As kids grow older, choosing a birthday party theme can seem to get a little tricky. But look no further than your tween’s bookshelf.
Like her peers, my daughter has been hooked on the Percy Jackson books for months now. The series of five books by author Rick Riordan chronicles the tale of Jackson as he comes to terms with being the son of Poseidon. Steeped in Greek mythology, but set in modern times, the books appeal to kids raised with the action and magic of Harry Potter.
When my daughter’s 10th birthday approached, she shared the idea of having a Percy Jackson-themed party. The local party store doesn’t stock paper plates with the literary hero’s image, so we had to come up with our own plan.
Start With the Color “Blue”
In the books, Percy’s mother makes him blue food for special occasions. The color blue, in a variety of shades, is a great start to create decorations. Use paper goods in a variety of blue hues, as well as blue tablecloths, balloons, streamers, banners, and other items. Most solid paper goods can be found inexpensively at dollar stores and discount department stores.
Put blue food on the menu as well. For my daughter’s birthday, we made blue and white cupcakes. We used a white cake mix, divided the batter in half, and tinted half of it blue. We layered the batter in the cupcake tins and swirled a knife through it for a tie-dye affect. After baking, we decorated with white and blue frosting to resemble Poseidon’s waves.
Many foods can be tinted blue with a little food coloring, such as dips, cookie dough, and beverages. Other blue foods to include on a menu include tortilla chips, Hawaiian Punch or Kool-Aid, blueberry baked goods, Jello, and any azure-hued candy.
Go Greek
Since Greek mythology plays a major role in the series, be sure to include mythological elements in your planning. Print out pictures of Greek gods for decorations or use Greek mythological plastic figurines for decorations or cake toppers. Use Greek lettering fonts for homemade invitations and party banners.
Be creative and make party games and activities to follow the theme. Since only girls were invited to my daughter’s birthday party, we had a “Toilet Paper Toga” fashion show, where the girls used rolls of inexpensive toilet paper to wrap each other in toga designs.
We also put a Greek spin on a traditional party game by playing “Pin the Snake on Medusa.” On a large piece of poster board, we drew a large picture of Medusa. We then used a second piece of poster board to make snakes for the blindfolded girls to pin on her head.
At our summer party, guests went swimming in “Poseidon’s Pool.” At a winter party, consider showing the film “Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief,” which is available on DVD. Kids can also participate in a Greek temple-building contest with LEGOs, or create a “Minotaur” pinata by putting a single eyeball over any pinata creature’s eyes.
Using a little creativity and guided by the story of an exciting book, you can create a unique party that your tween and her friends will always remember.
