Ideas for a Medieval Party

Medieval time periods evoke the imagery and fantasy of castles, dragons, queens and kings. From medieval games to decorations, you can get a party started with an element of mystique that allows guests to learn about the time period with hands-on activities and crafts they can take home as party favors. Does this Spark an idea?

Medieval Party Village

You can also check with warehouses for large boxes being discarded.

Turn your living room into a medieval village with simple structures you can make from appliance boxes. Check with your local home improvement center for appliance boxes they no longer need. Get creative and turn several boxes into mini castle "booths" where party guests can play games. For example, a refrigerator box painted in gray and outlined with a stone pattern featuring one "missing" stone can be used as the booth for a game of "Pin the Missing Stone on the Castle." Take turns blindfolding party guests and see who can put the missing stone in place.

Use an oven box to play a game of ring the bottle. Paint the box to look like the wooden planks of a drawbridge and line three bottles of sports drinks or fruit drinks across the top of the "bridge." Make cardboard rings for guests to toss onto the bottles. Each time someone rings all three bottles, they get to choose one to keep.

King Arthur

Bring the knights to the round table with a King Arthur birthday theme. Use a round kitchen table to gather guests for cake and ice cream. Serve a cake in the shape of King Arthur's sword and put the ice cream in small bowls with chocolate bars laid across the top to represent drawbridges.

This is an ideal party for younger kids who might be very interested in the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere.

Draw a treasure map for guests to hunt for the Holy Grail and make it a prize for the winner to take home. For example, you can purchase a large challis cup and fill it with candy or medieval tokens such as novelty coins. Hide it somewhere in your house and let the party guests convene at the round table to discuss where the challis might be located.

Ladies In Waiting

A notion of wizardry, such as a sparkly wand, adds an element of medieval fantasy.

For an all-girls party, let the birthday girl be the queen of the castle. Rent or create your own costumes for the queen and her ladies in waiting, the guests. Little girls often enjoy spending hours playing dress-up and you can turn accessories from the outfits into party favors for guests to take home. For example, netting or tulle is very inexpensive and comes in many colors from the fabric store. You can make medieval traditional cone hats called henins from cardboard and attach tulle streamers that flow to the floor. Or, you may also set up a large table where girls can decorate their own hats using glitter and markers.

Another hands-on activity for a medieval-themed party is braiding girls hair in authentic medieval styles. Research simple styles from the 15th century and provide a selection of ribbons for girls to choose from. Let guests take home extra ribbons as party favors.

For both activities, let the birthday girl have first dibs on color and fabric choices. Have her ladies in waiting help with her hat and hair and offer a prize such as a crown or wreath of flowers to the most attentive lady in waiting.

Dragon Tails

Fill a dragon-shaped pinata with candy for added excitement.

Invite both boys and girls to a dragon party where they can create their own take-home papier mache dragon tails. You'll need white glue, water and plenty of torn newspaper strips. This party is ideally a slumber party so children can create their dragon tails and let them dry overnight before painting. Create individual cardboard templates for party guests to use as they shape the dragon tails.

Provide brightly colored watercolors or water-based craft paints and encourage party guests to create a masterpiece as you read them stories about the legends of dragons during medieval times.