The ultimate guide to throwing a
magical Skylanders Giants party
In collaboration with professional children’s party planners
introduction
With Skylanders Spyro’s Adventure and Skylanders Giants
capturing the imaginations of children around the world,
it is quite likely that your son or daughter might ask for a
Skylanders themed party this year.
No doubt the children will be jumping up and down to play
the game itself so you need to make sure you have your
gaming station set up for your gameplay party challenges.
You can also take the magic of the game and use it as a
running theme throughout your party, creating a fun-filled
Skylanders-themed event.
We’ve created this useful guide to help throw a magical
Skylanders party, guaranteed fun for everyone. Written
by parents for parents, it includes everything from
invitations and decorations, to food and games, along
with tips and advice from professional children’s party
planners Les Enfants.
Les Enfants was founded by a mum with over 10 years
experience organising events, with the aim of offering
parents a premium service that takes away the stress of
organising children’s parties. They have worked with clients
from ZSL London Zoo to HSBC and with their invaluable
expertise to hand; let’s make this year’s party one to
remember for your child - Skylanders style!
Greatest
party
ever!
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What is
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Decorati
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Food an
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Games a
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Party B
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Check L
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Practic
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Thank y
ou note
What is
Skylanders
Giants?
Before we get to the party planning, we wanted to help
you brush up on your Skylanders Giants knowledge.
Packed with exciting characters and adventures in the
magical universe of Skylands, Skylanders combines physical
toys with virtual game play, offering a play experience like
no other.
For generations, Skylanders have used
their strengths and powers in epic
battles to protect the Skylands, but
they were unexpectedly frozen and
banished to earth.
The mystical Portal of Power® serves
as a gateway between our world and
the amazing world of Skylands,
allowing real-world toy characters
to be ‘brought to life’ by teleporting
them directly into the game.
With the threat of the evil KAOS
looming, it’s time for the fun-loving
Skylanders Giants to be brought back
to Skylands to join forces with other
Skylanders and defeat KAOS once
and for all.
So, while your child embarks on
their quest to help the Skylanders,
it’s time for you to bring their
favourite adventure to life with
some party planning!
Party Planning
Read on to get all the helpful tips you need to host the
BEST Skylanders party, without breaking a sweat.
Where to begin
Budget
The first thing you need to do is decide how much you
want to spend on your party, and stick to it!
Take into consideration the number of guests and venue
choice when setting your budget. Call different venues to
get the best price.
Date
If your child’s birthday falls on a weekend, take advantage
and hold the party then. If not, keep it as close as possible
to a weekend either side. Remember, weekends book up
fast though so plan as early as possible.
p
i
T
p
o
T
There’s nothing worse than two conflicting
children’s parties amongst the same group
of friends. Ask around and make sure
there are no clashes. If there are, consider
sharing the party or moving the date.
Location
Timings
Your home may be the obvious location for your
child’s party, but if you don’t like the thought of
20 seven year olds charging through your house,
you might want to consider these alternatives:
The average party lasts approximately two hours and
popular times are:
• 1 - 3pm
• 2 - 4pm
• Village / town hall
• Local park
• 3 - 5pm
• Marquèe/gazebo
in your garden
• Function suites
• Restaurant/café
As your children start to get older, you may find that the
party can go for a bit longer.
• Local zoo
Invitations
• Local leisure centre
This guide will help you bring the Skylanders Giants
theme to life no matter where you hold your party.
Make sure wherever you decide to choose is the right
size and isn’t too far away or difficult for people to get to.
There are a few key considerations though:
• Send invites out well in advance, 4 weeks ideally
• Clearly outline invited guests e.g. are siblings and
parents invited?
Top Tip
• Add any dress up or special clothing requirements
Investigate the facilities at your venue of choice
before booking (toilet, kitchen, parking, etc.).
Remember, for timings ensure to factor in set up
and breakdown time too if you’re planning a lot
of decorating.
• Include the RSVP date; ensure it’s at least one week
before the party
Here are some creative invitation ideas for a great
Skylanders party:
• An ‘all access Skylands pass’
• A Skylanders passport that needs stamping
on arrival and departure, as well as
throughout the party as tasks are completed
Numbers
Depending on your budget, invite either a few of your
child’s closest friends or all their classmates to ensure
no ones left out.
We would recommend not having more
than 30 children attend, otherwise it
soon gets difficult to maintain control.
Invitations are a perfect way to give people a sneak peak
of the theme of your party.
Top Tip
• If you’re pulling out all the stops, you could
send each guest their own Skylanders Giant
to join in the party with a personal quest
Click here to download templates
decoration
Now it’s time to really get the creativity flowing. We have
created fun ideas and free printable templates that will
truly set your party apart.
Colour scheme
Keep your party colours in the Skylanders theme of orange,
blue and grey. There are also eight Skylanders elements to
choose colours from that are perfect for re-creating the
Skylands environment. Below you can download a range of
printable templates to help your party look fantastic from
start to finish.
Welcome Sign
Download our welcome sign template and place it at
the door of your party – what better way to welcome
guests. To really make it stand out, add balloons!
Click here to download templates
Bunting
Bunting is a lovely way of decorating a party space. Our
Skylanders bunting can be hung around the party venue
or across the edges of tables.
Cut out the pendants and then thread each one along
a piece of string, ribbon or elastic – you can make as
many as you need.
Click here to download templates
Click here to download templates
Posters
Skylanders magic
Kids love to collect posters and they can add to the overall
look and feel of your venue in a really cost effective way.
Every Skylanders party venue should feel
like a magical place. To help bring this to
life, you could create fake trees, boulders,
grass and maybe a fluffy sheep or two
Skylanders style!
Create your own posters by using our downloadable images
of the Skylanders Giants. Alternatively, if you are lucky
enough to have a good print shop nearby, ask them to make
a large poster or free-standing cardboard cut-out.
Other great prop ideas could include:
• Treasure chests
• Jewels
Click here to download templates
• Balloons in Skylanders colours
• Wooden barrels
Portal of Power®
• Bubble blowing guns
Help bring the Skylanders game to life at your party by
creating a series of Portals of Power or point collecting
areas around the room.
• Wooden benches
To do this, cut-out large coloured circles and place them
on the floor to use in the games you play with the children
during the party. When they reach a coloured circle they’re
awarded with an extra point.
Alternatively, if you’re having your party outside and have
a trampoline, these would make great Portals of Power®
for the kids.
Gameplay station
What better way to bring the Skylanders
theme to life than seeing the game being
played on the big screen? Set up an
area with one/two consoles, the Portal
of Power®, the Skylanders Giants game
and the children’s favourite friends, the
Skylanders characters! As you read on,
you’ll see we’ve got some fun ideas on
how to keep the children entertained
and active whilst they’re not playing
on the video game too.
You could decorate the area behind
the screens with tissue paper
and card cut outs shaped like the
Skylands, so the children feel fully
immersed in the Skylanders world.
Top Tip
food and drink
To create the perfect party food table we have made a
set of printable templates to produce partyware easily
in your own home.
Setting the table
To keep it in the Skylanders theme, use coloured table cloths
with plain paper plates and cups in white, orange, grey or
blue. To make it fun, attach the readymade Skylanders Giants
printable templates to them.
For extra flare, use our downloadable Skylanders straws flags
and scatter jewels or sequins across your table and provide
pouches for the children to collect them in.
Food
Aim to have a range of healthy snacks and party food, so
children and parents have a choice.
The time of your party will determine what kind of food you
will want to serve. We would always recommend catering a
few nibbles and drinks for the adults while they wait.
Top Tip
Below are ideas for tasty Skylanders themed treats:
Remember – some parents don’t allow their
children to drink squash or fizzy drinks.
Add excitement to a plain water bottle by
using our downloadable Skylanders wrap.
Click here to download templates
• Fruit – using a melon baller, you can create some
‘Wrecking Ball Watermelon’ or try cutting up some
‘Jewelled Fruit Skewers’
• Sandwiches – there are lots of cutter shapes on the
market to use on the sandwiches, Treasure Chest
Sandwiches is great for this theme
• Mini pizzas – popular with kids, pizzas can be turned
into perfectly shaped Portals of Power®
• Marshmallows – place marshmallows on cocktail skewers
and use a black food colouring pen to create tasty
Skylanders sheep
• Drink – give the kids some ‘Power-up water’
Click here to download templates
Sweets and treats
The centre piece at any party is the cake. Here are some tips
for creating the ultimate Skylanders treat:
• Decorate the cake with your child’s favourite Skylanders
figures
• Create a Portal of Power® cake by using frosting and
cake decorations
• Dress the cake in edible jewels and coins
• Design cupcakes, cookies or small cakes in the shape
of jewels, sheep or the elements
• Create a woodland effect, just like the Skylands, on
the cake
• In addition, we have designed cut-out cupcake toppers
which can be attached to a cocktail stick to decorate
cupcakes if you’d prefer this over a standard cake
If you’re planning to go all out, and you’re asking your
local bakery for a hand, here’s some Pinterest inspiration:
http://pinterest.com/skylandersgame/skylanders-cakes/
Top Tip
If you’re planning on having chocolate
bars, use our wrapper template to make
it Skylanders themed. If you’re having a
party bag, why not include one of these?
Click here to download templates
Games and
entertainment
Entertainment is vital to a successful party and playing
Skylanders Giants is a sure way to create a fun and
exciting environment.
Game party challenges
• Co-op mode – take competition to the big screen by
getting the children to play co-op. By working together as
a team, they will travel on a range of quests through the
Skylands to solve puzzles, defeat enemies and find rewards
and treasures
• Gaming stations – borrow another console to set
up multiple playing stations for the children to play
simultaneously!
• Battle mode – using the league table we’ve created, host
tournaments for the children. A perfect time for them to
show off their gaming skills and play with their favourite
Skylanders
Download league table here
Party Challenges
Not all the children will be able to play the video game at the
same time, so we’ve created some fun and active party games
and challenges to keep the children entertained.
Using the Skylanders passport invitation idea, we’ve created
a different game for each Skylander that children must
complete in order to get their passport stamped:
Bouncer – Show your ‘Bouncer’ ball skills
with our one knee, two knee ball game.
Stand the children in a circle and get
them to throw the ball to each other.
If the ball is dropped, that child must
get down on one knee (two knees if
they drop it twice). If caught again,
they can stand back up
Crusher – Draw sheep on balloons,
blow them up and have them ready
for children to try and squash as many
as possible in a period of time. A noisy
but fun game!
Tree Rex – Why not introduce a piñata
and have it hanging from the ‘trees’ of
the Skylands. You could use tissue paper
to create a tree design and build it on
the wall you’re hanging the piñata from
Swarm – Fly through the air with a
simple game of Frisbee or maybe
set-up some markers and throw hoops
onto them to see who can score the
most points
Eye Brawl – We love this one, very easy
to create at home and will create lots of
laughter! Are you brave enough to put
your hand in the box and feel eyeballs
and other gruesome things? Create a
box and put pickled onions, spaghetti,
jelly sweets etc. inside – let your
imagination go to town! Just make sure
children can’t see inside the box
Thumpback – Pirate fishing time! Using
small paddling pools and nets, fill the
pool with plastic balls and mix in some
treasure to see who can collect the most
Ninjini – Perfect time for a magician or
a magic challenge. Get the children to
create their own potion from different
fruit juice concoctions or learn a simple
magic trick
Other ideas could include:
• Decorating your own hat – Hats are important in
Skylanders; they give you extra powers and protection
• Shark Tag – In Skylanders, the sharks come after you and
if they touch you, you lose health points – so play tag
where someone wears a shark hat and tries to tag the
other children. If the shark tags someone, that child is
frozen until another child tags them. Make sure you rotate
the shark so everyone gets a turn
• Code breaker – Create secret coded messages for the
children to unlock which will help them find special jewels
you’ve hidden around the party venue
• Treasure hunt – After collecting gems and small prizes
during the games, the Portal Masters are due for an
upgrade. Search for the Story Scrolls to find ‘upgrades’
and ‘Cores of Light’ (glow sticks would work well). They
will finally lead to a treasure chest filled with prizes
• Skylanders dressing up box – Have some props and
accessories to hand so the children can dress up as
Skylanders characters – play guess the Skylander or run a
competition for the best fancy dress Skylanders costume
Top Tip
Entertainers should be CRB checked and have the
appropriate insurance. Try and arrange to see them in
action to give you peace of mind before booking them.
Skylanders Passport
Click here to download templates
If you are doing the entertainment yourself, a great way to
excite the children is by creating quests to save Skylands.
Using our Skylanders passport the children will graduate as
a fully-fledged Portal Master once they’ve completed all the
challenges. An easy way to do this is;
Entertainer
If you’re planning on hiring an entertainer, you could ask
them to come as Eon, a former Portal Master who guides
players through the Skylands. If you are having two, one
could come as Captain Flynn and the other as Cali, a male
and female Mabu, who help players along the way. For
parties where you have lots of girls, make the entertainer
Persephone (the fairy with the blue hair) who accepts the
winged sapphires and gives out upgrades.
• Use the games throughout the day to form quests
• Provide special pouches to collect treasures and prizes
– these can be small items such as sweets
• Name tags look great so use the children’s favourite
Skylanders character, element and power
A great quest is challenging the children
to draw their favourite Skylander by
setting up a colouring area. It’ll be a good
opportunity for a bit of downtime for the
children whilst keeping them entertained.
Click here to download templates
EON
PASSP
ORT
Persephone
Top Tip
party bags
cHECK LIST
Children are often given party bags to take home with
them. The contents of these are different for everyone
but don’t feel pressurised into doing one as it is the
overall party experience that’s important.
Organising a children’s party can be stressful so we
have also included a list of things to remember to take
to the venue:
Buy plain bags as a cost effective way of creating party
bags. Use our Skylanders gift tag and label templates to
continue the theme.
The official Skylanders sticker book makes a great gift
alongside lots of other Skylanders merchandise available.
Other low cost creative gifts to put in the bags could be;
• Water bombs
A cake knife and candles
Blu-tack, scissors and cellotape to stick up any
decorations
Venue and entertainer’s details
Mobile phone to contact parents / pen and paper for
their number in case of an emergency
• Plant seeds / kits
• A magic trick
• Mini Frisbee
Top Tip
Download our Skylanders certificate as a fun gift
to include in your party bags. Personalise it with
the child’s name and party details. It’ll make the
children leave with a feeling of accomplishment
for all activities they’ve taken part in!
Click here to download templates
Rubbish bags
Camera and a designated friend to take the photos
Willing friends and relations to help (allocate them tasks!)
PRACTICAL TIPS
Thank you note
• Allow enough prep time to move furniture and for set
up – it always take longer than you think
Now the parties over, don’t forget to send out thank you
notes to those who brought your child a present. They’re
always well received and it’s your last time to show off
your fantastic Skylanders party. Download our template
below to continue the theme.
• Don’t let the children see the room until it’s ready. It’ll
make a great surprise and give you the space to work
• Put a sign or balloon outside the venue if it’s difficult
to find
• Set the party table to one side, away from the
children running around
• Have drinks available throughout the day but keep
the food off the table until tea time
• Suss out where the toilet is and whether there is a
coat rail
• If other parents or adults are attending, set up an area
with chairs near the nibbles but away from the action
Click here to download templates
Share the fun
To really show off how fantastic your party we would love
to see your photos from the day. Everything from the
cake to the entertainers can be shared through the official
Skylanders Twitter or Facebook pages. You could be lucky
enough to get your photo in the next party guide!
• Ensure there is no way the children can leave the
venue without being seen by an adult
tweet using hash tag #SkylandersParty
• Start the entertainment 15 minutes after
everyone’s arrived
upload your photo to your Facebook profile
and tag the official ‘Skylanders Game’ page.
• Allocate a present table
• If you have an entertainer, ensure they
get a break and some refreshments
For further information about Skylanders please visit
www.Skylanders.com
Now you’ve got everything you need to host the ultimate
Skylanders party, all that’s left to say is...
Top Tip
GOOD LUCK AND
don’t forget to
enjoy the party!
The ultimate guide to throwing a
magical Skylanders Giants party
In collaboration with professional children’s party planners