The sun is shining, and we’re all excited to get outside and enjoy the warm weather. One of my favorite activities in the summer is visiting one of the outdoor pools or splash pads around the city. It’s a great way to keep cool while enjoying the summer weather. Pool parties can be a great party theme for all ages. It’s a theme that teens still love, but it’s fun for the younger kids too. My son’s first birthday party was held at a pool, and all of the parents were invited to go swimming with the kids too. A pool party goes with all sorts of water-themed parties like a Shark Party, Mermaid Party, Beach Party and more! For this party, I mixed in a few different pieces to help your party brainstorming.
Setting the scene
You’ll find plenty of inexpensive decorating ideas at your local dollar store or party store like:
For a summer-themed party, you’ll probably want to stick with bright colors like yellow, light pink or even bright neon. Depending on your budget and the time of day you’re hosting your party, you may want to purchase outdoor party lights and paper lanterns too.
If you’re hosting a pool party at home, you’re free to decorate any way you’d like! If you’re hosting a party at a public pool, you’ll want to check their rules for decorations and food. Some public pools will have a separate party room you could rent for your food and decorations, while outdoor pools may limit you to picnic-style lunches, plastic bottles or their own concession stand. Before you get too far into party planning, make sure you check the rules for wherever you’ll be hosting your party.
Pool party food
Playing in the pool is sure to leave your guests hungry, so you’ll want a few snacks set out for your party guests. For a pool party at home, you could serve traditional BBQ foods like hamburgers, hot dogs and pasta salads. For a public outdoor pool party, you may be limited to a picnic-style lunch. If your party is being held outside, make sure you have a place to keep all the food cool.
Some fun ideas for pool party food include:
Pool party games
One of the great things about a pool party is that you don’t really have to plan any games for the kids - swimming is already a fun activity that your guests will enjoy!
But if you want to plan a few games, here are a few to keep the guests entertained and laughing:
Synchronized Swimming. Split your guests into teams and have them make up their own synchronized swim routine to music, and then have them perform for the other teams.
Beach Volleyball. With or without sand, you can set up a net for a beach ball volleyball game.
You could also just set out a variety of water toys for the kids and let them make up their own games. It’s always fun to see what creative ideas they come up with!
Pool party favors
There are so many fun and useful ideas for pool party favors:
I hope your next party is filled with laughter, special memories and lots of cake!
The Pool Party printables featured are available as a free download from Moms & Munchkins. Visit this post to see how you can grab these printables for free: momsandmunchkins.ca/2013/07/29/free-pool-party-printables.
Cheryl is a married mother of one. She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with a strong interest in parties and event planning. She is the owner and writer for Moms & Munchkins, momsandmunchkins.ca, which is filled with ideas for family fun, activities for kids, party ideas, party planning tips, holiday fun, moms’ night out ideas and more.
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