer and a backyard pool is available.

And what Island or Hawaiian themed party could be complete without the Limbo?

ShindigZ offers limbo sets and more. Some twists they recommend are turning off the lights and using a flashlight as a limbo stick, or (if it is hot and guests are wearing bathing suits), using the garden hose as a limbo stick.

Resources

These companies provide all-in-one packages that generally include coordinated plates, cups, utensils, invitations, balloons, streamers, etc.

You can usually find related games and other items, too.

• Birthday in a Box

• ShindigZ

• Pinatas.com

You can get prints and posters of Hawaii here.

Search here to find interesting books to help you plan themes and activities for your child's party. You can also buy toys, games, and just about everything under the sun here, too.

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Other children's party themes

• Astrology party

• Astronomy party

• Batman kids party party

• Dinosaur party

• Hawaiian party

• Pirate party

• Star Wars party

• Tea party

• Under the Sea party

• Children's Party Themes Intro

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