As a Star Wars geek and 501st Legion costumer, I know how to throw a Star Wars party. You could say the Force is strong in me. This summer, with a little help from ThinkGeek, I’m going to throw my son’s friends a party to remember.
My Star Wars party consists of three elements:
- Entertainment
- Food
- Games
First things first, we need to pick out the entertainment.
There are six Star Wars movies and six season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars to choose from. It would take over 44 hours to watch all of the animated series, seven hours to watch the prequels, and just over six hours to watch the original trilogy. If you’re planning your party on a weekend and to make sure you don’t behave like a Sith on Monday, I would stick to just watching either the prequels or the original trilogy.
Once that has been decided, on to the second most important part of any party… the food!
The menu for this shindig consists of:
* Yoda Soda (this can be a bit strong for some people, so a Tatooine Sunset is a nice alternative)
* TIE Fighter Ties
* Lightsaber Ice Pops
* Clone Trooper Cakes
* Death Star Popcorn
* R2-D2 Treats
Yoda soda has a bit of a kick to it, so if you feel yourself fading into the force during the movie, a sip of Yoda soda will wake you back up. Pick up the R2-D2 measuring cups to make sure you add just the right amount of force to your dishes. If you have adults at your party, be extra careful when making your TIE Fighter Ties to avoid any dark side jokes. For the lightsaber ice pops, I prefer red or green colored juices (red and green Powerade works great).
Now that the kitchen has been taken over by the Rebels, it’s time to decide on the games!
No party would be complete without some lightsabers. You can pick up the cheap ones at Target or the nicer ones on ThinkGeek. When the sun goes down, host a lightsaber battle outside. If you want your fight to have fewer bruises, grab some pool noodles and make your own lightsabers.
Once everyone calms down from dueling, hang up your hilts and get to work on your own 3D metal model of the Millennium Falcon or R2-D2. Due its complexity, this activity is more for adults than kids. My husband was challenged when putting his R2 together and I heard a few “beeps” that weren’t PG-13 while he was building it.
Other fun games you can play are “Vader Says,” a variation on Simon Says, but instead, the lead player wears a Darth Vader helmet and commands his clones.
If you want your guests to have a good laugh, take out a copy of William Shakespeare’s Star Wars and let everyone pick a character to read. I had several adult friends in stitches when reading my copy at home one day.
Once everyone has exhausted their energy with games and filled their tummies with Star Wars treats, it’s time to get them nestled in for the movie.
Of course, no Star Wars movie night would be complete without proper sleeping accommodations. The Tauntaun sleeping bag is so popular in our house, my husband and son have to fight for the right to sleep in it.
For your guests who need something special to cuddle, pick up one of the Star Wars cuddle critters in either Tauntaun, Bantha, Rancor, or Wampa.
With that, the movie begins and the house goes quiet with only the sounds of star destroyers, machine-like breath, and an R2-D2, the most offensive droid in the galaxy (they beep out every word he says for crying out loud…ba dum dum!).
I hope I have encouraged you to pick a side in the battle of the Empire and Rebellion and have a Star Wars party of your own. May the Force be with you.
Disclaimer: GeekMom received review samples.
