The Complete Guide To Hosting A Neon Party For Teens That Really Glows!
Luci McQuitty HindmarshWant to throw a party your kids will talk about for months?! Well, a neon party delivers a serious wow factor and then some!
This guide walks you through everything you need to host the glow party to end all glow parties for your teen and their friends. There is so much neon in this post you'll be glowing just from reading it!
I'll take you through everything, from how to create the perfect glowing party space, what decorations work best, and get loads of bright (!) ideas for neon food, activities and games.
Sure, it's not the easiest theme to pull off. But here's the thing - the planning is almost as fun as the actual party.
Ready to become the parent who throws the coolest parties on the block?
How To Set Up A Neon Party
Venue
The main thing to consider is how easy it is to ensure the party space will be dark enough to maximise the neon glow.
By effectively blocking out natural light, you'll create the ideal environment for your neon decorations and accessories to truly work their magic, mesmerizing your party guests with their brilliant glow.
Here are some options for blacking out the light from windows at home:
- Blackout curtains or blinds. You might still have one, like this blackout blind, left over from the baby years.
- Blackout film that you stick to windows and remove easily afterwards. In my opinion, blackout film is the perfect way to make a space dark enough for really for creating an immersive glow-in-the-dark party. Try this Amazon Choice blackout film.
- Thick, dark-coloured blankets. You will need to secure them over the windows sufficiently using strong tape or tension rods, ensuring they are tightly sealed around the edges to prevent light from leaking.
My preference is to use blackout film. As long as you cut it to size and apply it properly (it really isn't hard to do), you will achieve 100% light-blocking.
I'd suggest you do a trial run with whatever you plan to use to avoid a neon party fail.
You also need to ensure plenty of room for everyone to move around without tripping over one another. One of the most fun things about a neon party is seeing all the neon on everyone darting around the room.
If you don't think creating a suitable space at home is possible, check local listings for venues that will allow you to create a darkened space for the party.
Black Lights
Next up, you need black lights. Black lights are the magic that makes the neon glow.
In case you are curious about how they work – They have LED black light bulbs that emit UVA ultraviolet rays that are invisible to the human eye. The rays make neon and fluorescents light up and pop their colours. Like I said, magic!
Here are some options for backlights:
- Uplight Blacklight - Great for large spaces
- Blacklight Bars - for a super professional look
- Blacklight Striplights - super easy to use
- Blacklight Bulbs - cost-effective
How To Work Out How Many Blacklights You Need
The amount of blacklight needed to make a glow-in-the-dark party space depends on several factors, including:
- the size of the party space
- the intensity of the blacklight
- and the desired level of glow
What you ideally want to do is to create an immersive, glowing party space that brings your neon decorations, clothing, and accessories to life.
Go through the following steps to determine how many blacklights you need:
- Measure your space: Determine the square footage of the area where the party will take place. This will help you understand how much coverage you need.
- Blacklight wattage and coverage: Blacklights come in various sizes and wattages, and each light covers a specific area. LED blacklights vary greatly in coverage, so check the manufacturer's specifications to see the coverage area for each type of light.
- Calculate the number of blacklights needed: Divide the square footage of your party space by the coverage area of your chosen blacklights. This will estimate the number of blacklights you need to make your party glow in the dark. It's generally better to have slightly more coverage than necessary to ensure an even glow throughout the space.
- Consider placement and angles: Properly positioning your blacklights will maximise their effectiveness. Place them around the room at various heights and angles, ensuring they cover the walls and floor. If possible, use multiple blacklights to minimize shadows and dark spots.
Just a quick point on safety: Black lights are safe. However, they can get warm, so you must ensure that an adult is present to keep an eye on them, especially for parties with younger kids as guests.
Decorations That Glow
Coming up with a party decor plan is where the fun really starts. The decorations are how you transform the space from a darkened room into a neon fantasy world. You can go as minimal or over-the-top as you like.
Here are some ideas for neon party supplies:
- Neon balloon arch kit - these dotty reactive balloons are perfect
- Hanging decorations - these dotty neon hanging garlands are spot on!
- Glow streamers - like these neon reactive streamers
- Put in a neon backdrop - this late 80s retro one is great.
- Neon table decorations - this set of 9 has some really fun centrepieces
Neon Face Painting, Body Art And Accessories
If you want to go all out, you could hire a professional face painter or recruit a friend to create stunning, glow-in-the-dark designs using neon face and body paint.
Alternatively, stock up on the neon face and body paint for party guests to apply to themselves...
Or send each guest a tube of neon body paint as an invitation!
Temporary neon tattoos are a brilliant alternative or addition to face and body painting. And neon glow face jewels are so festival-vibes!
Take it back to the '80s with neon glow sticks, bracelets and sunglasses.
Neon Party Games
Want to add an extra layer of fun, here are some ideas that work well...
1. Neon Dance Party
It's the best way to get everyone moving and seeing the neon darting around.
2. Glow-In-The-Dark Bowling
Set up empty, glow-in-the-dark decorated water bottles as pins and use a small glowing ball for guests to knock down the pins in a neon-themed bowling alley. Create glowing pins and balls by covering them using UV glow tape.
3. Neon Balloon Pop
Fill neon-coloured balloons with small, glow-in-the-dark prizes, and have guests take turns popping the balloons to reveal their glowing rewards.
4. Glow-In-The-Dark Dodgeball
Clearly, only if you have enough space!
5. Glow-In-The-Dark Limbo
Use a long glow stick or a glowing pool noodle as the limbo bar, and challenge guests to bend and contort their bodies to pass under the bar without touching it.
6. Glow Stick Ring Toss
Place glow stick bracelets on the ground to form a target, and have players take turns tossing larger glow stick necklaces to encircle the bracelets.
7. Neon Pictionary
Provide guests with glow-in-the-dark markers or chalk and a large, dark-coloured surface to draw on, then have them take turns drawing pictures related to a given theme while others try to guess what they're drawing.
Glow-In-The-Dark Food And Drink Ideas
There are two ways to go about creating glow-in-the-dark party food.
The first is to use actual edible glow-in-the-dark ingredients, and the second is to use accessories to make the food stand out.
How To Make Food Glow
Firstly, how to make food actually glow! It blows my mind that you can actually create neon food that glows in the dark, but it turns out that you can.
I've found that Etsy is the best place to find glow-in-the-dark ingredients, check out these glow in the dark sprinkles! and this neon dust you can use on icing, so here is a little roundup of some of the most fun. I've also included some ideas for accessories to make food light up.
Here are some creative ideas for glow-in-the-dark party food.
1. Neon cupcakes
Make cupcakes with neon-coloured frosting, and use edible glow-in-the-dark glitter or sprinkles to create a dazzling effect under the blacklights.
I love these by The Purple Whisk.
2. Glowing Candy Floss
Offer guests candy floss wrapped around glow sticks or these special glowing candy floss sticks, creating an illuminated treat perfect for a neon party.
3. Glowing Popcorn
Serve popcorn in individual black or neon-coloured paper cones, and add a touch of edible glow-in-the-dark powder or glitter to create a subtle shimmer under the blacklights.
4. Tonic Water Ice Cubes
Freeze tonic water in ice cube trays and use the glowing ice cubes to chill fruit punch or other beverages. The quinine in tonic water causes it to glow under UV light.
Here's a video to show you how...
Now you're ready to get planning...!
By following this guide, you'll be well on your way to planning and hosting a memorable and fun neon party for kids. Happy planning!
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