What better way to celebrate summer than with a Luau Party! I’ve put together a list of great backyard games and ideas that make for a great summer Luau Game Party.
Note: You can make a Luau as elaborate and detailed as you’d like but for this post, our ideas are for simple, budget friendly luaus—perfect for an easy summer get together or family fun night.
This post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my link.
Luau Decorations
What’s a party without some décor? Setting the scene is always a great way to get everyone in the mood for fun. Since Luau is Hawaiian for party, some classic Hawaiian decorations are a must.
Flower leis are perfect. Many dollar stores have these in stock all year long, but you can get a great collection from Amazon.
Flip flops, sunglasses, and grass skirts are also a great choice for décor and outfits. You can find ones in all kinds of prints and patterns. Again, the dollar store is a great resource for these.
Did you know Hula-hoops were invited in Hawaii? This fact makes them a perfect fit for a Luau Party!
Colourful beach towels and blankets can make for great decorations too. (And speaking of beach blankets, did you know there are blankets that are sand proof? What? For real. The sand sinks right through them. We haven’t tried them out yet but they look incredible. You can check them out here.) I especially like these turtle towels.
Tiki heads are also traditional Hawiian décor. You can make these easily at home. For the first type, simply draw a Tiki face onto an empty toilet paper roll tube with markers (keeps kids busy too) The second method is a little more work but worth it. First, warp empty boxes (bigger the better) in brown Kraft paper. Next, paint or marker Tiki faces on. These can be done in simple black or as colourful as you’d like. If DIY isn’t for you, you can find lots here.
Drink umbrellas don’t have to be used just for drinks. They can be placed anywhere, even just on the table, to make colourful and fun decorations.
Tiki torches are also a nice touch to line the deck or yard. Also keeps the bugs away!
Amazon also has a large selection of Luau decorations so you can find just the right thing your looking for.
Food
Let’s talk food for a quick second. Food can add to the décor and overall mood. Here are some of my ideas to accomplish this.
First, sand buckets and shovels. What? Yep. First, start by either washing them very well or buy new ones. Next, fill them with snacks like popcorn or chips. Then let partiers use the shovels to scoop out their food. Fun, right?
Next, fruit kabobs are a great summer snack. Arrange them on a plate with the top of a pineapple in the middle.
Watermelon is also a great healthy snack that screams summer. Try cutting them in sticks or if you feel inspired, try carving the watermelon into a fun shape.
Pineapple makes for a great snack as well as décor. Pineapples grow in Hawaii so they’re a great fit. You could also try hollowing out the pineapple shell and using it to serve snacks in.
If veggies are more to your snacking taste, you can stick a full carrot into the center of the dip and cut a green pepper so that the top is off and the sides hang loose. Next, place the upside-down pepper on the carrot for a quick palm tree.
The Luau Games
Now on to the main attraction: the games. There are many to choose from so I’m sure that you’ll find the prefect games for everyone.
Lu-Lu Dice
This simple luck based game is traditional to Hawaii. Players take turns to toss the Lu-Lu dice in the air and score based on how they fall. You can read the full Lu-Lu Dice rules and how to make your own game here.
Lei Toss
The first game is the lei toss. For this Luau Party Game players will need to be in partners with a flower lei for each team. The teams start standing about two feet apart. Next, the teams toss the lei from one player to the next like an egg toss. If any member of the team drops or doesn’t catch the lei, that team is out. When all teams have gone, then each member of each team takes a step back. This continues until there is only one team left—the winner.
Conversation Starters
What better way to get your guests talking than with this fun, tropical themed conversation starts. Simply roll two dice and line up the rolls with the cart and then answer the questions. Would you rather relax on the beach or explore a volcano? What sea animal would you like to be? Would you go cliff diving? Find out the answers to these and other questions. Warning: this could take hours! But they would be hours of fun and learning! you can get your copy in our Family Game Shelf shop here.
Flamingo Ring Toss
For this game, you need flower lies and at least one plastic flamingo. If you have more than one flamingo, you can stagger them around the playing area and assign points—the closer ones are worth less and the further ones are worth more. Next, place the flamingo in the ground and draw a line where players have to stand behind. (A skipping rope works well for this.) Next, players take turns throwing the leis to try to get lei around the flamingo’s neck.
Note: if you have a lot of flower leis then the player with the most leis around the flamingo is the winner. On the other hand, if you have limited number of leis, then you can have everyone throw one lei. Those who ringed the flamingo get to move on; those who do not are eliminated. Next, move the line back, making it harder. Keep doing this until there is only one player left—the winner.
Volcano Dice Game
This is an original game to Family Game Shelf. Players have three lives. On their turn they need to roll the right thing or they are sacrificed and thrown into the volcano—unless they are saved by their lucky charm. You can read the full rules for Volcano here.
Tiki Bowling
After being tossed into a volcano, players might be in the mood to knock over some Tiki gods, the perfect mindset for Tiki Bowling. For this Luau Party Game, you need 6 Tiki hands. You can use the toilet paper tube heads from the decoration sections, or you can wrap some empty tin cans in paper and draw Tiki heads on those. Next, set up the Tiki heads and let players roll a ball to knock them over. The player who knocks over the most is the winner.
String a Flower Lei
For this Luau Party Game, you need one flower lei that has been taken apart. Players then have one minute to put the lei back together—using only one hand. The player with the most pieces on the string is the winner.
Flip Flop Flick
For this game, you need a Hula-hoop and some flip flops. Set the Hula-hoop up at a distance. (This can either be up in the air or lying flat on the ground.) Next, players take turns trying to get the flip flops to land in or through the Hula-hoop—using their feet! The player who can get the most in is the winner. (Again if you are limited in flip flops, keep moving the shooting line back until only one player can make the shot.)
Limbo
What would a Luau be without Limbo? Use a broom stick in between players, turn some music on and see who can pass under the limbo stick the lowest. You can also get a Limbo set here.
Hula-Hoop
This one is simple—to say. Everyone gets a Hula-hoop and on start tries to keep their hoop going. Last player with a hoop up is the winner. Only have one Hula-hoop? No problem, use a timer to keep track of players time.
Blanket Toss
In this game, players use the colourful beach towels that were used for decoration to try and toss the beach ball back and forth. To start, one team holds a towel (or blanket) between them. A second team holds another towel. Next, the teams try to toss a beach ball back and forth using only the towels. This is more of a co-operative game than a winning game.
Beach Ball Race
Now that we have our bodies all warmed up, it’s time to cool off a little. Players can play this Luau Party Game in heats or all at once. Players line up with their beach balls and a squirt gun. On go, players have to squirt their beach ball with the squirt gun across the finish line.
Turtle Dice
This is another Family Game Shelf original game. Players try to get their baby turtles to the sea by rolling the dice and picking which turtle to move according to what move their dice roll dictated. You can get the full rules for Save the Turtles Dice game here. And you can get your game sheet in our Fun Library.
Pictionary/Charades
We have created a set of Luau Game Party words that can be used for wither Pictionary or for Charades. They are all Hawaii themed. You can get yours in our free Fun Library.
Luau Party Game Bundle
We’ve had so much fun with Luaus that we created our own game bundle for you. These are classic pen and paper games. The games include Finish the Phrase, Luau Candy Dice Game, Luau Trivia, Hawaii Trivia, Hawaiian Word Trivia, Luau Scattergories, Blind Drawing, Pictionary, Luau Think Fast, and Luau A to Z game. They all print on 8.5 x 11″ paper and the answers are included too. You can check out the bundle in our Family Game Shelf Shop here.
Kid’s Luau Game Bundle
We didn’t forget the kids! We created their own game bundle with colouring pages, mazes, Don’t Eat Pete Luau, Watermelon Chess, I Spy and the Lu-Lu dice game that we mentioned above for your convince. You can see the kids’ luau bundle here.
Ratuki
This Luau Party Game has a cool Tiki look to it. Up to 5 players race to be the first player to get ride of all their cards in this simple but frustrating game of speed and observation. You can read the full game review of Ratuki here. You can get a copy here. Canadians can get theirs here.
Luau Party Dice Games
We love dice games and Luau games so we put them in a bundle for you. There are seven different games in the pack. There is the printable instructions for the Volcano game we talked about earlier in this post as well as the files for Save the Turtles. It also includes instructions for Big Chief, Mountain Climb, Piñata, Limbo and Whacky Putt Luau. You can get your copy here in our Family Game Shelf Shop.
Whacky Putt Luau
Whacky Putt is the hilarious dice game that has all the fun of mini golf right in your living room. There are nine holes that all have a tropical theme. You read the card, do the fun action and then see how many rolls it will take you to complete the goal of the hole. From hula-hoop to parrots to lava and pineapples, these holes will transport you to the fun side of the island. You can get your copy in the store or you can get it in the Luau dice game bundle. You can read all about the original Whacky Putt here.
Scattergories Categories Luau
We love the game Scattergories so we put a Luau spin on them and created 16 Category cards that are all about Luau and all things tropical. It’s so much fun to come up with things that match the category and see what the other players come up with–never a dull moment! Check it out in the store here.
Board Games
In research for this post, I looked into some board games that we would love to play at a Luau Game Party (and are now on our wish list). We haven’t played some of them yet but they look like a lot of fun.
Tiki Topple
Tiki Topple is a great addition to a Luau Game Party. Players move their Tiki heads up and down the line trying to get their secret mission in line. Players can also get the Tiki Topple card and send other players Tiki heads tumbling to the bottom. You can check out Tiki Topple here.
Fireball Island
This is a remake of the original 80’s game. (I had never heard of it but my husband lit right up when I mentioned it to him.) Players are adventures trying to navigate the island, collect treasures and get safely back to the helicopter in time. The game is more 3D than most board games where moves move around an actual island and fireballs (marbles) are rolled down the volcano—possibly wiping them out of the game. There are also expansion packs and other themed Fireball games although it’s unclear if these are standalone games or expansions. You can see the whole line of Fireball games here. Canadians can see Fireball here.
El Dorado
In this game, players travel into the deep jungle looking for the lost city of El Dorado—and it’s treasure-trove of gold and jewels. The game is for 2-4 players ages 10 and up. You can get your copy of El Dorado here. Canadians can get theirs here.
Forbidden Island
We have played this game—once. It is a co-operative game where players race against the rising tide to escape the island. It’s for 2-4 players 10 and up. It’s a great game that we can’t wait to play again.
UPDATE: We now have our own copy of Forbidden Island. You can read a full review here to see how this game plays. Or you can just right in and get your Forbidden Island copy here. Canadians can get theirs here.
Deep Sea Adventure
In this game, players are deep sea divers looking for treasure. What makes it unique is that half the time the players need to work together and the other half they are trying to get the most treasure. Divers need to share the oxygen on the boat while swimming out to treasure hunt. It’s for 2 to 6 players ages 8 and up. You can get your copy of Deep Sea Adventure here. Canadians can shop here.
UPDATE – We now have the review of Deep Sea Adventure here if you want to check it out.
The Floor is LAVA
The playground game has been turned into an active board game that brings all the fun home. It’s prefect a Luau Party game. You get to call out instructions, the kids get to collect color bracelets, sounds like an exploding good time. You can get your hot feet on this game here. Canadians can get theirs here.
Battleship
The classic game has players targeting each other’s ship in the vast sea. Hawaii has a military base so it seems like a fitting game for some down time at a Luau Party. You can get a new copy of Battleship here. Canadians can get theirs here.
Save the Luau
And when the adults need a sit down but the kids are still springing with energy, treat them to our Save the Luau escape room kit! The evil Groucho is at it again and is going to ruin the luau–unless you can stop him! Solve the puzzles, gather clues and get the code to unlock his big black box of destruction! he kit come with everything you need. Just print and play. Want to play with the kids? Dive right in to the fun too! Get your copy in our Family Game Shelf shop here.
Luau Party Games Away
With a list this big, I’m sure you found a bundle of games to make your Luau epic. There’s something for everyone in this list. Remember to visit our shop to find even more fun and games to make this the best game night ever.
We’d love to hear about your Luau. Tell us which games you played and which ones are your favorites in the comments.
If you’re looking for even more fun find some great games in our card games, dice games and game reviews!
Be the first to reply