Welcome to Part 2 of my 12 Super Mario Inspired Party Ideas! (Part 1 includes ideas like drinks, table design, Luigi’s “Power Up Pizza Station”, and more. Click here to check it out.)

Super Mario Inspired Party Ideas: 7 – 12

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#7. DIY Photo Booth Fun

Photo booths are a great way to get creative at your party! For this one, I used a cloud-print shower curtain as the backdrop. Next, I wrapped 12″ and 10″ square cardboard boxes in solid yellow and brick-print paper to create giant blocks. It’s definitely a little time-consuming to wrap a bunch of oversize boxes, but the big impact they make is worth it! For an extra element of fun, I added some DIY Super Mushrooms and race car-inspired details here.

Want to add an extra *pop* of creativity to your photo booth? Here’s a fun idea: group small white balloons together to form 3D “clouds”, then use fishing wire to attach them to the top.

Photo booth props (character hats, wigs, etc.) were arranged on a mini rolling cart.  You can download the “Strike a Pose” photo booth sign over on play.nintendo.com.

I also stuck Mario and Luigi favor mustaches all over the prop cart. This was a fun way to display the “party ‘staches”. 😉 The mustaches have a paper backing on them, and I stuck adhesive dots to these backings to attach them to the cart.

Here’s a closer look at one of the DIY mushrooms. This one is inspired by Toad! (For info on how to make these, see the Mushroom Kingdom table section in Part 1.)

These Mario face masks were cracking people up throughout the entire party. Costumes definitely makes things more fun!

#8. Video Game Play

When your party’s inspired by video games, it’s only fitting to have video games as one of the activities! The kids had lots of fun with our Nintendo Switch™ system and used it outside most of the time.

Sometimes the kids took turns watching each other and learning tips from other guests that were really good. Most of the time, though, they played in tabletop mode outside, with multiple players. (You can dock the Nintendo Switch™ to play on your tv, or you can use it remotely and play it in tabletop or handheld mode.)

There are tons of fun games available, but for this party we stuck with 4 that felt especially appropriate for the theme: Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe, Super Smash Bros.™ Ultimate, Yoshi’s Crafted World™, and Super Mario Party™ (of course!).

Note: Additional accessories may be required for multiplayer mode. Games, system and some accessories sold separately.

#9. Game Inspired Crafts & Activities

Warp Pipes Bean Bag Toss
You can also get creative with your party activities by taking classic games and modifying them to match your theme. For example, a regular bean bag toss becomes a “Warp Pipes Bean Bag Toss” when you use green “pipes” to catch the bags! These “pipes” are actually large utility buckets (from Home Depot) spray painted green. I added a couple removable Super Mario Wall Decals to decorate them.

Yoshi Egg Decorating
Wooden eggs + markers, stickers, and rhinestones = a fun craft activity for the kids! Coming up with their own “Yoshi Egg” designs definitely kept them busy for a while. The gold paper crown were a cute nod to Princess Peach. 👑 Some of the kids used the craft rhinestones to decorate their crowns, too!

Toad’s Toy Chest
Bubbles and outdoor play items are always a hit at outdoor parties with younger kids. I designed this “Toad’s Toy Chest” sign to be used in a variety of ways… for game prizes, party favors, a station with free-play toys, etc.  It looked cute next to colorful bubble wands here, but there are so many ways to put your own creative spin on this one!

P.S. Download the games signs for all of these activites over at play.nintendo.com!

#10. Plush Toys, Figures & Printables

Plush Toys & Figures
I’ve always been a fan of using toys as “decorations” for a character inspired party for 3 main reasons:

1. You can be sure you’re getting the best versions of your character(s).
2. The decorations double as keepsakes – and actual play items – long after the party is over. So, you get more bang for your buck than you would with disposable decor. 🎉
3. You can pair them with patterns and party supplies that fit your personal style to create a look you really love! (as opposed to matching a pre-set themed look)

Party Printables
Printables are my other go-to for customizing a party your way, of course! 😊 They add instant personality to ANY party design, especially when character quotes and playful puns are involved.

My Super Mario printable collection is available to you – for FREE!  🙌  It was pretty awesome to be able to use official character artwork from Nintendo in this printable collection! You can even edit the text on the Banner and Tent Cards yourself – using my online customizer. Click here to check them out.

#11. Mini Balloon Magic Vines

These “Magic Vines” are super easy to put together and make such a big impact! I used 5″ balloons and a 36″ wooden dowel rod (available at craft stores) to make them. Fill your base container with floral foam, then insert the dowel. This is a great time to paint the dowel green, since you’ll have access to all sides and can let it dry in this position.

You’ll need a balloon hand pump to blow up the 5″ balloons since they’re so small. Trust me, your lungs will thank you! ;) Tie the balloons off as usual.

When you’re ready to put the balloons on the dowel rod, just act like you’re going to tie the balloon tail a second time. However, don’t release the knot this time until you’ve slid it over and down the dowel. Start by placing balloons at the bottom and work upwards, until the entire “vine” is filled with balloon “leaves”.

#12. Super Yum! (Creative Desserts)

Professional cakes are awesome when budget allows, but they are usually SUPER expensive too (pun intended). I did a client party last month where a relatively simple cake for 50 people was billed out at $450 by a pro.

My favorite way to make homemade cakes look great is to keep the cake design simple & modern, then get creative with the cake topper! Fortunately, you don’t have to be a pro decorator to make the topper look good. 🙌

This cake topper is a World of Nintendo Mario figure + mini balloons and party straws. It coordinates well with the rest of the party design and only takes a few minutes to put together! I taped bamboo skewer to the back of the Mario figure to help secure him. The cake is made from 2 boxed cake mixes (4 layers inside) to create a nice height.  I used white melting candy wafers for the decorative border at the bottom.

Last but not least… ice cream floats!

Or “Peach’s Power Floats” to be exact. These are simply soda floats made with vanilla ice cream and colorful sprinkles, but they look extra fun served in rhinestone-adorned cups. ✨

I used orange and strawberry soda to match the party colors, but you can use whatever flavors you like. A lighter pink strawberry or peach-flavored float would be very fitting for Princess Peach as well. Also – this is one of those ideas that works well on its own. Even if you’re not having a big Super Mario party, you can whip up this treat for a special family game night or playdate!

That’s a wrap for Part 2! Hope you found some ideas here to help POWER-UP your next Super Mario inspired party. 😉 For more Nintendo inspired ideas and information, visit play.nintendo.com.

This project is sponsored and approved by Nintendo. As always, all thoughts, designs, and opinions are my own! Thank you for supporting the companies that make it possible to keep the creative content coming your way. 💛