High School Musical Birthday Party, Invitations, Decorations, Games, Menu, Favors

icon Host a High School Musical Birthday Party!

The incredible popularity of this Disney movie (and its sequel) has captured the imaginations of children of all ages! In my house, the movie is a favorite with all three kids of both sexes and ranging in age from 7 to 14! Since sets of High School Musical (or HSM, if you know the lingo!) paper goods are easily available at major online retailers like Oriental Trading Company or CelebrateExpress.com, I’d like to offer some unique touches that you can add to your party!

Fabulous Invitations

For some fun and fabulous splurges, take a look at these choices from Fine Stationery!

Movie Clap Board - when you lift the top of this two piece invitation, a card with the invitation pulls out! A red megaphone adds the perfect HSM icon touch! (finestationery.com, $141 for 25)

Die Cut Microphone - with a silver grey top and red starred handle, this cute invitation is perfect for a HSM party!
(finestationery.com, $90 for 25)

Unique Invitations - Thinking Outside the Box!

Red Plastic Megaphones - from Birthday in a Box, these megaphones become a clever invitation when you inscribe the party details on the plain side with a permanent black marker! (BirthdayinaBox.com, pictured at right, $1.69 each)

Menu

In keeping with the high school theme, plan to serve your meal cafeteria style! Sectioned plastic plates or trays, small cardboard containers of milk and juice, and other lunch time staples will fit the bill perfectly! For more ideas, take a look at (Terrific Birthday Party Menus)

Dessert

If you’re in the mood to be creative in the kitchen, here are some fun ideas for your birthday cake!

“Get Your Head in the Game” Basketball Cake

Bake your favorite cake batter in a round, oven safe pyrex bowl. When the cake is cooled, frost it to look like one half of a basketball!

Center Stage Cake

After baking a sheet cake, frost the entire cake with vanilla icing, adding red curtain and foot light details also made of icing. Birthday wishes can be inscribed in the middle of the cake “stage!”

Stack of Books

Bake three sheet cakes in three different sizes or cut cakes down from one size into three.
Frost the top and spine of each “book” with a different color icing, frosting the other three sides with white icing for the “pages.”
Use the tines of a fork to make the sides look even more like pages!
With gel icing, write a HS subject on the spine of each “book.”
Stack the three cakes on top of each other at different angles.
It would be even cuter if your top book is done in red and white icing and labeled “East High” or “Go Mountain Lions” with gel icing!

Quick Shortcut

For a quick short cut, purchase a set of HSM cake decorations from any number of online sources, see Host a HSM Valentine’s Party, and take these to your local bakery for enhancing a store bought cake! (See cake pictured above.)

Decorations

Here’s where you can set the stage for more party fun! Since HSM is all about the singing and dancing, give your party guests an appropriate setting! Consider using red fabric (curtains, table cloths or sheets will all work!) to create a stage back drop. Suspend your fabric from a shower or curtain rod or even a garment rack and then trim it with twinkling white Christmas lights! This is the perfect back drop for taking photos, sing alongs, or karaoke.

Some other great additions include red and white pom-poms, and if you didn’t use these for your invitations, plastic megaphones or inflatable microphones! Red, white and metallic gold helium balloons will add pizzazz as well!

Have either the movie or sound track playing as guests arrive!

Games

Find the Cell Phones - since Mrs. Darbis is always hiding the HSM crew’s cell phones, pick up a bunch of toy cell phones at your local dollar store and hide them around the house. These can be actual toy phones, or the cell phones I’ve seen that are filled with play make up or lip gloss! (see Cell Phone Lip Gloss, 4 for $4.99)

Name that Tune - play quick segments of the famed songs and see who can identify the song first. (Amazon.com)

Musical Chairs - you know what music you’ll use for this game!

HSM Trivia - pick up this cute party game featuring 25 “Getting To Know You” cards with secrets, goofy facts and more! (partyamericastore.com, pictured right, $3.99)

From Your Child’s Toy Box - you might already own one or more of the HSM games that are widely available! There’s HSM Twister, a DVD Board Game, Sing Along Microphone, HSM Mystery Date Game, HSM Uno Cards and a HSM Dance Mat just to name a few! (all are available at Amazon.com)

Party Favors

Playing Cards - these are traditional playing cards with the HSM touch! (High School Musical - Deck of Playing Cards,$2.99)

Gabriella or Troy Diary - a traditional diary which includes alphabet stickers to personalize the cover! (High School Musical Troy Personalized Diary,$4.95)

HSM Stage Photo Holder - this cut out frame will be a terrific favor, especially if you take photos while the singing and dancing is going on! (High School Musical Photo Holder,$3.46)

HSM Books - also at Amazon, you’ll find a number of well priced paper back books that would make wonderful (and parent appreciated) favors! “High School Musical 2: The Junior Novel,” retailing for $4.99 at amazon.com is just one example!

Wrap it Up

Send your guests home with whatever favor you’ve chosen, along with lots of terrific memories from a well planned and unique take on a popular favorite! And as you know, since “we’re all in this together,” I’d love to hear your fabulous HSM ideas!

P.S. See High School Musical Valentine’s Day Party for more ideas that may easily be transferred to this birthday celebration.

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