Throwing a luau party is a fantastic way to celebrate your kid's birthday! It's full of gorgeous colors, exciting games, delicious food, and bright decorations that your little one and their friends will love. From flower invites to luau scavenger hunts, your child and their friends are guaranteed to have a memorable time.
What Is a Luau Party?
A luau party is a Hawaiian-themed celebration that evokes a traditional Hawaiian feast or an island festival. These parties often include Hawaiian-inspired food, music, games, and decorations. Luau party themes are perfect for summer birthdays, but can be a blast any time of year. With their vibrant colors, tropical vibes, and unique activities, kids won't stop having fun while parents enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.
25 Fun Luau Birthday Party Ideas for Kids
Ready to throw a tropical luau party for your child? Here are some luau party ideas to make sure your bash is totally unforgettable!
Luau Party Invitations
Of course, a luau party wouldn't be complete without fun and festive invitations to excite guests about the upcoming event.
Flower invite: Create a tropical flower-shaped invitation by cutting out petals from colorful cardstock and attaching them to a center circle containing the party information. Punch a small hole in the top petal and thread a thin ribbon through, tying it off to create a loop for guests to hang their invitation as a keepsake. With a unique and charming invitation like this, your child's luau birthday is sure to be memorable.
Sun umbrella invite: One of the best ways to give your guests a taste of what's to come is with a sun umbrella invite. Use cardstock or colored paper to cut out a large umbrella shape, then attach an invitation to it. The sun umbrella invite can feature vibrant colors and beachy patterns that truly set the tone for a great Hawaiian style celebration.
Flip-flop invite: flip-flop invites give your guests tropical vibes from the moment they open them, and let's face it — nothing screams summer more than flip-flops! These invitations aren't just summer-tastic, they also can be customized to fit your party's specific theme, colors, and style. Simply trace a flip-flop design onto cardstock or construction paper and cut it out to reveal your design. The creative possibilities with a flip-flop invite are endless. Use one flip-flop for the party details and the other as an RSVP card.
Torch entrance: Light the path leading to your party with torches to give guests a warm island welcome. Opt for battery-operated or unlit torches to keep it safe and kid-friendly.
These invitations aren't just summer-tastic, they also can be customized to fit your party's specific theme, colors, and style. Simply trace a flip-flop design onto cardstock or construction paper and cut it out to reveal your design. The creative possibilities with a flip-flop invite are endless. Use one flip-flop for the party details and the other as an RSVP card.
Kids Party Hawaiian Luau Decorations
When it comes to decorating a kids' luau party, splashes of color, exciting designs, and eye-catching details are must-haves. A Hawaiian luau theme is a perfect way to unleash your creative side and transform your party space into a tropical oasis.
Torch entrance: Light the path leading to your party with torches to give guests a warm island welcome. Opt for battery-operated or unlit torches to keep it safe and kid-friendly.
Grass skirts: Provide guests with colorful grass skirts to wear during the party — it's the luau way, after all!
Lei greeter: Have someone, perhaps the birthday child, welcome guests with a floral lei as they arrive at the party.
Floral photo backdrop: Set up a vibrant floral backdrop for guests to take pictures in front of as a fun party activity and souvenir.
Pineapple centerpiece: A pineapple centerpiece is a versatile and charming addition to any kids' Hawaiian party. You can use actual pineapples or pineapple-shaped containers filled with flowers or colorful candies, making it a feast for the eyes and the taste buds.
Flamingo decorations: Nothing says fun like a flock of bright pink flamingos stationed in your backyard! Flamingo decorations add color and tropical ambience to any party, which makes them perfect for a luau celebration. You can even use inflatable flamingos as drink holders or pool floats for an added splash of fun.
Pineapple plant balloon ball: Begin by purchasing gold, green, and brown balloons in various sizes. Once you have your balloons ready, start arranging and attaching them to a mesh or net panel to form the shape of a pineapple plant. The largest balloons should be used as the pineapple's base, while smaller ones should be used as accents for the leaves.
Beach decorations: Garlands or streamers with seashell or starfish accents are an easy and affordable way to enhance the tropical mood of your party space. You can even toss in sand and seashell candles as centerpieces or place fishnets draped with vibrant leis around the area. Don't forget to add beach-themed signs, mini beach pails, surfboards, or palm tree cutouts for a cool island touch!
Mini palm trees: Every luau party needs the quintessential tropical symbol —palm trees! All you need are some small terracotta pots, sand or pebbles, and palm fronds or leaves to create the illusion of a palm tree. Fill each pot with sand, then insert the fronds or leaves into it, arranging them to resemble a miniature palm tree. Palm tree balloons are also a great, and much easier, option!
Paper plate fruits: What better way to add a fresh and vibrant feel to your luau than with tropical fruits? Choose a few paper plate fruit designs, such as pineapples, coconuts, or oranges. Begin by cutting simple shapes out of colored paper plates or paint white ones to match the fruit. After completing the designs, arrange the paper plate fruits around your party area, or hang them as a garland or banner.
Luau Games for Kids
Make sure to plan some fun and festive luau games to keep everyone entertained!
Hula hoop chain race: This is a fantastic group game that's sure to bring loads of laughs and some friendly competition. Teams line up, holding hands with a hula hoop hanging off one person's arm. The objective of the race is to pass the hula hoop from one end of this human chain to the other without breaking the chain by letting go of hands.
Luau scavenger hunt: Channel the mystery and excitement of an island treasure hunt by creating a list of luau-themed items for players to find, such as floral leis, mini tiki torches, paper cocktail umbrellas, or sunglasses. You can hide these items around your party venue, or you can make the game even more engaging by assigning tasks or challenges participants need to complete to find these items.
Outdoor ring toss: This entertaining and family-friendly game provides a tropical twist to the classic ring toss by using tiki torches as the targets. Provide players with rings made of rope, pool noodles, or even glow stick bracelets. Take turns tossing the rings, attempting to encircle the torches. Remember to play it safe and only use unlit torches or battery-operated torches to avoid any fire hazards.
Hot coconut: In this fun twist on hot potato, players will toss a coconut while music plays. Start the music and instruct players to pass the coconut around the circle. At random intervals, pause the music — whoever is caught holding the coconut when the music stops is out of the game. The game continues until only one player remains, and they are crowned the Hot Coconut champion!
Luau bowling: Set up a bowling lane using actual pins or plastic bottles filled with colorful sand. Players can use a coconut instead of a bowling ball to knock down the pins and enjoy a beach-themed game of bowling!
Limbo: Play some island tunes or hula music and have the kids take turns going under a bamboo rod, seeing who can go the lowest.
Beach ball relay: Organize a relay race where kids must balance beach balls on pool noodles, adding a fun challenge to a classic game.
Sandcastle competition: Set up a sandbox for kids to compete in building the best sandcastle.
Luau Party Snacks
Tropical fruit kabobs: Create delicious fruit kabobs using pineapple, mango, watermelon, and more for a tropical fruit salad on a stick.
Pineapple donuts: Print out pineapple leaves and stick them into the top of donuts for a fun party treat!
Surfboard cookie decorating: Provide surfboard-shaped cookies and edible decorations for kids to create their own surfboard masterpieces.
Volcano cake: For the birthday cake, create a volcano-themed cake with red lava icing spilling over the sides.
FAQS
How do you throw a luau party for kids?
Throwing a children's luau party is a fun and simple birthday theme that only requires a few luau party supplies. Beach-inspired decorations, tropical foods, Hawaiian-themed games, and some ukulele music are all you need to make your child's luau party unforgettable.
What do you serve at a luau birthday party?
Serve up some creative and tasty tropical treats! Some of our favorite ideas include pineapple smoothies, tropical fruit kabobs, surfboard cookies, and a volcano cake.
