Here’s How to Host the Ultimate Nostalgic Bash at Home

Adulthood doesn't leave much time (or energy) for childlike play, and we just can't have that. Nobody grows up and thinks, "I want to have less fun than I had when I was younger." You and your friends deserve a day for your inner children to live out loud and have some carefree fun. If you're looking to host a party at home that delivers all the nostalgic vibes, we got you. We're taking a page out of this year's POPSUGAR Play/Ground playbook to give you a quick inspo checklist for your next big kid bash with adults in mind.

The competitive energy of children seems to sneak up on all of us when certain games come out. Low-risk games and activities will bring everyone together for a few giggles — and the same happened at Play/Ground, aka "the Great Day Off," hosted on June 2 in Los Angeles. Guests came together to make their own bath bombs with Lush Cosmetics, dyed fabrics shibori style, and created handmade collages. They even got to add colorful sparkles to their hair with Locks Hair Sparkles. It's giving "braiding each other's hair at a sleepover" energy, and we love that.

When you're going for a theme, you want to appeal to all the senses, and the right foods can put you in a time machine. You'll want to have nostalgic food and drinks that everyone can enjoy, including the one thing that all generations love: candy. For Play/Ground, SweeTARTS hosted its day-long activation, Sugar Rush, for guests to try signature treats. No matter if you loved SweeTARTS as a kid or enjoy while at your desk at work, SweeTARTS is perfect for the big kids at heart, which will make it a hit at your at-home bash. At Sugar Rush, candy lovers got to sample SweeTARTS Rope Bites, SweeTARTS Gummies Fruity Splitz, SweeTARTS Mini Chewy, SweeTARTS Chewy Fusions, and SweeTARTS Ropes in all the flavors we love, including Cherry Punch, Strawberry, and Twisted Rainbow. Give your guests some time and everyone will be hopped up on their own sugar rush!

The right song choices will truly set the tone for your festivities, so your music has to be full of bangers. Whatever songs had you dancing and jumping around at your eighth grade formal should be on your "Ultimate (Adult) Big Kid Bash" mixtape, erm, playlist. At Play/Ground, attendees got to see Chloë sing at an intimate performance, followed by a sit-down conversation with POPSUGAR editor Kelsey Garcia. Chloë shared the process of making her debut album, "In Pieces" and what her perfect day would look like — because girl talk on the playground at recess was absolutely a mood.

Even though we're channeling our inner children, we wouldn't be adults if we didn't indulge in a little self-care. Your get together will be the talk of the group chat if you include something to make everyone forget about their work week, like spa treatments or makeovers. The Beauty Bar at Play/Ground offered guests makeup and skincare testing stations, mini makeovers, and tutorials from professional makeup artists. There was even a wellness station where you could practice how to use a gua sha (the correct way) and try ear seeds.

Of course, a kid's party is nothing without a goodie bag, so if you have the funds, splurge on cute giveaways for your friends to go home with. Guests from Play/Ground left their perfect day with full-size self-care products, candy from SweeTARTS, and much more. So start daydreaming about your best days as a kid — you have a party to plan.