If you’re as nerdy about The Hunger Games as I am, the idea of a Hunger Games-themed party seems mighty intriguing. And if you’re going to do it, why not go all out? Here are a few ways to have a great Hunger Games-themed party (for any occasion, really).
- The centerpiece of a party is, often, a cake. Having the right cake for your party could mean the difference between wow-ing your guests and, well, not wow-ing them. Here are some of the most interesting Hunger Games-themed cakes I’ve run across on the web. This one is my favorite, and it is extremely complicated, but the baker (no, unfortunately, it wasn’t Peeta) went to equally tedious measures to show how it was done and can thusly be replicated. You can check out the guide here.
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- Another element of a great theme party is food; this is especially true when it comes to this series for obvious reasons. With The Hunger Games, bread is always a staple, but there are many creative ways to surprise even the most discriminate Hunger Games fan. Fortunately enough, one site has compiled an entire catalogue of different Hunger Games-oriented recipes. Some examples: Lamb Stew with Dried Plums (Katniss’ favorite dish from the Capitol); District 11’s bread; Katniss-style roasted rabbit. The books describe so many dishes along the way, so you can definitely find something in your taste range for this element and make it your own. You can even go so far as to set up a Cornucopia.
- Styling the party invitation, if any, can be really fun. Over at The Hob, they have a sample idea for how to make a party invitation Hunger Games-themed. It’s certainly clever, but you can really great creative here. Invite your friends to the reaping (saying, of course, that attendance is mandatory) or to come watch the newest annual Hunger Games at your place. If you’re having guests bring over items, you could sort them into districts (District 12 brings the charcoal, District 4 brings the seafood, etc.). The sky’s the limit, and a clever invitation can certainly help to set the stage.
- Decor is essential. If you don’t have the resources (or energy) to transform your space completely, posters or book cover images are always a good start. If you want to take it all the way, though, you could set up houseplants to replicate the woods and have a mini-pond (a child’s swimming pool would work) to house the ice and drinks, put a few parachutes with prizes about, and hang a few mockingjays around the ceiling. Notice what was done with the parachutes in the party pictures here. Simple but oh-so-effective. A couple of other themes to consider: fire, archery, the landscape of Panem, Rue’s flowers, tessarae. Also, a colleague suggested a pinata themed like a least favorite character. A President Snow pinata would be perfect (or, if you want to get really morbid, how about a Seneca Crane one?).
- Games will also be a fun element to play with in a Hunger Games-themed party. You could have a trivia game (a great sample list of questions can be found here), a place-the-district game wherein fans pick where they believe the districts are located, a shoot the apple pouch game of archery, a race for the Cornucopia, a pin-the-Mockingjay Pin on Katniss blindfolded game, or, of course, join up and play the Hunger Games strategy game.
Other touches that could be put on a Hunger Games party are costumes, gifts, and party favors (like Mockingjay Pins to take home or parachutes with bread rolls or chocolates). The point is to have fun with it!