Airplane Theme Party Ideas - Get Ready For Take-Off!

Photo courtesy of: Doug Langham

To help you get into the airplane theme party frame of mind, we've put together links to the best party supplies:

Jets Party Supplies
Airplane Pinatas
Airplane Deluxe Kit-N-Kaboodle Kit
Airplane Favors


AIRPLANE THEME PARTY IDEAS FOR INVITATIONS

AIRPLANE-SHAPED INVITATIONS - Using construction paper, cut your invitations into the shape of an airplane. Write all of your party details on one side. Create a window on the other side and glue a picture of your child in the window, as if they are flying the plane. Using their first or last name, write "Monroe Airlines" or "Jeffrey Airlines", the Official Birthday Party Airline on the front.

FLYING AIRPLANE INVITATIONS - Use a piece of scrapbook paper that has a light airplane-related background. Print off your invitations using a computer or handwrite the details. Then fold your paper into an airplane shape, suitable for flying. Here's a great website to give you several options for Airplane Folding. Then place the folded plane into an envelope for mailing. Be sure to include a note to unfold the plane for party details.

AIRPLANE THEME PARTY CLOUD INVITES - Cut out a large cloud-shape from construction or cardstock. Put the party details on one side and then add some airplane stickers on the other side.

Invitation Wording Ideas

• First or last name with Airlines following - Monroe Airlines or Jeffrey Airlines, Official Birthday Party Airline
• Flyer or Passenger: (Name of child being invited) - 200 Frequent Friend Miles
• Flight Date: (Party date)
• Flight Time: (Party time)
• Departure Location: (Address of child being invited)
• Arrival Location: Terminal 12, Gate 5 located at (Party address)
• Airline Code: "112507; THR EEYE ARSO LD 2110" (This represents the month, date, and year born; and spells out the age as of the current year.)
• Ticket is non-transferrable
• Passenger limited to 1-2 carry-on parents
• Light meal will be served.
• If unable to make flight, please call Monroe airlines ticket agent at (phone number)

EMBELLISH READY-MADE INVIVATIONS - Buy ready-made airplane themed invitations and embellish the picture. For example, add some glitter to accentuate various details on the invites.


AIRPLANE THEME PARTY IDEAS FOR COSTUMES

Have the parents and helpers all dress up as the airline crew. Have them all wear dark pants and give them each a t-shirt that has an airplane imprinted or your airline name imprinted, e.g., MONROE AIRLINES or JEFFREY AIRLINES. tie a handkerchief around the neck that coincides with your selected colors. If your child has a pilot costume, then this would be the perfect time to wear it. If not, and you're thinking of buying one then you might want to create an airplane photo invitation, along with imprinting the picture onto the cake.

For some more airplane costume ideas, check out our AIRPLANE COSTUME photos and how-to tips. They are nothing less than fun and fabulous!


AIRPLANE THEME PARTY IDEAS FOR DECORATIONS

Your color options for an airplane theme party are just about endless. You could select your favorite airline and mimic their colors. For example, American Airlines could be red, white, and blue. Or, perhaps you want to go fancy with the Hawker Hunter colors of shades of yellow, orange, red, purple, and blue. if you child prefers a traditional army plane, then you might want your party colors to be camouflage colors of army green, khaki, brown, black, mustard yellow.

• Create a large yard sign to identify your "airport" for your passengers. Use the first or last name of the birthday child and their age. For example, "Lancaster Airport - Terminal #4."

• Hang a sign on your front door that says "Monroe Airport - Terminal 3, Gate 6."

• Decorate "airport" ceilings with twisted streamers and clusters of balloons with curling ribbons in party colors.

• Place clusters of balloons and curling ribbons in your party colors throughout the "airport" and especially in the corners.

• Hang posters of airplanes on the walls.
  Airplane Birthday Party Decorations

• Here's some airplane wall graphic decals to transform your party room walls to an airport theme.

• Make signs to hang on your walls that are airplane-related. For example, Terminal #7, Gate #5, Airplane Hangar, The Sky's The Limit, etc.

• Hang airplanes from the party room's ceiling using fishing line. They can be paper airplanes, inflatable airplanes, gliders, or toy planes.

• Hang an airplane birthday banner on one of your party room walls.

• Hang a sign that says "Baggage Claim" on a wall and place an open suitcase on a small table. Fill the suitcase with your passengers' favor bags.
  Airplane Birthday Party Decorations

• Post "Keep Out - Airline Crew Only" signs any place you don't want people to go into.

• If you have access to old suitcases or old trunks (especially if they have a lot of travel stickers on them) you can stack them up or place them around your party room for ambiance.

• Create some "clouds" in your party room with 4-6 white balloons tied together with fishing line or wire and hang them from the ceiling with an airplane hanging down slightly from the center of each cloud formation.

• Cut out large white clouds from poster board and cover it with cotton balls using hot glue, Elmer's glue, or craft glue. Hang your clouds from your ceilings. Puncture a hole or two in each cloud, thread fishing line through the holes, and hang planes from the ceiling. This way you will have planes flying amongst your clouds.

• If you have a ceiling fan, attach a few paper airplanes to the fan from fishing line and turn the fan on low so your planes can "fly."
  Airplane Birthday Party Decorations

• Cover your party table with old maps and then add your airplane-themed partyware and sprinkle with patriotic confetti or airplanes and clouds confetti on the tabletop.

• Make your party table look like a landing strip on covering it with gray butcher paper. Lay two strands of white Christmas lights down the center leaving space between the strands to allow for placement of airplanes.

• You can hang an airplane pinata as a party decoration and also fill it with candy to be smashed open during game time.

PRINTABLE GAMES - Here's a great site for some fun print and play toddler party games that would be a perfect party game add-on!

PopShops™ affiliate stores

Here's an entire page with nothing but Airplane Party Game Ideas and Activities, such as:

• Airplane Coloring Station
• Airplane Tattoos
• Plane-Go-Round
• Pin The Pilot Into The Jet
• Bus, Bus, Plane
• Musical Airplane Chairs
• Hot Plane
• Airplane Pilot Says...
• Airplane Search
• Airplane Pinata

FLIGHT PACKS - Make each of your little pilots their own "flight pack." You can place the food into lunch bags that are in your party colors and decorated with airplane stickers; or you can place them in small boxes that are decorated with stickers; or you can serve them on small trays. Add a piece of fruit and a small bag of candy.

PILOT SANDWICHES - Wrap sandwiches in plastic wrap and seal them with an airplane sticker. Or create labels that say, "Monroe Airlines, Flight 747, Crew Member" or "Passenger". Or create a label that says "Delta Flight 747."

MINI AIRPLANE PIZZAS - Make or buy pizza dough. Roll it out and cut out airplane shapes. Add your pizza sauce, cheese, and any toppings you might like to include. When dealing with toddlers, sometimes it's best to stay with just cheese or perhaps add some pepperoni.

KID-FRIENDLY FOODS - The following aren't airplane theme party foods, but they are a hit with just about all children:

• Applesauce
• Carrots & Ranch dressing
• Chicken nuggets
• Crackers & cheese
• French fries
• Fruit - bananas, strawberries, grapes, apples
• Graham crackers
• Macaroni & cheese
• String cheese

JET FUEL - Gatorade or punch. Be sure to put a sign on the container so everyone knows they are drinking special "Jet Fuel."

AIRPLANE COOKIES - Make your favorite sugar cookie recipe and using an airplane cookie cutter create individual airplane cookies for your guests. Decorate with frosting, cake gel, sprinkles, etc.

AIRPLANE THEME PARTY SNACKS - Fill snack-size Ziploc bags with peanuts, Goldfish crackers, Teddy Grahams, pretzel sticks, nuts, chips, Cheese-Its, etc. Or you can handout prepackaged fruit snacks.


AIRPLANE THEME PARTY IDEAS FOR CAKES

Photo courtesy of: Cupcake Envy

MINI AIRPLANE CAKES - Make a sheet cake. Once it has cooled, remove the cake from the pan and place it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Cut out individual airplane cakes using an airplane cookie cutter. Coat your cakes with a thin layer of icing (crumb coat) and refrigerate for an hour. The crumb coat will give your edges a clean, smooth finish. Then frost your airplanes and decorate them to coordinate with your party colors. To move the planes from one location to another without breaking them, use an extra-wide spatula.

AIRPLANE THEME PARTY CAKE #1 - Make or buy a sheet cake and frost it blue. Place a clean, new toy airplane in the middle, along with some plastic flags and pilots to make an instant masterpiece.

AIRPLANE THEME PARTY CAKE #2 - Make a sheet cake and cut it into the shape of an airplane. Use a Rice Krispie square for the tail. Create a runway for the plane to set on by gluing scrapbook paper that has a runway design to cardboard. Cover with Saran Wrap. Place the airplane on the runway. In the alternative, you could use various scrapbook papers to represent water, clouds, land, etc.

AIRPLANE CUPCAKES #1 - Make your favorite cupcake recipe. Pipe out white or light blue frosting on top of the cupcakes. Then top each cupcake with a fondant airplane. use a small plastic airplane as your guide for creating the size and shape of the airplane.

AIRPLANE CUPCAKES #2 - Make your favorite cupcake recipe and pipe out chocolate frosting on top of the cupcakes. Place a small plastic airplane in each cupcake.

Check out our visitor-submitted AIRPLANE CAKE photos and how-to tips.


AIRPLANE THEME PARTY IDEAS FOR FAVORS

Create a baggage label using your child's first or last name that says, "THANK YOU FOR FLYING MONROE AIRLINES" and affix it to a brown paper bag. Favor ideas: Airplane coloring book or activity book with crayons or markers; airplane puzzle, toy airplane, snap together airplane, glider, airplane-type snacks like prepackaged candy, fruit snacks, nuts; airplane stickers, binoculars, parachuting men, etc.

MORE AIRPLANE THEME PARTY IDEAS

Just in case you're still on the hunt for some more Airplane Party Ideas, here's several ideas to check out. There are lots of options and ideas for creating invitations, decorations, party food, favors, and games.


AIRPLANE THEME PARTY IDEAS FOR PARTY SUPPLIES

Here's some wonderful Jets Party Supplies to liven up your table, along with some theme balloons, centerpieces, and favor ideas.

Here's some great Airplane Pinatas that would be perfect as a table or ceiling decoration and then use for a traditional round of hitting the pinata.

Here's one more batch of Fighter Pilot Party Supplies that you can do a quick price comparison.

Here's a great all in one option. Airplane Deluxe Kit-N-Kaboodle Kit is truly adorable.

Here's some fun Airplane Favors that you might like to consider.

Airplane Theme Party

Do you have some favorite airplane theme party ideas? Do tell! Please share all your party tips and ideas for invitations, decorations, games, etc.