An Out of this World Solar Eclipse Party – Easy & Inexpensive Ideas

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Are you gearing up for the upcoming solar eclipse? If you’re hosting a party or gathering to celebrate this amazing celestial event, there are a ton of fun activities you can do before the main event! Check out our mini party full of budget friendly and low prep ideas that we held a few days before the big day!

DECORATIONS

Any easy & affordable way to set up the party area for a space theme is to set up some starry or outer space plastic table covers as backdrops! While it doesn’t look like there’s a link for the one we used, here are a few that would work as well: Space Party Plastic Tablecloths, Starry Night Constellation Plastic Tablecloth Roll, Starry Night Galaxy Plastic Table Cover). If you have any Glow in the Dark Moon and Stars, spread those around for a cosmic experience!

Also, since a solar eclipse is naturally a science-themed party, if you have any eclipse or space themed books and posters, spread them around the party area for some fun & learning!

THE PHOTO AREA

Photo backdrops are a great way of setting a theme and double as a nice and easy activity! Pick a backdrop that functions as decorative, add a few props to the scene and you’ve got a great place to hang out!

With the walls decorated with a few starry plastic table cover backdrops, the entire party area is a perfect photo area! You could always set out some Space Photo Stick Props or Out of This World Space Props, but we opted for a few simple props to hit the ‘eclipse’ theme home. We used two poster boards – one yellow, one black – and cut out two large circles (with the yellow one being slightly larger). Then we let kids show various stages of the eclipse with one holding the “sun” (yellow circle) and the other holding the “moon” (black circle). Fun & educational 😉

Note, you don’t have to go all out with a photo backdrop stand either. Grab a few pieces of tape and an empty wall & you’re all set!

THE TABLE

While you can definitely purchase a few space themed plates, there aren’t many that scream ‘Eclipse Day’! So, we opted for a few basic colors (yellow & black) and some very simple table decorations to create a table with definite solar eclipse vibes!

While many of us aren’t in the path of totality, we can all still appreciate how awesome a total eclipse would look! For each table setting, we set out a yellow paper plate and placed a smaller black paper plate on top of it – full solar eclipse! We also set out some ISO certified eclipse glasses for everyone (Note: if you are observing the eclipse, make sure you have certified glasses. Don’t look directly at the sun!)

In the center of our table, we created a simple, but effective, paper simulation of the eclipse movement using colored construction paper. The images looked great on the black table cover AND helped everyone visualize the movement of the moon covering the sun!!!

And lastly, we spread out some mini gold confetti stars to complete the look!

PARTY FOOD

No party is complete without some party food! You can always serve some typical (or fancier) party food, but you can also keep in theme with a few clever labels or snacks 🙂

Star or Moon Shaped Sandwiches
Star and/or Moon Shaped Cheese and Crackers
Sun Chips
Moon Pies
Oreos (for the Moon Phases) or Oreo Space Dunks
Cosmic Brownies

ACTIVITY TABLE(S)

If you have some time before the actual eclipse, a few eclipse themed activities can add some extra fun to the day! Note: the first few may require some help from grown ups to ensure they’re created and used properly!

Eclipse Cameras: In order to view the eclipse, you should have some certified glasses; however, if you weren’t able to pick them up you can create an eclipse camera: JPL has some great steps on how to create a simple one with just a few supplies that you likely already have at home: How to Make a Pinhole Camera!
Pinhole Projectors: If you don’t have glasses and still want to be able to see the eclipse, you can create a pinhole projector! NASA has a very easy to follow video to create a simple projector: How to Make a Box Pinhole Projector Video.
Coloring Pages: Easy Drawing Guides has a coloring page that clearly shows the positions of the sun, Earth, and moon. It’s a great way to illustrate how the sun is covered by the moon while allowing kids to create their own color schemes!
Eclipse Paper Craft: This simple craft is great for younger ones just learning to cut and glue! For a more challenging or intricate craft, use paint or colored pencils to create a more realistic looking moon!

And these are more space-themed than eclipse but still work great as some quick & easy activities:

Make Your Own Planet Sticker Games: These are cute, cartoonish stickers where kids can decorate the sun, moon, or planets with some eyes and other features!
DIY Giant Sticker Scenes: This giant sticker scene lets kids add the planets to the outer space scene!

GIVEAWAYS AND GOODIE BAGS

What’s a party without a few giveaways 🙂 In addition to any crafts they made, a few themed items would be nice to add into a goodie bag:

Solar System Stickers
Outer Space Notepads
Solar Eclipse Glasses

THANK YOU!!!

Thank you so much for checking out our party planning article. Hopefully it gave you some great ideas for your next celebration!

If you did enjoy this, please let us know below or follow us on Pinterest. Also, If you haven’t already and are still looking for that perfect party theme, feel free to check out some of our other Outer Space Ideas or Party Guides!

Happy Party Planning! 🙂