Luau Party Games and Activities

In your invitation, encourage your guests to come dressed tropical style. Check out our merchant's Wearables for grass skirts and beachcomber hats. It is always good to have a few on hand for unprepared guests!
 
When your guests arrive, greet them the traditional Hawaiian way by hanging a lei or shell necklace around their necks.

Check out the new Limbo Kit and for a twist on this timeless favorite try these variations:

Flashlight limbo – turn off all the lights, and use the beam of the flashlight as your limbo stick.

Garden-hose limbo – if party guests have their swimsuits on, or if the day is too hot for comfort…try using your garden-hose as the limbo stick.

Purchase or borrow a couple of hula-hoops. Let guests know that at a specified time there will be a "hula" contest, and encourage them to practice if the mood strikes. Offer prizes, such as sun block and Chapstick™, for endurance and creativity.
 
The traditional hula dance was developed centuries ago when Hawaiians had no written language. History and stories were passed by word of mouth or set to music and danced. Fill a bowl with key phrases, turn up the tropical music, and let your guests hula their way to winning. You could use "beach" related movies, songs and TV shows as key phrases. ("Elvis Presley in Blue Hawaii"; "Book 'em Dano, from Hawaii 5-0"; "Itsy Bitsy Teensy Weensy Yellow Polka Dot Bikini")
 
Never underestimate the power of music to set the tone for your luau party. CDs and tapes with a “Best Of” Hawaii theme are available in most of our stores.... You will almost feel the warm ocean breeze. If dancing is in your plans, try lots and lots of Beach Boys and Reggae!
 
The following activities will appeal more to children than to adults:

Have guests take turns making up silly hula dances for the others to try to follow. Be prepared to jump-start this one yourself. There is nothing like seeing mom or dad looking goofy to break the ice and make the shyest child feel comfortable participating.

Supply a variety of colorful beads or small shells with holes drilled into them, along with leather cord to the children. Knot one end, and they are ready to make ankle bracelets. They can also create necklaces and wrist bracelets.

As a craft activity, have the children make tissue posies out of brightly colored tissue paper. When they are complete, use a hot melt glue gun to attach them to a hair comb, bobby pin or barrette, and add the flowers to the children's hair.

Play a game of “Pin the Monkey on the Palm Tree” - this classic game with a tropical twist is sure to be a hit with young children.

Luau Party Food & Cake Ideas

Using a fresh pineapple, slice a thin piece off the bottom, so that it stands level on a plate. Skewer various pieces of bite-sized fruit (watermelon chunks or balls, grapes, pineapple pieces, strawberries, etc.) on wooden shish-ka-bob sticks, or long toothpicks. Stick evenly spaced skewers into the pineapple. This makes a delicious and very easy centerpiece.
 
Turn a Beachcomber Hat upside-down, line it with plastic wrap, and use it as a serving dish for dry food.

Fill a plastic or metal tub with ice and add canned, bottled or boxed (Hawaiian Punch) beverages appropriate for the age of your guests. Tie palm thatching or a Raffia Table Skirt to the top edge of the tub, and scatter a few silk or real flowers among the beverages.
 

Fill pineapple boats (slice fresh pineapple in half and cut out the inside of the fruit) with tuna or chicken salad. Even salads purchased from the deli counter look extra-special when presented this way. If you are making your own, be creative and add mandarin oranges, grapes, and slivered almonds or walnuts for a truly tropical experience.

Use hollowed-out coconuts to serve dips, macadamia nuts, or a berry mixture.
 
For desert, try coconut or banana cream pie.

Luau Party Recipes:

Citrus Kabobs
Ingredients:
2 oranges (juice and zest of 1 orange; cut wedges of other)
1/2 lb. scallops
1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated gingerroot
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
Directions:
Juice of one orange and finely grate the rind (zest). Cut the other orange into wedges and set aside. Place scallops and shrimp in a resealable plastic bag. Combine orange zest, orange juice, soy sauce, gingerroot, garlic and cayenne pepper. Pour over seafood and marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving the marinade. Thread the shrimp on skewers alternately with the scallops and orange wedges. Grill over hot coals, brushing with marinade, and turn once, until the shrimp turns pink and the scallops are opaque, about 5 minutes

Aloha Salad
Ingredients:
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 package ramen noodles (shrimp flavored)
2 -3 tablespoons sugar
1 cup green scallions chopped
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/3 cup slivered almonds
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 teaspoon pepper
1 head of cabbage shredded
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
Directions:
Remove flavor packet from the ramen noodles. Leave the noodles in the package and break them up into small pieces. Place noodles, almonds and sesame seeds on a baking tray. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes or until browned. Mix together oil, sugar, vinegar, salt, pepper, scallions and ramen flavor packet with the cabbage. Add noodle mixture to dressing and pour over cabbage.
 
Pineapple Boat
Ingredients:
1 ripe pineapple
Shredded coconut to taste
Selection of other fresh fruits such as:
Mangoes
Bananas
Strawberries
Oranges
Apples
Grapes
Kiwi
Directions:
Cut pineapple in half, lengthwise, leaving the crown attached. Cutting close to the shell with a thin, sharp knife or a curved fruit knife, carefully remove fruit. Cut away the center core strip. Cut pineapple and other selected fruits into bite-size pieces. Mix all ingredients together and serve in the pineapple shell. Serves: 8-10



 

Roasted Hog cake!
What You’ll Need:
2 packaged mixes (Try combining two different flavors for a marbled effect.)
2 16 oz. Containers of "pink" ready-made frosting
1 "board" for displaying the cake (foamcore or corrugated board covered with aluminum foil or silver cracked ice, or a silver platter)
1 tube of pink writing gel or frosting, one to two shades darker than the pink base frosting.
16 cup glass or metal bowl to use as a cake pan
1 Hostess™ Ding-Dong
1 red apple
1 pink pipe cleaner
 
Prepare the mix according to the manufacturer's directions. Pour both mixes into a well-greased pan.

If you are using more than one flavor let them bleed together for a unique effect. Bake the cake according to directions on the package, but add an additional 10-15 minutes to the suggested time to bake. Because you are baking 2 mixes at one time in a bowl shape, you will need to bake the cake for longer than the directions indicate. Check your cake using a toothpick inserted into the center, every 5-7 minutes after the initial baking time, and add more time as needed. All ovens bake differently, so add extra baking time in small increments. Allow cake to cool for 10-15 minutes. Trim the cake while it is still in the bowl so that it will be level when inverted on the cake board. Place cake on wire rack until completely cooled. Turn bowl upside down and place on cake board. Frost entire cake with pink frosting.

Attach the Hostess Ding-Dong™ as the snout (using two toothpicks), and frost with pink frosting. Add red apple to the pig's "mouth" under the snout. Using pink writing gel, outline the snout, and add two dots for nose holes. Add closed eyes and eyelashes, and also add the outline of "feet" to the sides of the pig. Twist the pink pipe cleaner into a spiral, and add it to the back of the cake as the roasted hog's tail. Add additional "props" such as colorful leis or fresh or silk flowers around the cake to make this the perfect centerpiece for your luau table!

If you are serving more people than can be accommodated by 2 boxed mixes (24-28 people), we recommend that you simply bake extra cupcakes, or an extra rectangular cake. All can just be frosted simply in matching pink frosting, and cut and served behind the scenes.

Frosting Note: In order to achieve a "bakery perfect" smoothness on your cakes, use a standard recipe for buttercream frosting. This type of frosting generally tastes quite sugary, and uses either lard or shortening to give it a "stiffer" consistency. Not only is ready-made frosting easier…we think it tastes creamier and less sugary. Try Pillsbury's™ Creamy Supreme™ frosting, or even Cool Whip™. The photos of the cakes in our cake tips section are all made with ready-made frosting. Hence, they are not bakery smooth, but were all very tasty!