Backyard Luau Party  - Kabobs and Smoothies

This idea is for a teen luau that is affordable and can take place in your very backyard!  It's the perfect summer birthday party or back-to-school party. Plus, it's easy to plan and can be adjusted to the guest of honor's liking.

INVITATIONS: You can go on Microsoft word and type the party information, adding clip art and bold fonts.  Roll the invites up in and tie it with a colored ribbon.  Attach a hibiscus flower to the ribbon. This is cheap and cute, not to mention simple.

DECORATIONS:  Make sure you have a freshly mowed lawn. You don't want it to look like a jungle.  If you have a pool, make sure it is ready for use.  If not, buy a blow-up pool. Blow-up pools come in all sizes.  

Place lawn chairs across the yard.  Roll out towels on the ground.  Keep a supply of sunscreen, because guests will most likely forget.  Put tiki torches up.  If you have a fence, place bright streamers on them, with hibiscus flowers attached.  If adults will attend, keep stacks of magazines. 

FOOD: Serve chicken, beef, and veggie kabobs.  Keep bowls of macadamia nuts around the sitting area.  Also, have fruit salad.  Make either a normal birthday cake, or make a pineapple upside-down cake.  To make a great pineapple upside-down cake, melt a stick of butter in a greased cake pan. Knead brown sugar against the butter.  Place pineapple slices down, putting cherries in the middle. Then pour golden cake mix over the pineapples.  Bake it for as long at the cake mix package says. Also, serve fruit smoothies.

MUSIC: Play popular music, but throw in a few Hawaiian tunes.  No teenager wants to listen to music for two hours, but they'll find a few songs to be fun to dance to.

ACTIVITIES: Spend one hour swimming, then do presents and cake. Do a limbo and hula hoop competition.  The prizes should be something universally liked, such as candy or gift cards. Keep the competitions short.  You don't want the guests to get bored. Take pictures of guests, or give guests disposable cameras and let them loose. But for the most part, let the guests swim, relax, talk, and tan.

COSTUMES: I suggest that the guest of honor wears a hula skirt, but it doesn't matter. Let guests wear their casual clothes and swimsuits, but give them leis. FAVORS: Buy coconut cups and fill them with candy, a pair of sunglasses, candy bars with personalized labels which say Thank You, and mini sunscreen bottles.  Attach a hibiscus to the coconut cups. SOUVENIER FOR THE GUEST OF HONOR: Get a blank pair of tennis shoes and have the guest sign them with sharpies as they leave. They'll be a great memory!  I hope this helped you. Have a wonderful luau!