Luau Party 6yr - Beach Scene Picture

INVITATIONS: Were done at home on the computer. Found a clip art of a hula girl and used that to make a one-page invite (as they were mailed). The top of the invite said, Aloha! Hula on Over to A's 6th Birthday." The envelope had the same hula girl with each child's name in English and Hawaiian (found online). All kids were asked to come in their beach attire with towels. Thank you notes were also made with the same clip art.

DECORATIONS: This was an outdoor party done at our playground. The picnic table was decorated with a grass skirt tablecloth. The umbrellas at the table were covered with rafia skirts to look like a tiki hut. The table was decorated in sea shells pineapples held the balloons at a centerpiece and coconut bowls had various dips for chips. I used brightly colored sand pails for the chips. A beach scene shower curtain (found at WalMart)was hung in front of a small baby pool full of sand (and hidden treasures) for photos. Signs were placed around the yard on stakes to welcome the guests (Welcome to A's Beach) the craft table (Sand Dollar Cove) picnic table (Food Island) waterslide (Paradise Falls). There were beach chairs beach blankets and beach balls all scattered around the area. 

ACTIVITIES: At the arrival to the party all guests were given a grass skirt and lei (found at Oriental Trading). Their pic was taken in front of the beach scene. They then went to the craft table to make picture frames by gluing seashells to a wooden frame that I had painted beach blue. Once everyone arrived and the frames completed they played on the water slide (rented from a local vendor). I let them slide for about a 1/2 hour and then we had pizza cake ice cream. After cake the kids did a treasure hunt searching for the sand dollars (painted gold) in the baby pool as well as small treasures such as mardi gras beads. We also did a fish pinata which contained a lot of candy and more golden sand dollars.

The golden sand dollars were traded in for "prizes" (i.e. water guns large beach balls etc.) found at the dollar store. After the pinata the kids all went with my niece to a "secret" location and she taught them a short hula dance. The kids all returned in their skirts and leis and performed for the adults. The gifts were opened by placing all the kids on their beach blankets in a circle. They passed a pineapple to the luau music and when the music stopped that person gave their gift to my daughter. They then received their goodie bags. After the gifts the kids continued back to the waterslide until their parents arrived. 

SNACKS: Fruit trays with pineapple and other colorful fruits and regular chips/dips. Fruit punch for drinks. All snacks were served out of sand pails and/or coconut or shell bowls.

CAKE: The cake was a beach scene with teddy grahams decorated in bathing suits floating on gummy saver intertubes laying on Fruit Stripe gum beach blankets and surf boards a shark made out of Airhead candy as well as a mermaid on the beach. The coconut trees were made out of chocolate cereal sticks with cocoa puff coconuts. A treasure chest was made out of Hershey nugget candies. The water was blue icing the sand was crushed vanilla wafers. There was even a peppermint ball beach ball. The candles were Hawaiian flowers. The cake was a HIT!! 

FAVORS: Each goodie bag was a small colorful Hawaiian flowered bag which contained all their candy necklaces and other loot from the party. Their decorated picture frame with a picture (printed out during the party) of them in the beach scene. These turned out very nice! And they got to take home their skirts/leis.  These kids had an absolute blast!! They continue to talk about it as do the parents.  "