Thinking a glow party at home sounds super fun? Also known as a glo party, glow paint party, or neon party, this is one of those super fun trendy party themes for all ages. Whether you’re looking for glow party ideas for tweens, glow party ideas for adults or birthday parties, glowing teenage party ideas at home, or need glow in the dark party supplies, glowing neon food ideas, or glow games, we have something for you!
How To Throw A Glow Party At Home
How do you do a glow in the dark party?
- Choose a theme. Whether you want to celebrate a birthday, a glo Euphoria party, glowstick Halloween party, or a teen sleepover just because, commit to a party theme and stick with it!
- Make it dark. This is the most important part – turn off all the lights! You can even add black sheets or curtains over the windows to make sure no natural light sneaks in.
- Hold the glow party at night. The darker it is, the better your decorations will glow and the less you’ll have to fight to keep light out!
- Use the right glow party lights. You will need a variety of UV black lights throughout the room to make your glow party successful.
- Bring on the glow. Add some pizzazz to your party space with bright neon or pastel decorations. Use black lights to make white objects appear to glow as well as glow in the dark balloons, neon paint / fluorescent paint and more.
- Set the mood with music. Create a playlist of dance music to get everyone in the party mood. A dark, glowing party is a perfect setting to get everyone dancing.
- Serve up some glow-in-the-dark drinks. Make your party truly unique with neon cocktails or mocktails. *learn how in the post!
- Don’t forget the glowing food snacks! Glowing marshmallows, cupcakes, and popcorn are all great options to keep your guests satisfied.
- Make sure your guests know how to dress for a glow party. On the glow party invitations, give tips on neon body paint, glow lipstick / glow makeup, and what kinds of clothes to wear to a glow party.
- Buy glowsticks. And then buy more glow sticks, glow rings, glow glasses, glow necklaces and more.
- Relax and enjoy yourself! Throwing a glow party at home is a great way to let loose and have some fun. Just remember to relax and enjoy the experience!
Keep scrolling for the full glow in the dark party ideas! (They even work for glow party classroom ideas for kids, too!) Read on for glow in the dark party ideas DIY, including how do you throw a blacklight party outside!
Just in case this is the first time you’ve heard about neon glow parties you may be wondering what is a glow in the dark party?
What does a glow party mean?
A glow party (or neon party) is a party in a dark room or dark area outside. Party guests wear bright neon clothes, neon make-up, and neon face paint that glows in the dark under black lights. Guests are accessorized with variety of glow sticks and glow items and dance in the dark while glowing!
What are glow in the dark parties called?
Glow in dark parties are also called:
- Glo parties
- Glowstick parties (glow stick party)
- Black light party
- Glow in the dark party
- Neon parties
- Glow dance party
- Old School 80s Rave
- Rave dance parties
- Glow light party
Do you need a black light for a glow in the dark party?
Yes, you should have a black light for a glow in the dark party. Black lights make things glow (fluoresce) that don’t normally glow under regular lights. You can buy UV blacklights at most party stores or online.
SEE BLACK LIGHTS FOR PARTIES HERE
How do you make things glow in the dark without a blacklight?
You can have a glow party without UV black lights, but it won’t be as cool. Instead of neon glow paints or neon clothing that light up with black lights, you can use glow sticks, glow accessories (glow rings, glow necklaces, etc), and signs and objects painted with glow-in-the-dark paint that can be charged under lights and will still glow for a while in the dark.
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Best Glow Party Ideas: How Do I Set Up My Own Glow Party At Home?
Where To Have a Glow In The Dark Party
The best place to have a glow in the dark party is at home! Seal off a room with dark curtains / dark fabric and use blacklights to turn any room into a party room (be sure there’s room for a dance floor). With some creative decorating, you can make it look amazing for an at-home glow in the dark party (indoors our outside!)
Many party events spaces or entertainment centers offer glow parties to rent. Search glow parties near me or glow in the dark party places to find out more for your area if you want to host a glow party elsewhere.
Glow Party Decorations
- You’ll need multiple black lights all around the room, but also add some black light strobe lights like this
- Use glow in dark tape like this to create dance floor designs, words on the floor or walls, and signs
- Decorate with glow streamers like this for a fun, cool vibe
- Add color changing, blinking maracas for a lot of fun on the dance floor
- Have black light face paint and a mirror available for guests who want to get crazy
- Add in neon balloons and also light up balloons!
- Use fluorescent highlighter pens to make signs on white board or black poster board (they’ll glow in the dark!)
- Mini glow sticks, light up glow bugs (great for glow stick Halloween!), and LED fidget tubes all make fun table decorations that guests can also play with
- Offer light up accessories (like this pack) and also
- Use stick on glow stars like these around the room and on the ceiling and floor
- Decorate with light up balloons like these (SUPER cool party idea!)
- Get a neon photo backdrop for selfies, TikTok videos and more (be sure to grab these glow photo props)
CHECK THIS OUT: I LOVE this glow party pack!
What food will glow in the dark?
You definitely want to give some thought to your uv party food and glow party drinks so you can stick with the glo party theme! There are some foods that will glow different colors under UV lights.
Try these neon food ideas and candy that glows under black light:
- Neon gummy worms or gummy bears
- Bright colored or white marshmallows
- Cupcakes iced with white frosting (use neon cupcake toppers to make them really pop!)
- White candy melts / White chocolate chips
- Pink and Green Pop Rocks
- Pink Cotton candy
- Sprite or Mountain Dew
- Tonic water (will glow bright blue!)
White foods like rice, pasta, milk, potato chips, etc. will almost always reflect back blue or purple.
Try your neon food ideas out before the party (hold them under a black light in a dark room) to help plan your party table!
How To Make Glow In The Dark Treats
- Serve drinks in light up cups like these
- Use light up ice cubes for a punch bowl and glow party drinks
- Jell-O shots in glow cups
- Glow in the dark cotton candy using a cotton candy machine and these
- Glow in the dark lollipops
- Glow in the dark cake pops or cupcakes toppers (I love these Happy Birthday ones and also these for non- birthday parties)
- Place party foods on white doilies to “glow” under black lights
Also grab these glow in the dark food utensils.
What should I wear to a glow party?
What to wear to a glow party:
- White
- Neon green / yellow shirts
- Fluorescent tutus
- Light up bow tie
- Glow in dark body glitter
- LED light up hair scrunchies
- Light up hair extensions
- Neon fishnet gloves
- Alien glow headbands
- Tall neon socks
- Retro neon hat
What colors glow in a glow party?
- White
- Fluorescent orange
- Green
- Yellow
- Pink
- Some purples (but not usually)
Be sure to test out your outfits before you go! Some colors will / will not glow based on the underlying thread colors.
FUN FACT: If you get really sweaty while dancing, your sweat might glow under black light!
What should you not wear under a blacklight?
- Just black (unless you want to hide, it won’t show up)
- Red
- Blue
- Anything covered in lint
- See-through shirt with a white bra (your white bra will glow)
- Pet hair shows up A LOT (I know by personal experience), so get those lint rollers out before the party glow!
What do you do at a glow in the dark party?
Some of these are good for indoor glowing parties and some are great glow in the dark party ideas outside.
What do kids do at a glow party?
- Have a glow dance party with glow sticks and high-energy dance music
- Compete in giant light-up Jenga (super fun for glow in the dark party games!)
- Play light up cornhole
- Have a neon temporary tattoo station
- Play light-up ball games
- Set up glow bowling and compete in teams
- Play glowing cup Pong
- Play glow in the dark football
- Play glow basketball
- Have a glow battle
- Compete in glowing ring toss
- Play glow Frisbee
- Play glow in the dark capture the flag
- Play glow Bocce
- Have fun with light up jump ropes or glowing hula hoops
How do you throw a glow party outside?
Can you have a glow party outside?
Yes, with a little planning you can have an outdoor glow party. Set up your neon glow party away from street lights and outdoor house lights and use light up accessories (like flashing rings, flashing glasses, etc) to provide more light.
How do you throw a glow in the dark party outside?
All you need are black lights, neon body paint, and some fun glow in the dark accessories. Then, set up a blacklight station in your backyard and have a blast!
1. Choose the right location.
When it comes to throwing a glow in the dark party, the location is key. You’ll want to find a spot that’s dark enough so that the lights will really stand out, but not so dark that your guests will have trouble finding their way around.
2. Have the party at night and away from lights.
You want a dark area in your yard and away from any street lights, porch lights, or city lights, if possible.
3. Use lighting so no one gets hurt.
When having the party at night, make sure that there is enough light so guests can see where they’re going.
Light paths with glow sticks and put low level lights on drink tables and food tables so people can see what they’re doing.
If you’re having a children’s party outside glowing party, give them small flashlights.
4. Create a separate black light dance party tent.
If you’re in an area that isn’t completely dark (or you want to separate the hang out and eating area from the dancing area), use a black canopy tent with sides to create your glow area.
You can add the neon decorations, string black lights, LED string blacklights, and strobe lights and make this the designated glow dance area.
ALSO CHECK OUT THIS FUN PARTY THEME: WHAT IS A SILENT DISCO?
Have fun with your glow in the dark theme party!
