80s Party Ideas for Adults
Got some 80s nostalgia? Plenty of adults do right now, which is why 80s parties are all the rage.
You don’t even need a reason to throw one! You can throw one just because things are finally opening up again, and you’re ready to have a good time with your friends.
Use these tips to create a night to remember!
What can you do for an 80s party?
An 80s party is the perfect opportunity to:
- Bust out your favorite 80s tunes!
- Create a glow-in-the-dark party!
- Set an 80s dress code!
- Serve up some retro sweets!
- Rent some 80s arcade cabinets, set to free-to-play!
- Get a green screen and a karaoke machine to make your own music videos!
- Get a button machine so that guests can make some bling!
- Set out some board games like Topple, Win Lose or Draw, Wheel of Fortune, Twister, Chinese Checkers, Uno, Battleship, and Connect Four.
- Don’t forget the decorations!
- Clear the dance floor!
- Throw lip-sync battles, karaoke contests, and dance-offs!
Believe it or not, adults can really connect and enjoy all of these activities, even when they seem silly. Especially when they seem silly!
What do you need for an 80s party?
Retro snacks are a must. We’re talking everlasting gob stoppers, Tootsie Pops, fizz bombs, snowballs, rock candy, and Jiffy Pop. Stock up on soda, especially Dr. Pepper and Sprite. Create neon signature cocktails. Make sloppy joe sliders.
If you rent those arcade games you could give out prizes for the guest who wins the high score of the night.
Make sure you have a dance floor cleared, and use decorations to make sure the dance area is clear to all. Set up stations for people to do all the fun activities you’ve set out for them.
80s Party Decorations: DIY
It’s easy to find a lot of cut-outs for 80s-themed decorations, or to make your own. You could deck the walls with 80s movie posters or create Pac-Man themed cut outs. Put out black lights and glow sticks.
Just about anything neon will evoke that 80s feeling. So will retro video game prints and hanging swirls with cassette tape danglers.
80s Party Props
Props and favors are easy for 80s themed parties, and they can be one and the same.
- Set out bowls with huge, angular glasses for guests to pluck up and wear.
- Give out neon glitter pen bracelets and jelly bracelets.
- Decorate with Rubix cubes and let your guests take them home if they want to.
- Set out neon hats!
- Set out tye-dyed pencils.
- Set out little 80s themed erasers!
- Give out 80s-themed keychains!
Other props could include neon glassware, plates, and napkins, as well as boom-box cut-outs, paper lanterns, and more.
80s Party Games for Adults
It’s hardly an 80s party without busting out the MadLibs, which can be made as clean (or as dirty) as you tell your guests to keep them. Set up an 80s trivia game.
We’ve already mentioned karaoke, lip-sync battles, and dance-offs, but you can turn them into full-scale contests. You can also give out a prize for the best music video.
You could even create a giant table full of Legos and just let people play. An 80s party is a great time for people to connect with each other and with the nostalgia of the past.
What do you wear to an 80s themed party?
To evoke the 80s style, don’t forget to tease up your hair and find yourself some shoulder pads. Wear some neon or dig up some leg warmers. Letter jackets and jean jackets are also a good call.
It was a colorful era, even for men, and there are plenty of options. Will you go punky, preppy, neon, or yuppie? The choice is up to you!
Have a totally tubular time!
Don’t overthink your 80s party. Right now you’ll be doing everyone in your life a favor by cheering them up with bright colors, music they haven’t heard in years, fun colors, and exciting games. Keep the energy up and go over-the-top: the 80s were all about going big and they were anything but sedate. And if this all sounds a little exhausting, you could always tone it down. Make a few glowy cocktails, set out a bowl of M&Ms, tell your friends to put on some 80s gear, and fire up Back to the Future, Die Hard, and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
It was a bright, fun time, and we could all use a little more of that in our lives.
Do other decades interest you – 50s, 60s, 70s?
And, of course, if you come on down to Paper Plus you’ll find plenty of supplies, from cut-outs to favors to neon-themed glasses and cups. Our shelves are all stocked and waiting to help you launch some summer fun, so stop on by today!
