How to Throw a Glow-in-the-Dark Party

This article comes from my friends at www.nanny.net.   These ideas are awesome for any party and you can use any theme to implement them.  Use holiday themes, color themes, or combine with other themes - like a glow-in-the-dark safari party.  Have fun!

There’s something about running around in the dark that thrills kids of all ages. For your child’s next party, why not throw a glow in the dark party? Don’t think you have to wait for your child’s next birthday to take advantage of this idea – this can also be the perfect activity for a fun sleepover. In fact, glow in the dark parties are so much fun that you just might find yourself enjoying the party as much as the kids are!

Invitations
You can typically find glow in the dark ink online and in some craft stores. To add a fun twist to party invitations and get the kids excited about the prospect of the glow in the dark party, print some of the information regularly and then let your guests know that to find out more details about the party they’ll have to read the rest of the invitation in a dark place. You can also order glow in the dark invitations pre-made if you don’t have time to make them yourself.

Decorations
Blow up balloons and insert a glow stick inside before tying them off. This will make the entire balloon glow. You can also take this idea one step further by using helium balloons and lining the sidewalk that leads to your house with the glowing, floating balloons. To make sure the balloons stay in place, tie a string to each balloon and then tie the string to the ground using a golf tee. Fluorescent paint will glow under black light, so you can paint some inexpensive thrift store finds to use as decorations on your food table. Fill the house with other glow in the dark items. String twinkle lights back and forth across the room so it’s not too dark. Buy fluorescent streamers that will glow under a black light as you string them around the room. Hang paper lanterns over the food table and insert glow sticks in them.

Crafts
Buy some inexpensive T-shirts or tote bags and paint them with glow in the dark paint, which is available at most craft stores. These paints look good in the light or in the dark.
Next, try your hand at making glow in the dark slime! Mix together 2 cups of water and ½ cup of Borax and shake to combine. In a separate container mix together equal parts white school glue and water. Add a few drops of glow in the dark paint and some neon food coloring to the glue and water mixture. Then add a few drops of Borax solution at a time to the glue solution and stir. Keep adding and mixing until you have glow in the dark slime. There will be a little water left over in the slime, which you can dump out before playing with the slime. To make the slime thicker, add more Borax into the water at the beginning.

Food
For drinks you can serve anything that has tonic water in it, because tonic water glows under black lights. Another option is to make cups that glow. You can make these by taking a large plastic disposable cup and putting a glow stick in it. Straws that are twisted into a circle are a good option because they will stay in the cup without pushing up on the other cup. Then, nestle a clear cup into the bigger cup and you’re done. Fill with the clear cup with your beverage of choice and it will glow from within.

Glow in the dark Jell-O is always a big hit. You can substitute half of the water that the recipe calls for with tonic water so that the Jell-O will glow under the black light. Everyone will get a kick out of eating glowing food.

Neon colors will typically glow under a black light, so you can serve neon frosted cupcakes for dessert. Any other food that you would normally serve at a party will look extra spooky eaten in the dark.

Activities
Play flashlight tag. The rules are the same as a regular game of tag, with one exception: everyone has a flashlight and chases each other in a thrilling game of tag in the dark.
You can also set up a glow in the dark treasure hunt where you hide glow in the dark objects during the day and then once the sun goes down everyone can go out and see if they can find all of the items.
Play with glow in the dark bubbles. You can make bubble solution using tonic water and dish soap, or you can actually buy glow in the dark bubbles.
Use glow in the dark chalk to make a hopscotch board in the driveway. Everything old becomes new and different when it’s played in the dark. Make sure to use something that glows in the dark for a marker or you will be spending a lot of time hunting for the rock you threw in the dark.

Favor Bags
This part is easy; just include anything that glows in the dark! There are so many toys that glow in the dark now that it’s not difficult to find a lot of fun, glow in the dark party favors.
Glow in the dark parties are fun and quick to throw together. Next time you are looking for a party theme that is a little new and unusual try doing a glow in the dark party.

Happy parenting!