Is your child an avid fan of anime and Japanese culture in general? Are they turning another year soon? If yes, then you might as well hold a birthday party based on their passion for Japanese animation! An anime-themed party is the perfect way to celebrate your young otaku’s birthday. Even if you are not a fan yourself, this type of occasion is fun to organize. Here’s how you can plan an enjoyable anime party your child will surely love!
1. Get creative with the invitations
Let’s start with the design of your invitations. There’s a lot you can do to create fun anime-inspired invitations that will get everyone, from kids to adults, hyped for the party. One way is to print out comic-style invitations inspired from manga (Japanese comics) panels. If your child is a fan of certain anime, get inspiration from that show to craft the invites. For instance, if your child loves the anime One Piece, consider designing Wanted Posters that feature the anime version of your child along with details about the party.
2. Turn it into a cosplay event
Cosplaying is an intrinsic part of Japanese pop culture, so you might as well encourage the guests to arrive in their favorite personas. If the party is based on a specific anime, get everyone to dress up as their favorite characters in that show. This will allow for a colorful and fun-filled event which could also serve as a small anime convention at home. You can also hold a competition where you will reward the ones with the best costumes.
3. Prepare awesome food
Aside from preparing your guest list, you also need to decide what to serve your guests on the day of the party. Choosing what to prepare for refreshments and the main course will depend entirely on the theme and mood of the party. For instance, if your child loves Naruto, your menu may include authentic ramen prepared by a Japanese food store online. However, before finalizing your menu, you must consider the dieting requirements of each guest. If you have guests who are allergic to shrimp, offer them deep fried vegetables in place of tempura.
4. Choose and decorate your venue
Whether you are throwing the party at home or renting out an outdoor venue, it’s important to decorate the place so it reflects the theme of the occasion. Does your child enjoy the anime Spy x Family? The party could draw inspiration from European aesthetics between the 1920s to 1930s. If they are a fan of One Piece, you might as well throw a beach or poolside party to reflect the anime’s pirate motif. Decorating the venue might take too much time and money, but you can always get your child to help out and use whatever reusable materials you have at home to craft impressive decorations.
5. Introduce fun games
What’s a kid’s party if it lacks engaging games that everyone can take part in? Go beyond typical choices such as sack races and opt for games that align with your child’s favorite shows or comics. Consider more interactive and team-based games such as a One Piece-inspired treasure hunt or a Duck-Duck-Goose game where participants will try to figure out who is a titan-shifter from Attack on Titan. Just make sure that the games are age-appropriate, explain the rules clearly, and guide them on what to do. You can also go online and find anime-themed party games that will add excitement to the occasion.
6. Prepare party favors
You wouldn’t want your guests to leave empty-handed, so come up with creative party favor ideas they would want to take home. Package them in bright colors and custom boxes. Moreover, add toys and Pokemon or Digimon trading cards in addition to candy. Give out collectible figurines and character cards that your guests can proudly display at home. If you are feeling generous, you can include tickets to a major anime event or screening in select bags. Announce this to your guests so they will have an even more compelling reason to join in on the fun!
There’s a lot more you can do to organize an anime-themed party for your child. These tips should help you know where to start.
Speak Your Mind