5 Ideas For An Out-Of-This-World Party (Slideshow)

For a party that celebrates space, there is no better place than under the canvas of the sky. Make sure you gear up for a late night and invite guests to gaze into the great beyond by providing binoculars or these ambitious homemade telescopes. Be sure you check the forecast to see if it is a clear night — after all, it would be a shame if you missed a UFO sighting because of a few clouds.

To get into the spirit, normally we'd tell you to go all out and find some astronaut food to serve. But being that their options are mostly confined to nutrient-flavored paste, it might be a little tough to serve it, no matter how big of a space enthusiast you are. Instead, set up an astronaut station loaded with bowls of homemade dried fruits. You could make your own rocket ice cream cones and even wrap your hot dogs and hamburgers in foil to give it a space-age feel. 

If martians do in fact drink, we assume it would be something so mind-blowing that we can't even comprehend it. Here on Earth, a green cocktail will have to do if you want to go for an extraterrestrial theme. If you'd rather identify with an astronaut, Tang is their drink of choice. Try offering a blood orange cocktail that is perfect for a breezy night.

The natural starry sky is a tough backdrop to compete with, but you can completely nerd out on your tablescape! Think loud and green when planning your colors and get creative with the oddities. Using glassware and balloons, could create your own creepy specimen jars. Stick Area 51-style warning signs all over the yard, completing the look with draped yellow caution tape. Don't forget to invite guests to show up in their craziest get-ups and help them achieve ultimate weird by providing fun DIY costumes.

Aside from stargazing, be sure that you're ready with fun things to do that your crowd will get into. You can set up the guests with laser tag for a spacy experience that both kids and adults will love. Carnival-style games where the object is to capture the alien are a great way to keep it lighthearted and interactive. And if you want to keep the small ones busy, have them design their own non-launchable bottle rockets that will keep them occupied and add to the scene.