Star Wars Jedi Party -7yr- Color Strobe & Fog

My son just celebrated his 7th b-day 2 days ago (Dec. 1st).  We started planning his party 11 months ago, we came up with lots of theme, and finally settle with Star Wars. This site was a big hit and all the ideas that was contributed had been wonderful and helpful.  We decided the venue to be a local miniature of the city of Sacramento, CA (Safetyville, USA).  Huge space, no limit on guests and we can bring our own food. 

I made the invitation at home, cardstock in front with the downloaded photo at starwars.com website of space and ships, it states: IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY...A BOY OF DESTINY WAS BORN. THE JEDI COUNCIL NAMED HIM  WILLIAM AND THEY KNEW HE WAS THE CHOSEN ONE. IN THE SEVEN  YEARS THAT HAS FOLLOWED HIS BIRTH, HE HAS BEEN LEARNING THE POWERS OF THE FORCE.  My son and I attached a glow stick on each invitation.  Few months before Halloween  I bought a Darth Vader costume for my husband and a Jedi Knight costume for my son, they were able used the costume during Halloween then the party.  I sew my son's jedi robe, pattern are available online and you can use textile glue for hem line.  Rented the place from 10 am till 2pm. 

We arrived at the site at 9:30 am and started to decorate the whole room, we hang black plastic table cover (dollar store) around the room.  We had old Star Wars 2006 calendar which we posted. I printed my son's name using Darth Vader font and cut out and pasted it as a backdraft, we also have star wars movie standee and a star wars character standee (ebay).  Son and I glue foil stars around his name (it stand out on the black plastic).  We have colored strobes lights at the back of the standee  and a fog machine (all bought after Halloween, which was 50% off).  Tables are covered with black plastic. 

When the kids arrived we have them register with name and their parent write their address (for thank yous), since we started at 11 am, usually kids are hungry we serve them packed sliced apples.  At 11:15 we opened the doors and let the kids in, with the star wars music as a background, lights out and strobe lights are blinking with the fog machine filling the room. We have the kids sit and explain to them that the first thing that they need to do is to build their own light saber,  as the swimming noodle is out of season and they cost more to buy at those pool store.  We opted for a mailing tube, which is 24 inch made of kraft paper (used for mailing drafts) it came out .54c @ at a wholesale, although you need to get it by count of 50's. We taped 2 colored construction paper together prior to the party.  Let the kids taped the colored paper around the tube and, after that tape a clear plastic cover around it.  Use silver tape for handle (dollar store).

While they are doing their light saber, my husband, son and I had a raffle, my son called the winners name and they were given glow stick/necklace and a 3D postal box mock of R2D2 3d again see Starwars.com website. Everybody wins! They had so much fun creating their own light saber.  After that we have to gather the finished light saber to be given later away at the end of the party. (so that they wouldn't end up hitting each other).   We asked them to look for an adult as a partner for a newspaper dance, which was always fun to play with.  Each pair will have a newspaper.  We will have music on, once it pause, each pair should be standing inside their newspaper, whoever caught with their feet or foot outside the newspaper is out, and until the next music stop, they need to fold their newspaper (until it get smaller and smaller). Whoever left standing wins!

After the game and craft we have the lunch serve, I baked homemade macaroni and cheese, bbq meatballs, grapes, carrots, juice.  After they ate, we asked them to gather again because we will be having a special surprise.  We have the room darken, and the imperial march started as a background and Darth Vader came out.  The kids are surprise and excited, Darth went to walk around the room, and my son was seated in the middle of the room, and he presented my son with a new blue lightsaber, which it was surprise for him. 

After that Darth challenge the Jedi for a duel, they had to do a mock up battle in front of his friends.  Really cool. When the Jedi defeated Darth, he said these final words William  I am you father! Everybody was just laughing about it. Then we have the birthday cake (we made cupcake out of a star foil, with star wars rings on top of it).  We give each kid a different star wars masks for photo.  We gather the kids around Darth and my son standing with their lightsaber in a duel pose, while the kids are wearing with masks, and after that we have the kids remove their mask for another photo.

After the photo, each kid was called in front to received their lightsaber, certificate as an honorary Jedi, their goody bag (customize pens, stickers, couple of candle wrapped in an aluminum foil and fruit snacks) and we also gave them a darth vader folder (99c stores- 3 for 99c) inside it, are pages we photocopy for them to color, copy of the mock up R2Ds postal box, chapter books (we got from thrift stores), we made bookmarks with my son photo as a Jedi and a star for them to decorate as Christmas ornament.

The kids have fun asking for autograph from Darth Vader, and my husband just having a kick out of it! We had so much fun, we also have a lot of help from our friends, which all of them was wearing their different star wars character T-shirt (customize at zazzle.com). My son opened his present at home, and we took pictures on each present he opened, they will be send together with the corresponding thank you cards. Overall the party was a huge success, hope this is helpful and goodluck!  We are already planning for next year's party!