Luau Party - Here Are Some Great Luau Party Ideas For Games, Food and Decorations

A Luau party can be a lot of fun for a group of adults that want to get together for a festive, tropical-island themed event.  The Luau party makes a great theme for birthday parties.  Here are some great luau party ideas including suggestions for games, food , invitations and decorations. 

Invitations

Decide first whether you want to buy pre-made invitations or  if you want to make your own.  If you are using pre-made invitations, be sure to choose designs with bright colors, or large flowers.  Some recognizable Hawaiian icons are hula dancers, leis, and palm trees.  Personalize the envelopes with a custom designed postage stamp!  If you want to get creative, try to find some Hawaiian postcards and mail to your guests and write all of the details of the party on the blank side. 

You can also try to create an image of airline tickets and write on the outside "You've just won 2 free tickets!" and fill in the information like this:  destination: YOUR HOUSE arrival time: PARTY START TIME departure time:  PARTY END TIME.

Another creative idea is to write the party details on a beach ball, deflate the ball, and mail to your guests with instructions to blow up the ball for more details.

You can also attach an index card to a lei with party information written on it, and mail the lei to your guests with instructions to wear it to the party!

Decorations

Options for decorations at a luau are endless.  For an outdoor party, set tiki torches around the party area.  It is convenient to get torches that burn citronella oil to keep mosquitoes at bay.  Buy real or silk orchids and hibiscus flowers and scatter them around the venue.  Make your own surfboards from Styrofoam board.

Trim tables with grass skirts and place shell candles and coconuts on them.  Try to find an old surfboard to use as a table.  Be absolutely certain there are enough leis at the party for everyone.  Find real, cardboard, or inflatable palm trees.  Blow up some beach balls and place them around the room or patio.  Whatever it is, think bright and bountiful color!

Games

The first game anyone thinks about at a luau is the limbo.  You can buy inflatable limbo sets or real bamboo sets, but it's simple enough to find a long flat stick or board and two people willing to hold up either end.  Crank up the Don Ho and see how low you can go!

Another inexpensive yet fun and hilarious game is who can "hula" the longest.  Hula HOOPING of course!  Without authentic hula dancers at the party, engage your guests with this timeless contest and see who still has it.  Offer prizes for the longest hula-er and the guest who can hula with the most hoops.

Pineapple bowling will be a favorite.  Use coconuts to knock down pineapple "pins".  Ula Maika is a traditional Hawaiian game similar to horseshoes with two sticks as the posts and small stones as the horseshoes.  See who can make it closer to the sticks with the stones. If room permits, set up a volleyball net and play some beach volleyball.

Food

Luau in Hawaiian means "great feast."  Set up the food at the party in buffet style.  You can ask your local butcher to butterfly a whole pig, and just throw it on the barbeque.  Serve pineapple ham.  Fresh tropical fruit salad with pineapple, mango, papaya and watermelon in a large hollowed out watermelon with be pleasing to the palate as well as the eyes.  Haupia, a coconut pudding  is a tantalizing sweet treat.  Serve tropical drinks out of coconuts halves.  Try Mai Tai, Pina Coladas, or a tropical punch with fresh fruit pieces in it.

Cake

The cake can be as simple or magnificent as you like. Bake a circular cake and decorate it like a beach ball.  You can also try your hand at carving out a cake by baking a rectangular cake and cutting it down to look like a ukulele.  Use decorators icing to complete the picture.  A simple pineapple upside down cake will tantalize your guests.  Add a colorful splash with cherries on top.

To go for the wow factor, make a "Volcano" cake by making a simple chocolate Bundt cake and carefully placing a piece of dry ice in the middle to simulate the smoke.  Mix orange and red food coloring with white icing and drizzle along the sides to look like lava.