Figure out what you want to do at a sock hop.
Even if you are too young to remember the music, styles and stars of the 1950s, you can still enjoy a 1950s style sock hop. Some ideas remain too popular to completely die out, and certain music and performers have endured decades of change. The movie "Grease" and its many stage and screen offspring have proven that the era intrigues audiences even 60 years later. Host your own sock hop and relive your memories or those of the generations before you.
Costumes Contest
Hairstyles and clothing from the 1950s are interesting and different enough to form the basis of a costume contest. Girls can find or make their poodle skirts with lots of swirl. Pedal pushers with pink scarves, tight sweaters and big hair are other styles of the era. Boys can slip into V-neck knit vests with white T-shirts and shiny blue and white shoes, while slicking their hair back to emulate music stars from the beginnings of rock and roll. Break out white socks and tight high-water slacks for more male style options.
Elvis Impersonation
The boys at a sock hop may be tempted to dress like '50s icon Elvis Presley, or even to sing like him. Host an Elvis Impersonator talent show where contestants can dress in striped jail shirts and swivel their hips along to "Jailhouse Rock." They can croon "Love Me Tender" while the girls pretend to swoon. Because it's a 1950s sock hop, contestants should stick to Elvis songs and styles from that era and not be tempted to wear tassels or rhinestones. Use the music of Elvis and others to host a dance marathon. A 1950s tribute band can play songs such as "Rock around the Clock" or hire a jukebox.
1950s Games
Some familiar items from 1950s movies and memories include bubble gum, hula hoops and soda fountains. Hold a bubble gum blowing contest. Break out the hula hoops and see who can spin them on their hips the longest. Create a soda fountain or soda shop serving root beer floats in tall glasses, with the option to create your own. Try different flavors of ice cream and pop, then add sauces and sprinkles. Play "Name that Tune" or a trivia game where players name items from a 1950s grocery basket and try to give them a price. Top the whole event off with a balloon drop. For an authentic feel, offer prizes such as a yo-yo or a Slinky.
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