Give leis to each of the guests at a Hawaiian-themed party.
Hawaiian parties feature tropical fruits and dishes, and nature (i.e. sunset, flowers, palm trees) often serves as a backdrop for the event. If you're having a party with a Hawaiian theme this year for a birthday, anniversary, or graduation, there are plenty of things you can do with the invitations, food, and activities that will ensure that you and your guests have a great time at the celebration. Does this Spark an idea?
Party Invitations
Use items your guests will readily associate with Hawaii to create your party invitations. Cut out the paper for your invitations in the shape of a seashell, and write the invitation details on one side of the paper. Or, purchase palm tree-shaped invites, and add your own accents like small brown strips of paper to make the trunk of the tree look more realistic,or pieces of green felt that are cut into the shape of the leaves on the invitation. Small bottles can also be used for your invitations to create a 'message in a bottle.' Add a small amount of sand, as well as tiny plastic starfish or seashells to the inside of the bottle, along with a sea foam green or aqua blue piece of paper containing the specifics about the party. The paper should be rolled in the shape of a scroll before being placed in the bottle.
Hawaiian Party Food
Tropical fruits like mango, pineapple, and kiwi are always a hit at Hawaiian-themed parties. Cut the fruit into cubes and serve it on skewers for ideal presentation. Items like egg rolls or spring rolls can be presented to guests as appetizers; place small dishes of roasted or chocolate-covered macadamia nuts at each table for guests to enjoy as well.
For the main course, serve a seafood dish like grilled salmon, or grill chicken, beef and pineapple pieces on a skewer. If you're serving a cake at the celebration, a pineapple upside down cake celebrates some traditional Hawaiian flavors. Have a cake in your favorite flavor decorated to display the picturesque Hawaiian beach scene, using plastic hula girls, blue icing for water, and cinnamon and brown sugar to represent the sand on the beach.
Activities
In addition to providing delicious food for the guests, organize a few activities that all the party-goers will enjoy. Purchase a few grass skirts from the party supply store, and have a hula contest. Give each guest a chance to 'hula' to their favorite song, let the rest of the party vote by their applause, and hand out prizes to the man, woman, or child or dances the best. Or, set up your karaoke machine and buy a CD of traditional Hawaiian hits for guests to sing along to; let guests vote on who is the best singer, and award the winner with a prize. Limbo is also a popular game at luaus; have two people hold opposite ends of the limbo stick, while guests attempt to go under the stick without touching it. For kids, or a luau party where there is swimming, you can play water limbo by using the water hose as the limbo stick--the person who touches the 'stick' while going under gets sprayed with water.
Tags: activities that, Hawaiian Party, stick while, traditional Hawaiian, your guests