We’ve held this party twice because it’s so much fun. The first time was for our seven-year-old son. Eight years later, we held it for our eight-year-old daughter. They wanted to take their friends on a trip around the world for their birthday party. –And both of them wanted to be the pilot! This was a fantastic backyard party with 10-20 kids. However, I think it would work for any number of guests. It lends itself to flexibility, as you can choose to visit wherever you want! Here is what we did:
Invitation
We sent all the kids a boarding pass with a brief note explaining the party. Ours was super simple. You can find all kinds of examples online.
The Airport
When the kids arrived, they began their trip at the travel agent’s desk. Each guest was given a passport and a Brown Paper Bag Suitcase for their souvenirs. We had them draw their own “photograph” and complete all the information inside the passport. Then they went through security. My husband and 9-year-old son put on blue suit coats and penciled-in mustaches so they would look official. They used the buzzer from the board game “Taboo” as their metal detector.
The Airplane
The guests then boarded the plane. We lined our patio with folding chairs like you can see in the photo below. One side of the plane was the brick wall of our house. The front and back were covered with king-sized sheets, and the outside wall of the plane were two long pieces of butcher paper with a plane painted on them. It was one fast jet!
After everyone boarded the plane, the pilot (birthday kid) took his seat, and the flight attendant went over the rules of the flight. My husband also played the part of the flight attendant. The kids thought it was hilarious. (They didn’t yet know he was going to play the part of several more characters throughout the evening.) We turned on the vacuum to signal take-off and landing of the plane. The flight attendant served drinks during one flight and snacks during another. Our plane made three stops.
Stop #1: Hawaii
In Hawaii, the locals taught our travelers how to hula dance. Grandma, dad, and an aunt helped with the hula lessons, congo line, and ukulele music. All the kids received a lei to wear. I was surprised how much everyone loved this stop. All the kids really loved the dancing.
Stop #2: Antarctica
In Antarctica, the kids built “snow structures”. We divided the group into several teams and gave them each a baking sheet with foam plates and bowls, white packing peanuts, shaving cream, and batting. They had about ten minutes to build a snow structure. They were very proud of their creations. (Warning: shaving cream will take the finish off of baking pans, so cover them with aluminum foil or use boxes or plastic trays. I learned this the hard way.)
Stop #3: Mexico
In Mexico, the kids met Pablo, who looked a lot like the flight attendant, security guard, and Hawaiian dance instructor. He hung a pinata in the tree and let everyone take swings at it until it was broken.
After the flight home, the kids were given some spending money to purchase a few items at the Airport Gift Shop. Then we opened gifts and had cake and ice cream. The cake was round and frosted to look like the planet earth. I stuck a little toy airplane on top. Somehow, I failed to photograph it. That happens a lot at our house. Sorry!
