50's Sock Hop Party - Hoola Hoop

50's Sock Hop :   My daughter and three of her friend participated in their school talent program by performing a dance routine to "Bandstand Boogie". My daughter had so much fun that she wanted to celebrate her 8th birthday by having a 50's Sock Hop. 

Invitations - Were made to look like old 45 records. I used the thin 8 x 12 sheets of foam(black)found at craft stores. Cut the foam into a circle the size of a 45. Then I added the inner circle of pink cardboard (glued) and poked a hole through the middle. Around the outside of the pink circle I wrote "Rachel's Rockin' Birthday Party", and across the bottom (where the name of the song would be on a 45) I wrote the guests name & "Come join in the fun !".

On the back I added a circle of paper which included all of the important information (date, place, time, etc.) and told the girls to wear their "niftiest fifties outfit". I used the computer for this and added a picture of a jukebox along the side. For a more authentic look I used a fork to add ridges to the record. Using even pressure I moved the fork around the foam, they turned out really neat!

Decorations -  We used streamers of pink, black, turquiose and white and strung them by intertwining two colors together, used the same colors with balloons. I also used the colored streamers across the doorways (which the girls really loved for some reason !)I just cut pieces to hang about mid way to the floor and used a long strip of tape across the top of the doorway. I bought some silver garland with stars on it (found at the dollar store) and strung it all around the room, it really added some sparkle. Bought some cardboard 50's era decorations at the party store and hung them. I made an EASY giant rootbeer float centerpiece by using silver colored posterboard (2 pieces).

I rolled one piece into a cylinder and secured with heavy tape on the inside. Then I cut a handle out of the other piece of posterbaord and secured it to the cylinder, to resemble a mug. I gently crumbled up some white tissue paper to use as the "foam" for the float. I used a wrapping paper tube to make two straws for the float. I cut the wrapping paper tube in half, covered each half in plain white paper and drew red striped on each one. I added a large red pom-pom as a cherry. To assemble the float I put a large juice can inside of the cylinder, laid the tissue paper on top and inserted the two straws and cherry. Everyone wondered how I made it!

Food - Sticking to the 50's theme my husband and I opened "Mom & Pop L's Drive- In". The menu was a poster on the wall: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, fries, soda-pop. I took the orders on a scratch pad( although my husband had already cooked the food while the girls were playing party games), the girls loved ordering their food! We served the food in large french fry boats.

Fortunately the owner of a local 50's style eatery gave them to me when I inquired who his supplier was (It was very nice of him because I found out that the supplier only sells them in bulk and we would have been eating out of french fry boats for the next 3 years!) Again, the girls LOVED eating from the "authentic" boats. I bought a set of mustard/ketchup squeeze bottles at the dollar store, and yes, they loved them too! For the cake I made a simple round record, and the girls made their own ice-cream sundaes with all the fixin's.

Games - These girls loved to play party games! I tried to stick to the 50's theme by planning some old fashioned party games and some new ones with a twist (no pun intended). They played musical chairs ,but instead of chairs I placed paper plates (to look like records) on the floor and they had to stand on them when the music stopped.

We had a hoola-hoop contest and the girl who hoola-ed the longest won a prize (I got the hoops at the dollar store, they were also a take home gift for each of the girls). We had a bubble-gum blowing contest which was really funny! We had a couple of dancing games just for fun which included freeze dance, a twist-off, and a 50's stroll (they loved this!).

We played pin the cherry on the ice-cream float. I just used colored construction paper to make three ice- cream scoops one each of  vanilla (white), strawberry (pink), and choclate (brown). Cut a dish shape out of aluminum foil, and glued it all onto a large sheet of construction paper. Cut out several small circles for the cherries and numbered them. I got a Rock-n-Roll guitar pinata and filled it with treats. 

Extras- We played 50's era music (Elvis, Grease soundtrack, etc.)throughout the party, and even my husband and I dressed to look the part.     All of the girls had a great time at the party and they didn't want to leave when it was over!