Want to go straight to the step-by-step instructions? Click here.
Weird Science
Colorful candy, sweet experiments and dry ice create a formula for fun.
Luca, 8, of Kaimukī and Stellan, 9, of Kāneohe. Cake: Kristie Cakes. Element Cookies: Kāhala Cakery Photos: Karen DB Photography
Décor: Laboratory glassware looks festive filled with candies in bright greens, blues, reds and yellows.
Game idea: Guess how many atoms are in the flask? Winner keeps the candy. Pick your own candy colors at Candy Carousel, Kahala Mall.
Food: Add an element of surprise with scientific names for everything from bottled water to salty pretzel sticks. Create a “make-your-own molecule” station where kids can use toothpicks to string together healthy, atom-shaped snacks.
Favors: Take home test tubes packed with pop rocks, crystalized sugar, sour belts and other taste experiments.
Candies in test tube photos: Pop rocks and sour belt candy!
Games: Dry ice and colored water will keep young scientists entertained, with adult supervision. Find fun dry ice experiments, as well as easy recipes for homemade slime and more, at honolulufamily.com/scienceparty.
Tip: Stock up on small-sized gardening gloves and goggles so kids can play safely with the dry ice.
Headlights, Camera, Action!
Park the kids in the backyard with a vintage spin on movie night.
Décor: Make your own marquee look using bold signs in stripes of red, white and black. Borrow a movie screen or hang a bed sheet or tablecloth.
Favors: Let kids decorate their own cardboard-box cars that they can take home for more off-roading fun.
Make the car: Cardboard box + hot glue + acrylic craft paint. Duck tape makes easy racing stripes! Use black and silver plates attached with a brad for free-spinning wheels.
Food: The concession stand is open! Along with gummy bears, licorice and kakimochi, set up a do-it-yourself popcorn flavoring bar where kids can shake up their movie favorite. Food trays can easily be made from diaper wipe boxes sprayed silver and clipped to the side of the cars.
Games: Play “name that film” with a collection of clips from your favorite movies.
LUCA, STELLAN, ISABELLA, 10, OF KAIMUKĪ, KYLA, KAIKEA, AND JEAZELLE, 7, OF PEARL CITY.
Try it! Find our recipes for pizza, churro and garlic cheese popcorn seasonings at honolulufamily.com/movieparty.
Under the Sea
Dive into this party featuring adorable underwater friends.
Kaikea, 4, and Kyla, 7, of Kāneohe. Cake: Kristie Cakes.
Décor: Beachy blues, greens and fish-friendly oranges brighten up every room. Create a wall of waves with green streamers and fish made from orange balloons and paper fins.
Food: Cut sandwiches out in friendly sea creature shapes, add a boat to ocean-colored Jell-o, put a friendly goldfish on a chocolate-dipped marshmallow and let a healthy octopus invade your dip.
Box, $1.18, float, 63 cents, at Wal-mart.
Favors: Gummy worms and frogs topped off with a fishing floater create a tasty bait box to take home.
Games: Break out the classic fishing pond, play “go fish” or create make-and-take “sand” bottles using colorful pixie stick sugar.
Make it! Find our guides to the goldfish-decorated marshmallows, bell pepper octopus and boating Jell-o cups at honolulufamily.com/oceanparty.
Where We Found It
Science Party:
Cake: Kristie Cakes, 358-5945. kristiesagara@gmail.com
Element Cookies: Kāhala Cakery, 349-5216. kahalacakery@gmail.com
Beakers, flasks and test tubes: Hawaiian Chemical & Scientific, 2363 North King St., 841-4265.
Dry Ice: Airgas USA, 2305 Kamehameha Highway. 842-2222.
Drive-In Movie:
Projector and screen rentals: Online, we found projector rentals averaging at about $100 a day. Projector screens ranged from $45 to $150 a day.
Fun Flicks will provide and set up an inflatable screen, sound system, projector and staff starting at $299. Funflicks.com
Under the Sea:
Cake: Kristie Cakes, 358-5945. kristiesagara@gmail.com.
Templates, instructions and more:
Thanks to Michele Aucello, Stacey Makiya, Lennie Omalza, Brie Thalmann, and Natalie Schack for their party help!
Art direction: Gary Saito and Kristin Lipman
