31 Festive 1960s Party Ideas

1960s events such as civil rights protests, the Hippie Movement, and anti-war protests symbolized an era that changed America as we know it today. If you're planning to throw a party that takes you back to the Summer of Love make sure to have the perfect 1960s party ideas. Here are 25 tips for your next groovy 60’s party! Not only do we have your 1960s theme party needs covered but we can also help you in other ways. We have a budget worksheet that can help you stay within your budget as you plan your party as well as other blogs that suggest other adult birthday party ideas!

1960s Party Ideas: Decorations

1. Psychedelic Lights

Go from modern-day to the sixties by changing your light bulbs. Vintage LED Night lights that project peace signs are a great choice too! Don’t forget plenty of lava lamps placed around the room to light up your space with a 60’s flair.

2. Bean Bags

Embrace the mellow atmosphere of the sixties by using large bean bag chairs or pillows instead of traditional seating. These can be decorated with tie-dye designs for a greater psychedelic feel.

3. Artistic Posters

The 1960s has its own unique popular cultures and art styles. Use posters of popular 1960s bands or musicians like The Beatles, Janis Joplin, and Bob Dylan to immerse your guests in the decade. Or create your own posters by printing the symbols and phrases in bubble font onto brightly colored pieces of cardstock.

4. Bead Curtains

A great way to match the 1960s decorating style is to add a bead curtain. Bead curtains were a big fad in the sixties and there are currently many different styles to choose from in all kinds of colors and patterns. A popular choice for 1960s party decorations is a peace sign bead curtain. Hang several of these supplies up in your doorways for an authentic 1960s feel when the guest comes in.

5. Peace and Love Groove Backdrop

Peace and Love symbols is part of the 60s themed party, so have a great backdrop where all your guests can take pictures and remember this 1960's party forever.

1960's Party Ideas: Favors

6. 1960's goody bags

Purchase some gorgeous 1960s groovy party favor boxes and fill them with popular items from the 1960's. Below we have some ideas, you can include in your 1960's goody bags.

7. Hippie Theme Party Stickers

A good idea is to put Hippie Theme Stickers in the goody bags because it matches your hippie themed party perfectly. Also, it is a great way to decorate anything by putting stickers on it.

8. Water bottle with a 1960s decorative straw

If you want some different pieces include in your 1960s goody bags. here is a good idea. Include a water bottle with a 1960s decorative straw

9. Beistle

All 1960s themed parties need a beistle! You can fill this beistle with some candy, stickers, or anything that represent the 1960's theme. The beistle offers a lot of different ideas for whatever you want to put in it.

10. Peace Sign Necklaces

Another idea for the goody bags are putting peace sign necklace in the bag because peace sign was a popular trend in the 1960's.

1960s Party Ideas: Food

11. Space Drinks

Tang became very popular in the 1960s when Gemini was launched into space. Make sure you have plenty of Tang in a variety of flavors at your 60 party.

12. Natural Foods

The hippies of the ’60s inspired a natural foods movement. Celebrate this movement by serving natural foods at your party. A good natural snack idea is granola or bite-sized pieces of granola bars. A natural entrée could be veggie burgers served on whole-grain hamburger buns.

13. Cookies or Cupcakes

You can also serve modern food decorated to fit your 60’s theme. You can frost round sugar cookies or cupcakes with peace signs or smiley faces.

14. Cocktail Foods

Cocktail parties were popular during the ’60s, so serve up some 1960s cocktail party-style foods! 1960s party food and hors d’oeuvres, such as caviar, pates, and cheese-spread balls with crackers are good cocktail foods. Canapés, a small piece of toast topped with cream cheese and salmon, are a great option as well. If it’s a 1960s theme party for adults, you can include 60’s favorites like Tom Collins, Daiquiris, Manhattans, Bloody Mary’s, and martinis.

15. Sixties Desserts

Fondue is another popular item from the ’60s. For dessert, make a pot of chocolate fondue and serve it with plenty of dipping foods like bananas, strawberries, marshmallows, and pretzels.

16. Foods from the 1960s

Serve plenty of foods that originated in the sixties and be sure to label each with the date they were introduced. For example, soda began to be sold in aluminum cans in 1960 while toaster pastries originated in 1964. Granny smith apples appeared in 1960 and canned cheese in 1966.

1960s Party Ideas: Activities

17. Pet Rocks

Allow your guests to be a part of the pet rock fad of the sixties. Purchase or find smooth rocks and scrub them well before your party. Then, set up a table with the rocks, different colors of paint, googly eyes, Sharpies to draw on faces, yarn to create hair, pom-poms to create tails, miniature glasses, miniature hats, and anything else you might want for your pet rock station. Don’t forget plenty of glue!

18. Dance

Make sure you have room for a dance floor at your 60’s theme party. You can hire a 1960s dance instructor to teach your guests classic 60’s dance moves like The Ska, The Mashed Potato, The Monkey, and The Tighten Up. Then, have a dance contest to determine who has the best sixties dance moves!

19. Tie-Dying

Tie-dyed clothing is an iconic part of the ’60s. Let your guests make their own by supplying them with white T-shirts, bags, socks, headbands or handkerchiefs, rubber bands, and several buckets full of different colors of dye. This is just one example of the many creative 1960s activities.

20. Face Painting

Embrace the sixties activities and culture by having a face painting station with symbols like the peace sign, flowers, and happy faces. You can purchase face-painting kits with 60’s-theme stencils. You can also purchase Hippie temporary tattoos so that your guests can be psychedelic from their heads to their toes!

21. Name that 60's tunes

Allow your guest to get in a group and someone play different songs that were popular in the 1960s and the first group to say the correct song title and artist/group wins the point for their team.

1960s Party Ideas: Party Supplies

22. Table Décor

Use brightly colored or tie-dyed tablecloths. You can decorate them in 60’s theme stickers like flowers, smiley faces, or peace signs. Use tie-dyed bandannas as napkins or placemats to add flavor to your 1960s party theme.

23. Hippie Glasses and Headband

Glasses and headband is another popular trend from the '60s. When guests come in, they can grab a pair of glasses or headband.

24. Hippie Décoration Plates

A great way to invoke the 60's even more is to have love and peace sign symbols on the plates. Or you can get tie-dyed plates and it will match with the 1960's theme.

25. Hippie Décoration Napkins

Peace sign symbols was a big deal in the 1960's, so have peace sign symbols on napkins, would go with the 1960's theme party.

26. Cupcake Toppers

You can put different cupcake toppers in the cupcakes to decorate them in the 1960's theme.

1960s Party Ideas: Invitations

27. Tie Dye

Tie Dye invitations would be a good idea to do because it goes with the 1960's theme and it could be wonderful way to inform your guests about your incoming 1960's theme party.

28. Scent

A great way to invoke the 60’s is through your guests’ sense of smell. Dab your invitations with patchouli oil or bake a loaf of bread while making your invitations so that they absorb the smell. You can also burn incense while making your invitations.

29. Artistic

Your paper choice can make a big difference in the texture of your invitations. Handmade, artsy paper or plain paper bags are all good options for sixties parties. Use fluorescent paint, markers, or crayons to draw 60’s style flowers, sunshine, and birds onto your paper choice.

30. Peace Sign

Here is a cute invitation that you can get on Amazon and it can be shipped to your house quickly.

31. 60’s Lingo

Use stereotypical 60’s phrases to word your invites. For example, when referring to your guests call them “cats” and say that your party will be “gas.” Other 1960’s words include “groovy,” “hang loose,” “outta sight” and “stoked.”

1960s Party Ideas: Conclusion

Doing a throwback theme party is always a great idea since all you really need is a fun group of friends! We hope this list of 1960’s party ideas has inspired you to make your own fabulous party! Make sure to visit our site for other resources that will definitely help your party planning go by like a breeze! We have other blogs just like this that help you with gift ideas, other theme party and birthday party ideas, and so much more.

Written by Jessica Bundy; Contributors: Yi Yang, Anna Fournaris, Stacie Lowe, Jack Leduc, Rohan Chiramel and Tianna Hall