2373

Hawaiian Luau - Message in Bottle

July 2001

Sherry in Harvey's Lake, PA, USA

Runner-Up

Hawaiian Luau Birthday Party 

Invitations:  Use empty water bottles with cap or cork for the top. Make an invitation using your computer with all relevant information.  Such as: "Come on over to (name)'s Hawaiian Luau Birthday Party!"./Date/Time/Island Location/Dress appropriately for some Wet & Wild Fun!/etc  Roll it up invitation and secure with a raffia bow.  Put "message" in bottle.  Add sand in the bottom with shells and glitter. You can mail the bottles with a label on the outside.  Depending on the weight of the bottle, postage will vary.  Our invitations cost $1.26 each using standard mail. 

Food/Refreshments: Cake - Make a sheet cake.  Decorate the cake blue like the ocean.  Next make a small thin oval shaped cake and put on top left side of sheet cake.  Decorate the oval cake as an island (complete with mini dolls wearing grass skirts, mini umbrellas, striped gum as beach towels and mini palm trees)with crumpled graham crackers as sand.  I added a Volcano to the center of the island.  I found a recipe on-line and after the candles were blown out, the Volcano actually erupted.  AMAZING!!!  The entire cake (except the beach accessories) was edible and delicious. 

Tropical Punch (Blue in color) - a mini island scene was added to the punch bowl. (Freeze a small bowl of water, add small Hawaiian Figures to top of ice, then re-freeze with a new layer of water. Figures should be frozen into ice about half an inch.) Allow ice block to float in punch bowl.  Island Jell-O - Graham crackers crumpled in the bottom of a clear bowl.  Allow "blue" Jell-O to get "semi-set" then add to the bowl, on top of the crumbled graham crackers.  While Jell-O is still "semi-set", add gummy fish, sharks, dolphins to Jell-O -This is the ocean.  You can even have the gummy creatures sticking half way out of the Jell-O - a real nice effect for the dolphins.  (Plastic toys could be substituted if needed.)  After the creatures have been added and the Jell-O has firmly set, use crumbled graham crackers sprinkled on the top to form an island in the middle of the bowl.  Add mini Hawaiian decorations to complete the island scene.  Other refreshments include lots of fruit, chips & pretzels, sodas, frozen drinks for adults, etc.  

Decorations: Bright Balloons everywhere/Bright Streamers/Bright Paper Plates, Cups, Napkins/Luau Tissue Straws/Plastic Coconut or Pineapple Shaped Cups/Mini Umbrellas/Plastic Parrots or Fish/etc Also, if the party is at night, use clear or colored Xmas lights covered with Bright Netting.  \*Party Favors: Plastic twist (inexpensive) and Flowered Leis, wrist leis and bracelets leis were given to everyone.  There were many extras so guests were able to take several.

Grass Skirts (Girls and Boys loved these) - were made for all guests.  A very inexpensive way to do this was to use drawstring trash bags in various colors.  Use the drawstring as the waist band and fringe the bag all the way up to about six inches from the top.  Ends can be cut to accommodate various heights.  (Also skirts are waterproof for the water games) Flower hair Combs were given to all Girls. Beachcomber Hats were given to all Boys.  \*Note: All party favors were be packaged as a set & labeled with Child's name. (Girls received 1 flowered leis, 1 flowered wrist leis, 1 flowered hair comb, and 1 grass skirt.//Boys received 1 plastic twist leis, 1 plastic twist wrist leis, and a beachcomber hat - grass skirts were optional, but available.)  \*Craft: Tribal Masks Precut eyes & mouth out of Brown Foam Sheets, attach elastic string to tie, decorate with Paints, Glue, Glitter & Feathers. Flower Leis Put elastic string, cut Straws, pre-cut paper or foam shaped Flowers & Beads in a baggie. (Guests can make leis at party or take home as a favor.) 

Games/Activities: Tug of Water Set up like tug of war, with a long rope.  Divide children into two groups.  On the word Go have each team try and pull the opponents into the sprinkler. (Repeat three times)  Pop the Piranha Inflate balloons and tie them off.  Using a black felt tip permanent marker, draw fish faces on the balloons.  Toss balloons into pool, one for each child.  On the word GO have kids get into pool and grab a slippery fish.  (Idea: Write a # on each fish and put in Limbo line according to # caught.)  Limbo Play fun music while waiting in line to bend backwards under limbo stick.  To win, the limbo master cannot touch stick or fall on floor. 

Balloon Drop Before inflating balloons, add prizes  inside each balloon.  Have children stand under balloon drop and watch as they race to catch and pop a balloon. (Idea: Put Thank You Notes inside.)  I used the following Agenda and had a VERY SUCCESSFUL party - Can't wait for next year! -  All party food and drinks should be ready for guests/As guests arrive, offer leis and children's party favors/As children arrive, send them to craft area/After all children have finished their craft, begin games (This will allow time for masks to dry.)/Start with Tug of Water, followed by Pop the Piranha. You can number the fish and use the numbers to line up for the "Limbo"./Do Cake & Ice Cream & Gifts/Finish party with final game: Balloon Drop.  Use agenda as a guideline.  You will probably not be able to follow it on schedule - only in a perfect world....Have a wonderful "Luau"!

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