Hosting a luau party brings the spirit of the Hawaiian islands to your event, with vibrant decor, tropical drinks and of course, exciting games that everyone can enjoy. While food and music set the tone, it’s the party games that truly bring people together, ensuring your guests stay engaged and entertained.
In this guide, we’ve gathered a range of luau party games that are easy to set up, fun to play and suitable for guests of all ages. We’ll go beyond the basics to provide unique twists, clear instructions and tips for maximizing the fun. From classic limbo challenges to creative DIY activities, these games will help make your luau party one to remember.
1. Classic Luau Party Games
Limbo Challenge
Limbo is a crowd-pleaser and a must-have at any luau party, but it’s often played without much variation. Here’s how to elevate this game to make it more fun and competitive for your guests.
How to Play:
- Supplies: A limbo stick (or broomstick), fun luau music and two volunteers to hold the stick.
- Instructions: Participants line up and take turns trying to pass under the limbo stick without touching it or falling over. With each round, the stick is lowered to make it more challenging.
- Variation: Spice things up by making players wear a lei, grass skirts, or even sunglasses as they attempt to pass under the stick, adding an extra layer of difficulty.
- Pro Tip: To add some visual flair, decorate the limbo stick with bright tropical flowers or string lights.
Additional Twist: For a festive twist, introduce a “Hula Limbo,” where participants must hula dance their way under the stick. This not only makes it harder but adds a creative and entertaining element for everyone watching.
Tacky Tourist Relay
A hilarious race that combines dressing up and teamwork, the Tacky Tourist Relay is a fantastic icebreaker and perfect for creating photo-worthy moments.
How to Play:
- Supplies: A small suitcase for each team, filled with Hawaiian shirts, sunhats, sunglasses, flip-flops, leis, beach towels and grass skirts.
- Instructions: One player from each team takes the suitcase, runs to a designated “beach” area and dresses up in all the gear. After lying down on the towel for a moment, they quickly undress, repack the suitcase and run back to pass it to the next team member. The first team to finish wins.
- Pro Tip: Add more items to the suitcase for extra fun, such as sunscreen bottles, snorkel masks, or inflatable beach balls.
Additional Variation: For an extra challenge, have participants carry a tropical drink or wear a life jacket as they complete their relay. You could also turn this into a themed photo relay, where each player must strike a pose before heading back.
Hula Hoop Contest
Hula hooping is a fun and active game that gets everyone involved. However, adding new elements can make it even more engaging.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Hula hoops for each participant.
- Instructions: Players compete to see who can keep their hula hoop spinning the longest. The person who lasts the longest without dropping their hoop wins.
- Pro Tip: Increase the difficulty by having participants spin two hoops at once or by having them dance while hula hooping.
Additional Twist: Organize a tournament where participants face off in elimination rounds. You can also give prizes for different categories such as “Best Hula Style” or “Most Creative Moves.”
2. Creative DIY Luau Games
Adding some DIY games to your luau party will not only engage your guests but also give your party a personal touch. These games can be easily made using items you likely already have at home, making them both fun and cost-effective.
Flamingo Ring Toss
This simple yet entertaining game is a great addition to any luau and will keep guests of all ages entertained. Plus, the DIY element makes it even more special!
How to Play:
- Supplies: Plastic lawn flamingos, rings (you can use glow sticks, rope rings, or purchase plastic rings) and a designated throwing line.
- Instructions: Place the flamingos a few feet away from the players. Each guest takes turns tossing rings, aiming to loop them around the flamingo’s neck. The person with the most successful tosses wins.
- Pro Tip: For added flair, decorate the flamingos with leis or sunglasses and use colorful rings to make the game more visually appealing.
Additional Twist: Add varying distances for different skill levels. You can also use pineapples as an alternative target, which ties into the tropical theme even further.
Pineapple Bowling
For a fun, tropical twist on bowling, try pineapple bowling! It’s easy to set up and sure to bring lots of laughs.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Pineapples as bowling pins, coconuts or small beach balls as bowling balls and a smooth surface for rolling.
- Instructions: Set up the pineapples in a traditional bowling pin formation. Players take turns rolling the coconut or beach ball to knock down as many pineapples as possible. The player with the most “strikes” wins.
- Pro Tip: Make sure the surface isn’t too slippery or rough, as coconuts can roll unpredictably.
Additional Twist: To make it more challenging, use varying sizes of pineapples or make the lanes longer. You could also offer different prizes for knocking down all the pins in one roll or for the player with the most creative bowling style.
Watermelon Cornhole
Cornhole is a beloved party game and giving it a tropical twist makes it perfect for a luau. Watermelon cornhole is easy to set up and fun for players of all skill levels.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Cornhole boards, paint (if you want to design the boards like watermelons), bean bags and a throwing line.
- Instructions: Set up the cornhole boards and have players toss bean bags to score points by landing them in the hole. You can paint the boards to resemble watermelons for an added luau touch.
- Pro Tip: For added fun, keep score on a colorful board and offer small prizes for players with the highest scores.
Additional Twist: For an extra challenge, require players to toss the bean bags while standing on one foot or while holding a hula hoop. You can also create a time-limited version of the game where players must score as many points as possible in 30 seconds.
3. Fruit-Themed Luau Party Games
Fruit-themed games are perfect for a luau party as they capture the tropical essence of the event. These games are simple to set up and will have your guests laughing and competing while celebrating the Hawaiian spirit.
Pin the Coconut on the Palm Tree
A tropical twist on the classic “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” this game is fun for all ages and easy to customize for your luau.
How to Play:
- Supplies: A large poster of a palm tree, paper coconuts (cutouts or stickers), blindfolds and tape.
- Instructions: Blindfold each player, spin them around a few times and have them attempt to tape the coconut on the correct spot of the palm tree. The player who gets the closest to the correct position wins.
- Pro Tip: Create a vibrant, life-sized palm tree poster to make the game more immersive. You can also add other elements like pineapples or bananas to the tree for more complexity.
Additional Twist: For a competitive edge, divide players into teams and the team with the most accurate placements after all rounds wins. You can also create a “giant coconut” version using beach balls for larger group fun.
Watermelon Burst
A perfect game for a hot summer luau, Watermelon Burst combines water balloons with a fruit-themed twist. This game is refreshing and brings a fun, unexpected element to the party.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Water balloons (decorated to look like watermelons), a bucket or cooler and an outdoor space.
- Instructions: Fill water balloons and give them a watermelon look by painting or using green and black balloons. Players take turns tossing the balloons to see if they can make them “burst.” The player who breaks the most balloons or stays dry the longest wins.
- Pro Tip: To avoid mess inside, keep this game outdoors or near a pool area. Prepare extra water balloons to keep the game going, as it’s bound to be a hit!
Additional Twist: For a more challenging version, have players toss the balloons back and forth to each other. Each successful toss requires stepping further apart and the last team with an intact balloon wins.
Tropical Fruit Toss
Test your guests’ aim with this colorful and festive fruit toss game. It’s perfect for kids and adults alike.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Large baskets or buckets, plastic fruit (such as pineapples, coconuts and bananas) and a designated throwing line.
- Instructions: Players take turns throwing the fruit into baskets placed at varying distances. The further the basket, the more points it’s worth. The player with the highest score at the end of the game wins.
- Pro Tip: Keep the baskets and fruit brightly colored to add to the tropical vibe. You can also set up a scoreboard to track points throughout the game.
Additional Twist: For a team version, have players pair up and take turns throwing and catching the fruit in the baskets. You can increase the difficulty by having the catcher hold their basket behind their back or even spin before trying to catch the fruit.
4. Competitive and Active Luau Games
These luau games are perfect for getting your guests moving and adding a bit of friendly competition to your party. They are designed to encourage teamwork, individual skill and lots of laughter.
Hula Competition
Nothing says “luau” quite like a hula dancing competition. This game adds a competitive edge to a fun cultural activity and allows guests to show off their moves.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Hawaiian music, grass skirts (optional) and a prize for the best dancer.
- Instructions: Cue up some traditional Hawaiian tunes and have participants dance while wearing grass skirts. Encourage them to be as creative as possible, using classic hula moves or making up their own. The person or team with the best hula performance wins.
- Pro Tip: To make the competition more interesting, divide guests into teams and have them perform choreographed dances. You can even award prizes in different categories, such as “Most Authentic Hula” or “Best Costume.”
Additional Twist: Add obstacles like requiring participants to balance a coconut on their heads while they dance. This makes the competition harder and funnier, especially for spectators.
Luau Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt adds excitement and exploration to your luau. This is a great game for kids and adults who love a good challenge.
How to Play:
- Supplies: A list of luau-themed items (like beach balls, leis, tiki masks, etc.), small prizes and a large space for hiding the items.
- Instructions: Hide various luau-related items around your party area. Give each participant or team a list of the items they need to find and set a time limit. The team or individual that finds the most items in the shortest amount of time wins.
- Pro Tip: To make the hunt more thematic, you can incorporate a story or clues based on Hawaiian culture or history.
Additional Twist: To raise the stakes, create challenges at each item location, such as answering a trivia question or completing a mini-task (like doing a hula move or balancing a lei on their head) before they can collect the item. You can also offer a grand prize for the team that completes the scavenger hunt the fastest.
Beach Ball Hockey
This luau twist on traditional hockey gets guests moving and laughing as they try to score with beach-themed equipment.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Pool noodles (as hockey sticks), beach balls (as pucks) and cones or a small soccer goal for each team.
- Instructions: Set up two goals at opposite ends of your playing field. Players use pool noodles to hit the beach ball toward the goal, just like in a regular hockey game. Divide players into teams and the team that scores the most goals in a set time period wins.
- Pro Tip: To make it more challenging, you can require players to dribble the ball with their noodle between their legs or play on one foot.
Additional Twist: Play “Beach Ball Hockey in the Sand” if you have access to a beach or sandbox. The uneven ground will add a fun challenge for players trying to maneuver the beach ball with their pool noodles.
5. Unique Luau Games and Final Touches
These final games will give your luau a memorable ending, providing a mix of unique activities that cater to all ages. They’re creative, engaging and will leave your guests talking about your party long after it ends.
Pineapple Ball Toss
This game is a fun, tropical twist on the classic ball toss and adds an element of challenge that’s perfect for both kids and adults.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Pineapples (real or plastic), small soft balls (or coconuts for an extra challenge) and buckets or targets.
- Instructions: Place the pineapples at various distances and assign points to each target based on difficulty. Guests take turns tossing the balls, trying to knock over as many pineapples as possible. The player with the highest score wins.
- Pro Tip: If using real pineapples, consider setting up a reward where players can keep a pineapple if they knock it down.
Additional Twist: For added difficulty, you can create “obstacle throws” where players must throw the ball while standing on one foot, spinning, or even blindfolded. You could also add different levels of targets, like floating targets in a kiddie pool.
Hula Hoop Ring Toss
This is a great way to use hula hoops in a different way and it provides a larger-scale alternative to traditional ring toss games.
How to Play:
- Supplies: Hula hoops and large objects to toss them onto, such as inflatable flamingos, tiki statues, or even large cones.
- Instructions: Place your targets at various distances from the throwing line. Players take turns tossing hula hoops, trying to land them around the targets. The player with the most successful tosses wins.
- Pro Tip: Assign point values to each target depending on its size or difficulty and keep track of the score on a board.
Additional Twist: For a luau twist, use lei necklaces instead of hula hoops for a smaller-scale ring toss game. You can also use different-sized targets and offer bonus points for difficult throws, like landing a hoop from a distance or through a moving target.
Final Touches: Bringing It All Together
Prizes and Awards:
Make your luau games even more engaging by offering tropical-themed prizes. These can range from small souvenirs like Hawaiian keychains, leis, or tiki cups to more significant rewards like beach towels or personalized items. For team-based games, you can also hand out trophies or awards, such as “Best Hula Dancer” or “Luau Game Champion.”
Tips for Success:
- Time Management: Make sure your games don’t drag on too long. Keep the energy high by setting clear time limits for each game and smoothly transitioning between activities.
- Incorporate Music: Hawaiian music adds an immersive element to the party. Have a playlist of ukulele or tropical songs playing in the background to keep the vibe going.
- Create a Relaxing Atmosphere: While games are fun, remember to create spaces for guests to relax and chat between activities. A designated seating area with tropical drinks and snacks will offer a good balance to the energetic games.
Conclusion:
By including these easy yet exciting luau party games, you’re guaranteed to create an unforgettable experience for your guests. Whether they’re competing in the hula competition, racing through the tacky tourist relay, or knocking down pineapples in a ball toss, your guests will be entertained from start to finish. With a mix of classic, creative and competitive games, this guide provides everything you need for a successful and memorable luau party.
