50s Diner Party for 10 Year Old Each year I try to inexpensively out-do the birthday theme from the year before. My daughter's 8th birthday was a Lilo and Stitch Hawaiian Luau, her 9th,
a Spy Kids Spy Academy. For her tenth birthday, we decided upon an outdoor 50s diner theme for 10 girls. I designed an invitation in PhotoShop that looked like a 50s diner placemat,
indicating the menu (hot dogs, hamburgers, French fries, diner pickles, root beer floats and birthday cake) and special events planned (Twister, costume contest, bubble gum blowing contest,
hula hoop contest), our address, RSVP, etc. I bought a cheap CDs of 50s songs for background music (also rentable at the library)and went online and printed an 11x17 black & white photo
of Elvis. I got bright red lipstick for the girls and a checkered blindfold to play Place the Kiss on Elvis, our variation of Pin the Tail on the Donkey. I set the food table up to look like
the diner by covering it with a red/white checkerboard tablecloth. I purchased red paper goods, white plastic oval bread baskets at a party supply store and red tissue paper from the Dollar
Store to use a hot dog/hamburger serving baskets. I also picked up a giant blowup jukebox on clearance, some miscellaneous 50s paper decorations and a large jukebox pinata. I got 50s style
candy (candy buttons, wax soda candies, wax lips, tootsie rolls) from the Dollar Store and 50s balloons from a balloon store that I happened to be able to talk out of four 50s cardboard cars
that they'd displayed on a dusty bottom shelf. I put the catsup, mustard and relish bottles inside these and scattered the candy around the food table. After we played the games, I took
the girls orders and my husband cooked it on the grill and used a turkey fryer to prepare the French fries. The girls were given old-fashioned red and white striped paper popcorn holders to
put the pinata candy/goodies in. I bought vanilla and chocolate non-iced cupcakes from Walmart and after the pinata was destroyed, I brought out the unfinished cupcakes, chocolate and vanilla
icing, crushed Oreos, chocolate chips, gummy worms, and tons of sprinkle-on decorations and allowed each child to construct her own individual birthday cake. At the parties end, I took
a group picture of all the girls in their pony tails and poodle skirts and used that picture on the cover of the Thank You cards that went home the next day. I went to smalltoys.com for the
coolest, most inexpensive prizes and goodie bag treats (50s sunglasses, yoyos, tatoos, mood rings, microwave popcorn and more 50s candy).
While waiting for the parents to pick up the kids, we put a Grease DVD on in the livingroom to unwind from the busy day. My daughter and her friends said they had a great time and, of course, her dad and I did too. This year we're doing a Red Carpet Hollywood Movie Partyà so stay tuned. :)
