Say Aloha to Hawaiian Birthday Party Planning
Penelope,
I want to throw a Hawaiian birthday party for my daughter, since her birthday is right before the end of summer and she never really gets to have “summery” birthday parties with school starting and stuff. She’s turning 9. Can you tell me some simple ideas for a fun Hawaiian party?
Ginny
Trenton, NJ
Dear Ginny,
Of course I can! I actually used a Hawaiian Hula theme for Maggie’s birthday this year, so my party planning experiences are still very fresh in my mind. Let’s cover party invitations first. MyPunchbowl.com has a fun, brightly colored Hawaiian template that’ll be just right for your daughter’s Hawaiian birthday party and will allow you to send out your invitations electronically, which saves the extra hassle of time spent in line at the post office to buy enough stamps.
Gorgeous, no? Moving on to party favors for your daughter and her friends, I suggest giving each Hawaiian birthday party guest a grass skirt, a lei and one of those adorable dashboard/desktop Hula dancers. The skirts and leis can be found at any major party supply store, and the Hula dancers at most novelty stores in the mall.
As for the entertainment portion of your night, I suggest hiring two or three teenage girls from your local dance studio to teach some Hawaiian dance moves. Even if the girls aren’t specialists in hula dancing, they’ll be able to teach your daughter and her friends (who will be in awe of the cool older girls, as Maggie and her friends were) some cute Hula moves and will make the birthday girl feel like the center of attention. You can find tapes and CDs of Hawaiian music, which will make a festive background for the dancing lessons, at party supply stores as well.
For Hawaiian birthday party food, I suggest serving cut up pieces of hot dogs in lieu of roasting a whole pig in a pit in the backyard. Sure, you lose some of that authentic Hawaiian feel, but you also lose the mess and hassle of lugging a pig home from the store. Plus, who sells whole pigs anymore? As a complement to your "roast pork" entrée, serve apple and pineapple chunks with toothpicks, and the classic red Hawaiian punch as a beverage.
Your Hawaiian party is sure to be a hit with your daughter and her friends, as it was for Maggie and her party guests. And where could you find a more summery party theme than Hawaii?
Enjoy Planning.
Penelope
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