Make your child’s next birthday party a true tropical dream with our Luau Party Ideas! We have provided general party planning tips, as well as ideas for invitations, decorations, food, and activities, that are sure to make your guests hula all the way home!
Planning & Invitations
A good time to begin planning for a party is 6-8 weeks in advance. At that time, you should be thinking about a theme for your party as well as a location. You’ve already chosen a theme, so the next step is picking a location. You can host a lavish Luau Party at home, but if you would rather have it elsewhere, consider a local lake or beach, community center, or church hall. Find additional suggestions in our When & Where to Have the Party article.
What Do I Need for the Party?
If you plan to use luau-themed party supplies, our Suggested Party Supply List may be helpful while you shop. Please note that you may not need everything on the list; it is intended only as a guide.
Along with the traditional party supplies, such as plates, napkins, cups, and streamers, you may want to consider purchasing or borrowing the following items:
- Grass skirts and leis for each guest
- Plastic palm trees
- Beach balls
- Beach towels
- Sunscreen (if you are hosting the party outdoors)
- Disposable cameras
Luau Party Invitations
Creative invitations set the mood for the party and can build excitement before the big day arrives. If you have the time to make your own invitations, here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
- Cut a tropical flower out of colorful construction paper. Run a glue stick around the edges and sprinkle with pink, yellow, or blue glitter. Write your party details in the center of the flower.
- Fold a small sheet of construction paper in half to create a card-style invitation. Decorate the front with flowers and palm trees and the words “You’re Invited…” Write your party details on the inside and mail with some colorful confetti.
- Write the party details on an inflated beach ball. Deflate the ball and send it in a manila envelope. Your guests will have fun blowing it up to read the invitation!
- Send your invitations in a package with a flower lei and grass skirt. Ask that guests were the outfits to the party.
- Attach a card-style invitation to a pair of flip-flops or sunglasses and hand deliver or send in a padded envelope.
- Create a card-style invitation out of construction paper. Run a glue stick along the bottom of the invitation and sprinkle yellow glitter on to resemble sand. Glue a drink umbrella and a small swath of terrycloth to the glittered area to resemble a beach scene. Apply some seagull stickers near the top of the card for added effect. Write “You’re Invited…” on the front and include all the party details inside.
If you do not have time to make invitations yourself, let us do the work for you! Check out our personalized luau invitations, which include your child's name and all the party details on a background that fits your theme. We have blank invitations as well.
Luau Party Favors
Send your little hula dancers away with some luau-themed party favors! Consider a grass skirt, lei, CD of tropical music, tiki cup, beach tote, or a pair of flip flops. Go the authentic route and let each person take home a fresh pineapple (the traditional Hawaiian symbol of hospitality). To save you time, take a look at our complete Luau Party Favor Sets, which include a matching bag!
If you want something a little more personal, check out our personalized party favors, including stickers and bag tags, that can be printed with your guests’ names or a special message from you!
Additional Party Planning Tips
To simplify the rest of the party planning process, check out our Party Planning 101 section for our party planning timeline, a printable RSVP sheet, birthday cake ideas, and other party planning basics.
Decorating & Food Ideas
Luau Party Decorations
- Make a Sand Castle Centerpiece – Purchase textured, sand-colored spray paint at any local hardware store. Spray paint shoe boxes and use them to form the main part of the castle. To construct the towers, glue Styrofoam cones to empty coffee cans, then paint. Other details, such as scallops across the top of the castle, can be cut out of Styrofoam and painted.
- Visit a local travel agency and ask for old travel posters of Hawaii, the Caribbean, or other tropical destinations, and hang them throughout the party area.
- Tape green butcher paper around the seats of chairs and fray the edges to resemble grass skirts. In the same way, add frayed green paper to serving bowls and cups, if desired.
- If you're hosting the party outdoors, use play sand to set up a "beach." You can use a sand box or, if one isn't available, spread sand on large trash bags for easy cleanup.
- Lay out beach towels for the kids to sit on as they eat or play games.
- Pile seashells and starfish in the corners of the party area and surround them with sand.
- Set up tiki torches along the driveway or sidewalk leading up to the party location.
- Hang paper lanterns and flower garland from the ceiling.
- Cut large flower shapes out of different colors of construction paper and tape them to the walls and doors.
- Place pineapples, coconuts, and bunches of bananas throughout the party area.
- Balloons are a must-have at any party! Combine a luau-themed Mylar balloon with four or five latex balloons and secure them with balloon weights throughout the party area. Also, tie balloons to the chair where the birthday child will sit.
- Play tropical music in the background. Steel drum bands are a good choice.
Luau Party Food Ideas
Serving theme-specific party food is a fun way to celebrate – for the host and the guests! For some tasty tiki treats, try some of these suggestions:
- Serve tropical snacks such as macadamia nuts, coconut, and cashews in wooden bowls.
- Make fresh fruit kabobs by alternating mango, pineapple, and banana on wooden skewers.
- Make a sign that says “Tiki Bar” and hand it above the food table.
- Make a “luau punch” by mixing pineapple juice and 7-Up. Freeze pieces of tropical fruit in ice cubes and add them to the punch bowl.
- Hollow out pineapple and coconut shells and use them as serving dishes.
- Serve beverages in tiki cups with a drink umbrella and a silly straw.
- Use flower cookie cutters or palm tree cookie cutters to slice cheese and lunchmeat. Serve them with crackers.
- Make Banana-Strawberry Smoothies by blending 2 bananas, 2 cups fresh strawberries, 1 cup milk, and 1 cup frozen yogurt. If you’re looking for other tropical beverages that will take less time to make, consider Virgin Strawberry Daiquiris and Virgin Pina Coladas made from store-bought mixes.
- Make a palm tree-shaped cake with our cake pan. Or, make a flower-shaped cake by surrounding a round cake with cupcakes or Twinkies. Ice the center with yellow frosting and the cupcake/Twinkie petals with pink or lavender frosting.
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