Selection of easy and fun neon party ideas. These ideas are all easy to coordinate and also budget friendly ensuring that you prepare an unforgettable and fun party that will light up the night!
Use UV black lights to create the ultimate neon party and utilise the ideas for neon party decorations, clothing and more.
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Looking for something a bit different for your next celebration?
Neon parties have become a huge hit and are perfect for kids, teens or adults. The great thing about this party theme is that it can literally be enjoyed at any age.
So if you need to plan a birthday party and are completely stuck for ideas, these neon party ideas could be just the thing you are looking for.
There is a huge selection of neon party ideas that are easy on the family budget and very simple to put together.
This is the kind of party that literally anyone can coordinate.
What Is A Neon Party?
A neon party is often referred to as a glow in the dark party.
Neon and glow parties are a super fun idea. It’s a party held under UV black lights which is used to illuminate the bright neon colors.
Whilst you can still have a glow in the dark neon party without using black lights, the neon colors typically glow brighter under black lights therefore you have a better effect.
It is recommended to use the UV lights to avoid disappointment or frustration with a lack of glow effect.
When setting up the party you want as many things to glow as possible. The more neon colored decorations and accessories you can use, the better.
When the UV lights are switched on, you are presented with a magical glow of color.
Where Is The Best Place To Hold A Neon Party?
If you are holding your own glow party, you need to give some thought as to where you will actually be holding it.
You need to ensure that you have a completely dark room, ideally with no natural light.
Whilst holding a neon party at night is easier, it is still possible to hold one during the day so the younger kids can enjoy it.
Think about the space that you have and where any light source may come from. Sheds, garages and large rooms indoors are all good options.
Once your location has been chosen, you will need to eliminate any remaining light sources. This can be achieved by hanging rolls of thick black plastic. Ensure that you cover all windows and fix the plastic firmly in place.
An indoor area is easier for the black lights, but this isn’t always possible.
If holding the party outside, ensure that you are away from the glare of streetlights or even light projected from the moon which can limit the effectiveness of your neon glow.
What Colors To Wear To A Neon Party
To really pop at a neon party you want to wear colors that will really stand out. If the party has black lights, it will give more options for choices of clothing.
Most neon colored fabrics will glow. This includes fluorescent colors such as green, yellow, orange and pink.
You can also not go wrong with a plain white t-shirt. This provides a great glow and can even be decorated with neon paint for added interest.
Fluorescent paints also show really well under black lights, which gives even more options.
Creativity can be given to the neon body paint and face paints that can be drawn onto the face and other exposed skin such as arms and legs.
If black lights are NOT being used then you need to be slightly more creative with clothing choices.
You will either need to look for clothing that has glow in the dark patterns already in it or to decorate your outfit with as many glow sticks as possible.
The easiest way to ensure everyone and everything glows as much as possible is to use UV light.
How Many Black Lights Are Needed For A Neon Party?
The amount of black lights required for a neon party will largely depend on the size of the area you are holding the party in.
You will however want to ensure that you have light from all angles to ensure that you receive maximum glow effect.
As a general rule, 1 Watt of UV light is appropriate for an area of 100 square feet (9 metres).
Take some time to check out all your black light options before deciding what you will use at your party.
Decorations For A Neon Party
It is always a lot of fun preparing the decorations for a party. And this party decor is going to be SO much fun.
The best thing to do is just to start looking for a huge range of bright neon party decorations that will glow under black lights.
Think about things that can be hung or stuck to the walls and even the floor and ceiling.
It is important to note that NOT ALL bright colored decorations will glow. Ensure that whatever you purchase it has the neon ability to glow under black lights.
When planning the decorations think bold. Lots of different colors and fun designs will create the most attractive party space.
Dots, stars, circles and wavy lines will add the fun interest that is required at a glow party.
Neon Balloons:
Did you know that it’s even possible to obtain neon balloons?
Everyone loves balloons at a party, so these are a great way to add an instant glow.
Ensure that you purchase good quality thick balloons for the best neon effect.
If you can’t locate neon balloons, another option is to insert glow sticks into normal balloons before blowing them up.
It’s simple but really effective.
Neon Tablecloths:
Whilst some plastic tablecloths look bright, they won’t glow in the dark very well unless they are neon.
The best thing to do is to purchase some neon fabric and cut to size to use as tablecloths or even as party backdrops, or use neon plastic tablecloths.
You need to ensure that the tablecloth is a neon fabric to ensure that it will glow under the black lights.
Glow Sticks:
It’s really quite amazing how many things you can decorate with glow sticks, and really quite fun coming up with all the ideas too.
Think about the different types of glow sticks that you can obtain and how they could be used.
The thick glow sticks could be placed in glass bottles and decorated around the room. The thin connector glow sticks could be used to decorate furniture or placed in balloons. You are only limited here by your imagination.
And don’t forget to have a glow stick station where you can hand out a variety of glow sticks to your friends.
Aside from the traditional glow sticks there are so many more fun glow accessories available like glow bracelets, glow glasses, hats, necklaces etc.
These are all simple and budget friendly items that will really make a huge impact to the overall feel of the party.
Glow sticks are also great to give out as party favors to kids as they head home.
Neon Cutlery:
A fun way to brighten up the food table is to have neon plates, cups and utensils.
If you can’t locate neon cutlery, another option is to use neon stickers and attach to all the items.
Create A Dance Floor:
It is a great idea to set up a dance floor. Neon tape can be used to create a fun disco dance floor.
Think about creating cubes on the floor, which will glow and look truly amazing!
Food And Drink That GLOWS
Party guests will be expecting decorations and clothing to glow, but will they really be expecting their food to glow too?
This is where you can hold the best glow party ever!
The best way to have a glowing food table is to set up the table first with neon colored fabric and decorate around the table accordingly. Then you can get to work with some glowing food and drinks to create some extra fun!
Tonic water is great for making food and drinks glow. In fact, mixing tonic water with other items can create some wonderful different colorings.
White foods are also really great for providing an amazing glow, whilst milk and other dairy can glow a purple.
It is worth experimenting with some ideas in the weeks leading up to your party to ensure that you get just the look you are trying to achieve.
Check out this guide for how to make your food glow, where everyone will be talking about your amazing food and dessert table.
Glow In The Dark Party Games
It’s always a good idea to have party games arranged.
Whilst the neon party will most likely be a disco party, there are still a lot of other fun games that you can prepare to give a bit of variety.
Glow in The Dark Bowling:
Glow in the dark bowling is not only fun, but also very easy to coordinate.
Simply grab 10 or 15 water bottles and remove the wrappers. Pour a tiny bit of water out and insert a glow stick. Arrange the bottles into a triangle shape like you would see at a bowling alley.
Find a sturdy ball that can be used to knock down the bottles and tape a starting line with some neon tape. Add neon sticker dots to the floor so it’s easy for guests to see where they need to replace the bottles after each game.
Glow In The Dark Ring Toss:
This is played the exact same way as a normal ring toss except instead of using normal rings, you use glow stick rings! Again this is a super easy and budget friendly game to prepare.
Glow In The Dark Tic Tac Toe:
This game is played the same way as noughts and crosses, except using glow sticks as rings. Use two different colors to distinguish which team is which.
Photo Booth:
Set up a photo booth using neon plastic tablecloths as a backdrop. Have some glow in the dark props available and then get ready for some amazing photos.
A neon party is simply a fun one. It is the perfect theme for teens or tweens who want something a bit more “grown up”. Everyone can have a great time add as much glow to themselves as possible.
We have covered some of the easiest neon party ideas that you can implement at your next party.
Get that glow happening, light up the night and have a whole heap of fun.
Need some more party ideas? Check out all our other party ideas, games and themes. You will have a ton of inspiration to keep everyone entertained.
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