Airplane Theme Party

Party Plans

Planning a party should be fun for all, including the birthday child! If your child enjoys these types of activities, make sure to include him/her in all of the pre-party planning, such as developing the guest lists, planning the games, selecting the decorations, even preparing the party treats.

If your child is younger, consider creating a countdown calendar to keep track of the number of days until the party. Think how excited he/she will be by the time the big day arrives!

Make sure you deliver or mail your invitations at least 2-3 weeks in advance so that your guests can respond and plan accordingly.

Set a budget. Before you make any purchases or deposits, put together a list of all your expenses by item. If the total expenses are more than your budget, think of how you can creatively reduce your expenses by trimming some of the less important items. If necessary you may also need to trim your guest list.

Schedule

Consider limiting your party activities to no more than two hours. At this point the energy level of most children starts to fade, and all of those amazing party activities you have planned will cease to be fun. A two hour party will provide enough time for your child to greet all of his/her guests, play a few games, open gifts, celebrate with refreshments and cake, and say goodbyes.

Guests

It's tempting to not want to leave anyone out when planning a party for your child. Will this be a family event, or school friends only? What about brothers and sisters? Remember, it's important to keep the party size managable. If the weather permits, an outdoor event might provide more flexibility if you're working with a larger group. Together with your child develop his/her "wish" list of attendees, and then determine what will work best for your party setting. If the party is a large event with lots of guests, remember to include friends or family who are willing to lend a helping hand.

Decorations

Think about how you can "transform" areas of your home, yard, or other party space so that your guests truly experience the party theme. Bright colored streamers & balloons make a room festive. Reinforce the party theme with coordinating wall and table decorations. Figher Pilot includes banners, danglers, centerpieces & more. Hang paper or inflatable airplanes from the ceilings & trees - these can serve double-duty as party favors as well!

Are you creative? Try crafting various stations to be used throughout the party. These could include a Check-in Desk, Flight School Hangar, Food Court, and Baggage Claim (area for gifts or goodie bags). Create activities or challenges for each area to give your guests a true flight experience. Check the internet, the library, or your local craft store for ideas on how best (and easiest!) to design these areas for your event.

If your party is at home, don't forget to decorate the outside of your house! This will help set the mood for the party and direct guests to the correct address. Consider turning your driveway into a runway with sidewalk chalk or posting airport directional signs including "Arrivals", "Departures", "Baggage Claim", etc around your house and yard.

Activities/Games

To encourage participation from everyone at the party, it's always a good idea to stick to simple games that children may already know or can learn easily. Consider starting with something less active to allow the party goers to warm up to each other. It's also good to have these kinds of activities or games at the end of the party also, so that your guests can start to wind down prior to refreshments and saying goodbye.

As guests arrive, direct them to the "Check-in" desk. Provide a pilot ID Badge for each guest (which can be personalized with a photo) and a paper airplane or glider for them to decorate while you wait for the rest of the guests to arrive.

Think of simple ways to adapt standard party games to complement the theme of the party. These could include Musical Clouds, Pin the Pilot on the Plane and Pass the Black Box (like Hot Potato - fill box with small prizes and person holding the box when the music stops, gets to pick a prize out).

Make sure you have enough activities to last the length of the party, and then some. Running out of activities can quickly take your event from loads of fun to a party downer. Remember board games and craft materials can always be used in a pinch.

Other Ideas

There are a lot of creative & fun ways to make the most of your airplane-themed party with just a little planning. Create a "Flight School" with a variety of different stations for your guests to complete. These can include a sky high relay race (make planes out of boxes that guests can wear to run around a course), airplane mechanics & decorating (have guests build & decorate paper airplanes) and take-off & landing practice (challenges to see whose plane can fly the furthest and whose can land closest to a target). At the end of the party, award your guests with Flight School Certificates.

For an exciting party outside your home, contact your local airport about having your party there. Some small airports may have an area you can use, and you can ask about having a pilot speak with your group, give a tour of the hangar and allow your guests to sit in the cockpit of a real airplane! What a fun memory for your guests!

Create a memory book or box of the event. Take lots of photos, everything from the guests, to the food, to the games, and the gifts. Make special note of the current events of the day. Include a few small decorations or momentos.

Party Wearables

Upon arrival, guests can be presented with pilot ID Badges and a paper or foam pilot hat. A pair of Aviator Sunglasses complete the look for your flight-filled party!

Favors/Prizes

Look for Aviator Glasses, Plastic Jets, Paper Gliders and Stickers, all available from Creative Expressions.

Game prizes are fun for both winners and losers. Keep the prizes simple so others do not feel left out. Make sure to have some silly prizes on hand for the losers as well so they have something to take home.

Food

Treat your guests to box lunches - just like the ones served on a plane! Brainstorm creative new names for your favorite party snacks such as "jet fuel punch" or "captain's cookies" . Use plane-shaped cookie cutters to make shaped sandwiches and snacks, and be sure to have plenty of peanuts & pretzels on hand!

Don't Forget

What's a birthday cake without the candles? Make sure to have plenty on hand.

Unexpected

No matter how much you plan, be sure to expect the unexpected, both good and bad. Be prepared with a good attitude and a camera!