Now that summer has arrived, you’ll want to make the most of the warm weather to enjoy your backyard pool. Having friends over for a weekend party is part of the fun.
If you’re looking for ideas for hosting a themed event, try these pool party ideas for summertime fun. Always have extra sunscreen, beach towels and sunglasses on hand for guests who may forget to bring these necessities.
Hawaiian Luau
The Hawaiian Luau never loses its appeal as a party theme. Invite your guests to wear bright, flowered clothing.
Decorations:
Decorations are easy and affordable. Check your local dollar store to find many of the decorations you’ll want to have, including:
- Tiki torches
- Leis (one to each guest upon arrival)
- Floral hair clips for the ladies
- Artificial tropical flowers
- Grass skirts (use to trim refreshment table)
- Bags of colourful flower petals to scatter across tables
- Bamboo stalks
Food: Serve pineapple chicken or ham or host an authentic pig roast.
Party Favours: Send guests home with something to remember the evening by, such as a plastic Tiki glass filled with sweets.
Movie Night
Host an outdoor movie night by floating inflatable lounge chairs and rafts in the pool for guests to sit on to watch a show. Move your big-screen TV outdoors or rent a projector for the evening. You can project a movie on the side of your house, if it’s light-coloured or hang a white sheet to serve as a movie screen.
For adults, screen a favourite classic movie like Alfred Hitchcock’s “Life Boat” or show “Jaws” or “Titanic.” For a kid’s party “The Little Mermaid” or “Finding Nemo” would be good choices.
Decorations: Add swim fins, inflatable or otherwise, in and around the pool to enhance the mood for “Finding Nemo.” For “Titanic” or “Lifeboat”, decorate inflatable pool rings to look like life preservers by using red duct tape and adding a length of rope to each one. Start your search for appropriate inflatable pool toys at the dollar store.
Food: Set up a concession stand and serve pop, water, boxed candy, bags of potato chips and popcorn. Fire up the barbecue so you can also offer guests hot dogs served in paper sleeves.
Party Favours: Pack wrapped candy inside a lidded plastic take-out cup with straw.
Beach Party
Throw a backyard beach party around your pool.
Decorations: Fill a plastic wading pool with sand and provide plastic pails with shovels and other beach toys for the kids to play with. Hang fish nets, adorned with a few seashells around the yard and decorate tables with seashells and small pieces of driftwood.
Use inexpensive beach towels as chair covers and tablecloths. Float sail boats and other sea-worthy craft in the pool.
Food: Serve classic boardwalk food like grilled hot dogs, hamburgers, corn on the cob, French fries, popcorn and ice cream cones. Use Frisbees as trays to serve drinks and snacks.
Party Favours: Let the kids choose an inflatable beach ball or a Frisbees to take home and offer older guests a pair of colourful flip-flops.