Today’s young children know little, if anything, about the 50’s- A great decade that gave us Elvis, The Comets, The Platters, The Drifters, and Bill Haley. Hula hoops were a hit and poodle skirts were the trend. Hamburger and a chocolate shake anyone?

What better way to teach your kids about the 50’s than by throwing them a 50’s sock hop? You’ll need some great invitations. You could visit a record store and buy some inexpensive old 45’s. Then decorate them with paper and other trappings, making sure to write the details of the party, the dress code, and the date and time.

For the dress code, you may want to ask the girls to come in poodle skirts. Costume supply stores online are a convenient place to find those. For the guys, how about leather jackets, sweater vests, or a bowling shirt?

One thing you can do to add extra fun, since it is a sock hop, is to let everyone know there will be a competition for prizes based on the most elaborate, the most unusual, and the flashiest socks worn to the party.

Ahead of time, buy your own Elvis wigs and Pink Beehive wigs and don your guests with them, as they arrive. You will be met with many giggles and happy faces. Who doesn’t want to wear a cool wig to a party anyway?

Finally, decorate with a juke box theme. You can find paper goods and inflatable instruments, for example, to decorate inexpensively. Or, consider the looks of a 50’s diner with red checkered table cloths, serving root beer floats and hamburgers with French fries. Regardless of what you serve, your kids will never forget their own 50’s sock hop.