It’s the themed party that doesn’t need to exist for the day that isn’t real. Regardless, I look forward to it every year, and every year it gets just a little bit better.
Where it came from isn’t a crucial piece of the story, but to share the condensed version, 2014 was a hard year. It was a challenge for so many people around us, and when we stopped to see how much of it was left, there was still half of the year.
I wanted to give a place and time for something fun to happen. As someone in my mid-twenties, any reason to dress up was also a perk, and what better time to throw a no-reason party then the middle of the year.
One of the best things about this party is the flexibility. You don’t have to tie yourself down to a specific day (or even month, tbh). Just pick a day when the people you love to be around are available. We like to have it in the evening, including a countdown to midnight and champagne toast, and when the kids are away at Nana’s.
That doesn’t mean that you couldn’t do something very similar in the middle of the day with kid-friendly games, food and drinks. You could even watch one of the pretend-countdown to the new year videos on Youtube and celebrate 3:47 pm like it’s the start of a new millennia.
This one is easy, just do the things you love, for no other reason than you love them.
If you find the holiday’s to be the most stressful time of the year, but you love the way it brings people together, create other, less pressure-filled, opportunities for that to happen.
Invitations
I’m an elder millennial, so printing and mailing invites isn’t something I think I’ll ever do, but I want to make it a little more personal than a quick “Hey, you should come!” text. This year, I turned to Canva!
In a world of unlimited free clipart and photo filters for every occasion, there is no reason to overthink it!
Simply edit to include date/time, Rules (what themed party doesn’t have rules?), expectations, and this year I included a link to donate for Prizes – more on that in a bit!
Rules:
- Come dressed as any holiday! No need to limit this – Frozen Pop Day, go for it! Regal Christmas attire? Can’t wait to see it!
- Potluck style. Bring a snack or drink that goes along with the costume.
- Game Start Time – You don’t need this, but you have to admit, it’s intriguing.
We usually invite somewhere around 20, but the number of people isn’t too important. I also have to acknowledge how much effort goes into a costume, a babysitter, and committing to midnight as an adult. We usually end up with somewhere around 15 people.
Zero Spend Decorations
It is true that I spend absolutely no money on decorations each year for this. Instead, I brace myself to climb into an attic during middle of summer in Florida, to retrieve the things I already have.
After years of doing this, I created a method to grab everything I wanted without having to dig into a million different containers. I have a couple of large clear containers, that I keep some of my default decorations in. We have Halloween garden gnomes, Mickey & Minnie Christmas inflatables, a large bag of Easter Eggs, some tacky 4th of July streamers, and a mix of other holiday paraphernalia.
These bins are always the closest to the opening. I want to spend as little time in 100 degree heat as possible. I usually peek around and might dig for something new if I feel inspired, but the bulk of it is always the same.
This also helps when the real holiday’s creep around, I’m able to reach all the designated bins and just pull whatever is relevant from the Halfy-New Year collection.
With all of the decor ready, I grab a stack of command strips and hooks and start to assemble. Every year is a little different. Sometimes I do areas of one specific holiday, while other’s I mix and match. Each year, we take a group picture in the same spot, so the goal is to showcase some of the chaos in the background, but other than that, it’s really as much or as little as I’m feeling.
This was especially forgiving the year we had E. We didn’t have much time (or sleep) to prep with a 2-month-old at home, so it was less than normal, but still gave the right vibe!
Menu
This feels like a good time to remind myself that this themed party is about getting together and having fun, and not about having the fanciest spread.
As the host, we try to have something on the appetizer side, something quick to dip, and something sweet. This year we did these sweet sriracha meatballs, they are always a huge hit and so easy. We grabbed a few bags of chips and things, and decided on cupcakes as a dessert.
Spoiler, Kelli and I were dressed as Father’s Day this year. I spent probably and hour trying to figure out the type of food that would match our aesthetic. I saw this nifty lawn mower rice crispies treat, but it had like 4 different parts and some intense prep time.
To make sure we were playing by the rules though, I found a way to make our dessert dads-day friendly.
I researched some of the best Dad Jokes and printed out a few cupcake toppers!
The end result was adorable, but alas, a picture not taken! Using card stock, I printed and cut out the joke and the answer and sandwiched them around a toothpick to stick into the cupcake.
Games
This is really the main event and the timing is important!
Our generation is bringing the sober curious method to life. That being said, we have a friend that makes luxury Jello shots. Like, jello shots that would seem acceptable to have at Grandma’s 90th Birthday party. A huge stretch from using heated vodka and iced vodka with generic brand gelatin that filled my 20’s.
Either way, with or without alcohol, having these games a little earlier in the night really gets the guests talking. If booze is included in your party, consider that when putting the games together. No need to share details, but 5 mini hammers and a buzz do NOT mix. Luckily, no one was hurt that year.
I usually settle on around five games, relay style, group and individual options. The team sizes vary, but I can usually count on 3-5 people per team.
Pick captains, or go with the number on a sheet of paper method. I love to mix things up, so I start with a bunch of little pieces of paper with a number on them. Party-goers draw at random and anyone with the same number is on that team.
Game 1. Keepy Uppy – Team Event
I headed to Goodwill to find an assortment of XL shirts. It was easy to find a few different holiday options. You can alway count on Goodwill to have a year-round supply of holiday apparel. It’s important that these are oversized shirts as a few different people at the party will be wearing them, and you want them to go on and off easily.
One garment for each team, laid out on a table, paired with a balloon (dollar store, of course!)
Once we are ready for the games to start, each team lines up behind their dedicated shirt. The first player on each team blows up the balloon and ties it closed. Then, keeping the balloon in the air through continuous bouncing, they put on and take off their garment. There’s a few pro tips for this one, but much funnier if you don’t share.
Once the shirt is off again, they pass the shirt to the next person on their team. Again, that person will continue to bounce the balloon, keeping it off the ground while they put on and take off the shirt. If the balloon hits the ground, we only asked that it was back in the air before they continued. If you are trying to stretch it out, you could make that person go to the back of the team line and wait to try again.
Once the entire team has completed the task, it’s time for game 2!
Game 2. Easter Egg Hunt – Individual Event
No frills here, but I did struggle with how to make sure it didn’t take too much time, but still provided a challenge.
With 4 containers – the boys’ Easter Baskets, and a Halloween bucket – I labeled each with a color. The team member for this game needed to find 4 eggs of that color within a designated area.
We get really competitive, and I learned my first year that this group was not above flipping tables if it was the fastest way to find something. I used some kid toys and pool floats as obstacles to hide the eggs in and around. That way, they could throw, kick, flip whatever was in their way to getting the eggs and I didn’t have to worry about anything breaking.
After the 4 correct-colored eggs were found, it was on to the next!
Game 3. Eating Contest – Individual Event
Full disclosure, eating contests really stress out the teams! Especially when they don’t know what they’re eating until they get to the station.
The first year we did the games, we had hot dogs, and it was rough. The teams made it through, but for a moment, I thought for sure someone was going to send it back up.
This year, I decided to make the anticipation worse than the food. Just a little Frozen Pop! I checked, and there was no medical concern around a brain freeze. There was a distinct look of relief as they reached into a cooler and realized the worst part of this was the sugar red dye #40.
This is the year I also learned that if you want it to be limited to one person on the team, you have to explicitly say it. The first team created a cheat code that everyone else followed as they handed the popsicle to other members as they were chewing.
Game 4. Shamrock Toss – Individual Event
This is a simple concept. Just a bean bag toss into a planter.
To jazz it up, I used some green felt and thread to shape the bean bags like 4-leaf clovers. Each team had 3 bean bags, and I had marked where they had to stand to make the throws.
To make things a little more fun, once the team got to this station and ran up to get the bean bags, they also found a 99 Brand mini bottle. My sister gifted me a box of 40+ mini bottles of the liquor and this seemed like a good opportunity to get rid of some of them.
Again, no one is forced to drink, but someone on the team will need to take the shot – or sip from their own non-alcoholic drink – before they are allowed to toss.
I shouldn’t be surprised, but this game went by very quickly. All those corn hole tailgating opportunities are paying off.
Game 4. New Years Resolutions – Individual Event
I will be the first to admit that I take a themed party a little too far. This game was a great example of how that happens.
I decided on four different, common, New Year’s Resolutions and created an activity for each. As teams reached this table, one member would pick up an envelope to determine which resolution they would be tackling. Directions for each would be clearly written, and one person on the team needed to complete the task before moving to the last event!
Get in Shape
This one was easy. On a mat close to the table, the participant had to complete 10 squats, 10 Jumping Jacks, and 10 Mountain climbers to the best of their ability.
Travel More
I think this was my favorite one. I had four sessions set up around the yard, and during one of my trips to Goodwill, I found some random souvenirs.
- Tshirt from Montana
- Jewelry tray from Paris
- Lighthouse trinket from North Carolina
- Jar of olives from Greece
The instructions indicated which order to travel in, that way I could ensure the timing lined up with the other events. The player ran from place to place, adding the souvenirs to a bag, then back to where they started.
Gone Fishing
I found this great DIY catch and release game and threw together a few fish and fishing poles.
We have a kiddie pool, but I wanted to make it a little more challenging, so I tied a rope to a hula hoop and attached that rope to some weights on the side of the pool to keep it floating in one spot. Then, I just tossed the fish into the hoop.
The player had to catch all of the fish, hopefully without falling in the pool. I made two fishing poles, just in case one was dropped or broken(and because the boys are going to appreciate this game after the party!)
Learn to Garden
We adopted the plant hobby during Covid, so we had a number of propagations to choose from.
I chose a couple of elephant ear clippings that I had been letting root for a week. We set up some small pots, a bag of soil, shovel and a pitcher of water.
The only goal was to gently plant and water the two clippings. It didn’t end perfectly, and we had to do some work the next day to make sure they would live through the transition, but the event was a success!
Game 6. Flip Cup – Team Event
This is about as tradition for adults-only parties, as a Birthday Cake is for kid’s parties.
In the final moments of the race, teams crowd around a table of plastic cups pre-filled with whatever beverage is preferred. All at once they drink and start to flip. The first team to have eveyone successfully flip a cup, wins.
Easy, peasy.
Prizes & Consequences
This part is completely optional. Going back to the invitation, there was a portion for donations. The first few years, I would cover this bill solo. Some years the prizes were okay, but for others, I was restricted to whatever friends would donate. To be honest, no one wants that bottle of rum that’s been in your pantry for two years.
This year though, everyone really showed up and the prizes were reflective of that. The big giveaway being a Ninja Creami Ice Cream maker, but we also had tickets to an Emo Show, Tickets to a Jumbo Shrimp game, and a gift card for an awesome Sushi restaurant.
The losing team got iced. Sorry for the sugar headache!
