Keep the birthday child and guests busy for hours with an action-action-packed Mario party! We will talk about what food to serve, party decoration ideas and some fun games for the kids!

Mario Party Food Fare

1. Star Power sandwiches: Use your favorite sandwich filling (peanut butter and jelly, Nutella and bananas, and ham and Swiss are kid-friendly favorites) then use a large star cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Add two mini chocolate chips for the eyes using a tiny dab of mayonnaise.
2. Sky jello with fluffy clouds: Using three small boxes of blue jello, create your dessert in a 13×9-inch pan. Right before serving, add whipped cream to resemble clouds.
3. Firepower Flower Fruit/Veggie Platter: Use a small container of fruit/veggie dip for the center of the flower. Add black olive eyes. Around the circular dip container, add three layers of colorful fruits or veggies in a circular pattern. Baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, strips of red, yellow or orange bell peppers, fresh pineapple chunks, sliced strawberries, blueberries and cantaloupe slices work well. Create the stem using green produce, such as cucumbers, zucchini, green bell peppers, kiwi slices or grapes. Add “leaves” using broccoli, sugar-snap pea pods, green apples or pears.
4. Create party bags for guests to take home: Fill purchased Mario-themed bags or boxes with toys and snacks like K’nex Mario figure mystery bags, Mario-themed fruit snacks, chocolate gold coins, bubble gum tape, finger lasers, Mario-themed pencils/erasers and Mario candy. 
5. Mario cheese hats: Tape half a red construction circle to a Babybel cheese circle to resemble the hat’s bill and add a small, black “M” sticker in a white oval made from construction paper to the cheese circle for an instant Mario hat. The tape won’t actually touch the food as children remove the red wax circle from the Babybel to reveal the cheese.
6. Piranha plant fruit skewers: Thread green grapes on a bamboo skewer and top with a large strawberry with a wedge cut out in the middle to resemble an open mouth. Arrange them in a flowerpot container before placing on the food table.
7. Star Power rice treats: Create homemade marshmallow rice treats dyed with yellow food coloring and use a star cookie cutter to create shapes and an edible marker, mini chocolate chips or frosting to create the eyes.
8. deviled “Yoshi” eggs: Serve deviled “Yoshi” eggs by dying the egg yolk mixture green before filling the egg whites.
9. Label a bowl or cheese balls “fire power,” a bowl of powdered sugar doughnuts “ice power” and a bowl of malt balls “Yoshi eggs”.
10. Using poster board, cut out mustache and princess crown shapes. Use a hole punch to cut a hole in the middle of each and thread onto colorful straws for a fun, embellished straw to add to bottles of water or Hawaiian punch.

Mario Party Decorations

1. Starman balloons: Purchase gold foil star balloons (readily available at most party stores) and add lines for the eyes with black tape or permanent marker.
2. Create question marks from pieces of yellow felt. Hang from the ceiling in the party area
3. Use different sizes of cardboard boxes to create 3D decorations around the room. Glue half with red construction paper and half with yellow construction paper. On the red ones, use a permanent black marker to create a brick pattern. Create block-style question marks from white construction paper and glue in the middle of the yellow-covered boxes. Add small white construction-paper circles in the corners.
4. Hang gold paper plates from the ceiling to resemble coins.
5. Cut white clouds from construction paper and tape on the walls.
6. Tie red balloons with white construction paper circles to balloon weights.
7. Using PVC pipe, create a “warp pipe” by painting green. Add colorful flowers to the pipe “vase”.

Crafts / Activities

1. Create a word scramble using Mario-themed objects and phrases, like Power Up, Yoshi, Mario, Luigi, Starman, mushroom, video game, Nintendo, firepower flower, etc.
2. Create paper sack party bags with markers, crayons and stickers.
3. Fill a mason jar with M&M “fireball” candies. Ask guests to guess how many candies are in the jar. The one with the closest number wins the jar filled with candies.
4. Super Mario photo booth: Hang Mario-themed wrapping paper on a wall. This will serve as your background. Provide red balloons with white construction paper circles (mushrooms), cut out mustaches, blue overalls, construction paper stars and more to use as photo props
5. Create a question mark piñata from a cardboard box

Mario Party Games

1. Play classic “Hot Potato” using a small Mario toy or stuffed animals as the game piece. Play the video game’s music in the background and when it stops, whoever has the game piece is out. Continues rounds until two people are left to play for the win.
2. Pop the mushrooms: Blow up small red and green balloons. Add white circles using a permanent marker or construction paper to resemble Mario mushrooms. Put 30 seconds on a timer and see how many balloons each guest can sit on and pop during that time. The one that pops the most wins a prize.
3. Pin the mustache on Mario. Draw or print a copy of Mario’s face and cut tiny mustaches from brown construction paper. The child that gets the mustache closest to Mario’s lips while blindfolded wins.
4. Yoshi egg race: Tape a few plastic tablecloths to the floor. Line guests up in teams of two across from each other. Using real eggs decorated with green circles courtesy of permanent markers, provide one member from each team with a small spoon and see who can get it to their partner in the fastest time without it falling off the spoon and breaking. Award a prize to the winner.
5. Print free mario bingo cards or order ones from Etsy and have fun playing classic bingo, offering large candy bars for prizes.
   

   Super Mario Party Bingo Cards by BackStitchMix

6. Place a large green bucket in the center of the room. Give each guest a set of six balls in different colors. Set a timer for 10 seconds. Whoever gets the most “fireballs” in the bucket wins a prize.

Game Prize Ideas

1. Mario-themed card games
2. Mario pencils, pens and erasers
3. Giant candy bar wrapped in Mario-themed wrapping paper
4. Mario figurines
5. Mario stuffed animals
6. Super Mario Bros. water bottle
7. Mario puzzle
8. Package of chocolate coins
9. Large punch balloon
10. Large red rubber play ball

Mario Party Cake Ideas

1. Frost chocolate cupcakes in different bright colors and add white fondant circles or white candy melt circles to resemble mushrooms.
2. Frost white cupcakes with light blue icing and add different edible decorations like star-shaped sprinkles, green vines drawn with a frosting tip, green fondant “warp pipes,” Mario rice-paper logos (order online), red brick licorice and more.
3. Create a racetrack cake by designing a simple racetrack with brown and yellow frosting and adding Mario figurines and checkered flags
4. Make a super easy Mario face cake using these step-by-step instructions at Meet Penny. 
5. Create three cube cake layers. Frost the bottom layer red and draw brick designs using black cake gel or an edible marker. Frost the middle layer blue and add fondant white clouds. Frost the top layer yellow and add fondant white question marks or Mario cake topper figurines.

Party Checklist

Download Free Checklist PDF File

One month before the party:

___ Set a day and time

___ Make a budget

___ Create a guest list

___ Buy and send invitations

___ Schedule vendors like musicians and entertainers

___ Establish a menu

___ Order food, if event is being catered

___ Book rental items like tents, tables/chairs and linens

___ Choose party games

___ Recruit friends and family to help, if needed

___ Order personalized party items, like banners, balloons and favors

___ Order cake

___ Order flowers

 

Two weeks before the party:

___ Shop for non-perishable grocery items

___ Purchase paper party supplies

___ Purchase game prizes

___ Purchase decorations

___ Craft pin-the-mustache on Mario game

___ Print Mario bingo cards

___ Create warp pipe vases and fill with flowers

___ Print word scramble sheets

___ Clean the house

___ Create question mark decorations

___ Craft 3D decorations

___ Prepare white clouds

___ Confirm rental reservations

___ Prepare embellished straws

 

One week before the party:

___ Fill and count M&Ms in jar

___ Bake cake

___ Wash glassware

___ Press linens, if using your own

___ Access serving dishes, and utensils, if using your own

___ Create photo booth area, lay out props

___ Make, fill and hang piñata

___ Prepare treat bags

 

Day before the party:

___ Pick up gold star balloons

___ Shop for fresh, perishable grocery items

___ Place black electrical tape on gold foil Star Power balloons

___ Blow up balloons

___ Tape white construction paper circles to red balloons

___ Decorate eggs for egg race

___ Prepare blue jello

___ Frost and decorate cake, cupcakes

___ Make Mario cheese hats

___ Prep Piranha plant skewers

___ Prepare Star Power rice treats

___ Make deviled Yoshi eggs

___ Pick up rental items

___ Cut up fruit/veggies

___ Make and chill drinks

___ Organize party space, re-arrange furniture

 

Morning of party:

___ Shower and get dressed

___ Put out yard signs

___ Hang streamers

___ Hang garland

___ Hang gold paper plates

___ Hang white cloud wall decorations

___ Organize food table

___ Set up games

___ Gather together game items

___ Prepare Star Power sandwiches

___ Prepare Firepower Flower fruit/veggie platter

___ Set out bowls of cheese balls, powdered sugar doughnuts and malt balls

___ Decorate party area

___ Fill warp pipe vases with flowers

___ Charge phone or camera

Party Shopping List

If you’re planning a special event, don’t forget the details. Make sure everything is covered with this handy shopping list:

Food

For Star Power sandwiches:

___ Favorite sandwich filling

___ Bread

___ Mini chocolate chips

For Sky Jello:

___ Three small boxes blue jello

___ Whipped cream

For Firepower fruit/veggie platter:

___ Fruit or veggie dip

___ Two black olives

___ Assortment of fruits/veggies:

___ Baby carrots

___ Cherry tomatoes

___ Red, yellow or orange bell peppers

___ Pineapple chunks

___ Strawberries

___ Blueberries

___ Cantaloupe

___ Green stem produce:

___ Cucumbers

___ Zucchini

___ Green bell peppers

___ Kiwi

___ Green grapes

___ Green leaves produce:

___ Broccoli

___ Sugar-snap pea pods

___ Green apples

___ Pears

For party bags:

___ Mario-themed fruit snacks

___ Chocolate coins

___ Bubble gum tape

___ Mario-themed candy

For cheese hats:

___ Babybel cheese circles

For Piranha plant fruit skewers:

___ Green grapes

___ Large strawberries

For Star Power rice treats:

___ Crisped rice cereal

___ Butter

___ Mini marshmallows

___ For eyes: Edible marker, mini chocolate chips or frosting

For Yoshi deviled eggs:

___ Eggs

___ White vinegar

___ Mustard

___ Mayonnaise

___ Green food coloring

___ Cheese balls

___ Powdered sugar doughnuts

___ Malt balls

___ Bottled water

___ Individual bottles of Hawaiian punch

___ M&Ms

___ Eggs, enough for egg race

___ Giant candy bars, for game prizes

___ Chocolate coins, for game prizes

___ Cake

­___ Ice cream

___ Frosting

___ White fondant or candy melts

___ Edible decorations, like star-shaped sprinkles, green fondant, Mario rice-paper logos (order online), red brick licorice

___ Cupcake liners

___ Black cake gel

 

Paper Supplies

___ Paper plates

___ Paper cups

___ Plastic forks

___ Plastic spoons

___ Plastic knives

___ Toothpicks

___ Napkins

___ Cake paper plates

___ Small cake or beverage napkins

___ Napkin holder

___ Utensil holder

___ Tablecloths or table coverings

___ Card box

Party Supplies

___ Save the Date cards

___ Invitations

___ Game prizes

___ Thank you notes

___ Candles

___ Cake decorations, like Mario figurines and checkered flags

___ Cupcake liners

___ Cube cake pan

___ Mario cake topper

___ Cake platter, server

___ Ice cream scoop

­­___ Coffee maker

___ Punch bowl

For party bags:

___ K’nex Mario figure mystery bags

___ Finger lasers

___ Mario-themed pencils/erasers

For cheese hats:

___ Red construction paper

___ Black “M” sticker

___ White construction paper

For Piranha plant fruit skewers:

___ Bamboo skewers

___ Green plastic flowerpot

___ Star cookie cutter (for Star Power sandwiches and Star Power rice treats

___ Assorted colors of construction paper for food labels and decorations

For embellished straws:

___ Brown posterboard for mustaches

___ Plastic straws

___ Yellow posterboard for crowns

___ Hole punch

Decorations

___ Banners

___ Red balloons

___ Balloon weights

For Starman balloons:

___ Gold foil star balloons

___ Black electrical tape

___ Ribbon

___ Centerpieces

___ Confetti

For question mark decorations:

___ Yellow felt

___ White felt

___ Ribbon

___ Party hats

___ Streamers

___ Garland

For 3D decorations:

___ Cardboard boxes

___ Yellow construction paper

___ Red construction paper

___ White construction paper

___ Black permanent marker

___ Glue

___ Yard signs

___ Photo booth background and accessories

___ Mario-themed wrapping paper

___ Paper mustaches

___ Blue overalls

___ Paper construction stars

___Red balloons

___ White construction paper

___ Piñata

___ Gold paper plates

___ For warp pipe vases:

___ PVC pipe

___ Green paint

__ Fresh flowers

___ Treat bags

Crafts

___ Computer paper for printable word scramble

___ Plain paper party sacks

___ Markers

___ Crayons

___ Mario stickers

Games

___ Small Mario toy, figurine or stuffed animal

___ Red balloons

___ Green balloons

___ White permanent marker

___ Blindfold

___ Plastic tablecloths

___ Green permanent marker

___ Cardstock for printable bingo cards

___ Large green bucket

___ Small balls in different colors

___ Mario-themed card games

___ Mario pencils, pens and erasers

___ Mario-themed wrapping paper

___ Mario figurines

___ Mario stuffed animals

___ Super Mario Bros. water bottle

___ Mario puzzle

___ Large punch balloon

___ Large red rubber play ball