Summer is still on, and that means one thing: time to beat the heat and treat yourself and your friends to an absolutely fantastic pool party! There is something special about gathering with your buddies at the pool and basking in the sunshine and letting your cares just float away. But just having a pool is not enough. In order for your pool party to be a major splash, there are some great tips and tricks to take your summer shindig from a belly flop to a total cannonball. Grab your floats and take some notes!
The Best Decor for the Outdoors
You may have your pool nice and sparkling clean, but it still seems to be lacking a little shine. Not to worry; you can spice up your pool patio with fun outdoor decorations that fit any theme. Some classic pool party looks include:
- Hawaiian luau – Everyone loves a luau! Transform your backyard into a tropical landscape. You can buy tiki torches to light up the night, tropical flowers for a splash of color (hot tip: get artificial flowers that you can store and use year after year), and coconut cups for guests to use when sipping their fruity drink of choice. Offer blended drinks in a variety of Hawaiian flavors, and make sure that everyone gets lei’d!
- Patriotic party – Some of the best American patriotic holidays fall during the ideal swimming months: Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day. Stock up on red, white, and blue streamers and serving plates. Hang your best American flags around the pool or position them on the snacks table. Be sure to stock up on fireworks and sparklers (and always get clearance with your neighbors before firing them off to make sure everyone in the neighborhood is having a good time).
- Birthday bash – Show a loved one a cool time with a birthday pool party. Grab a specialty designed cake from a local bakery decorated with fun summer themes, or go with individual cupcakes that are easy to carry and eat poolside. Any birthday guy or gal will be thrilled if you rent a special pool add-on, like a slide or bouncy house.
Sipping, Snacking, and Swimming
They say you should wait twenty minutes after you eat before taking a dip, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a great variety of dips, chips, and sips at the ready for your guests. Think about setting up drinks and snacks that are easy to handle and clean up around your pool. Keeping it light will keep the mess down and encourage more fun in the sun!
What to Drink
This isn’t your kindergarten pool party with nothing but orange soda (though it is delicious!). There are lots of great beverage options for pool party fans of all ages in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic varieties.
Try some exotic drinks from other countries. For example, the kombucha lovers in your crowd will surely enjoy a summery fermented beverage like Tepache. Tepache is a traditional fermented Mexican beverage that is similar to kombucha but with some distinct differences. Tepache is known for being made from pineapples, and its sweetness comes from the natural fruitiness, added spices, and turbinado sugar. It contains less sugar overall than kombucha, and the lactic acid that is generated as a by-product of the fermentation process is great for your digestion. Your guests will have a great gut feeling about this drink!
For your guests who are over the age of 21, invite them to try another great Mexican drink –
mezcal. Mezcal is a Mexican alcohol specialty that is made from agave. It originated in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, but it is now widely available for purchase around the world. Mezcal tastes great on its own or can use used in combination with tequila, juices, or other mixers to make totally delicious and original pool party drink concoctions.
Want to get a little tipsy on something fun and fizzy? You will definitely want to buy bev wine to toss in your poolside cooler. These delicious and refreshing adult beverages are fun, refreshing takes on wine varietals that can be shipped right to your door. Order some up ahead of time and have them chilled and ready to go for your event!
What to Eat
You will definitely want to have some great snacks on hand to keep your pool party guests happy and healthy throughout a long day in the sun. It is easy to fall back on the classic junk food party fare: chips and dip, cookies, and other high sugary or salty snacks.
You can make your pool party stand out even more by offering healthy options that taste good, too! A delicious spread of fruits and vegetables is always a popular spread choice. When you need a little bread to soak up some of those mezcal and wine beverages, try serving finger sandwiches in a variety of flavors. Up the health game by making your sandwiches using health-conscious bread options like those provided by Uprising Food, which is keto-friendly, gluten-free, packed with fiber, and made with only clean ingredients.
Make It a Float Parade
It is great to sun on the side of the pool, but nothing is better than floating atop the water and enjoying the cool water and warm sun simultaneously. You can settle for your mom’s old school pool floats, but why not upgrade to floats that pump up your pool party fun vibes?
Pool floats now come in all sorts of fun, crazy shapes and designs that are as fun to look at as they are to chill out in. With all the original pool float styles offered by Funboy, you can literally float on a cloud or cruise along the gentle pool waves on your majestic unicorn steed.
Swim On In Style
Now that you have the pool all decked out, time to pick out your best hosting outfit. And when it’s a pool party, that means it’s time to grab your best swimwear. Skimpy and revealing or full coverage and comfortable, there is no end to the list of options available for your summer closet. You can deck yourself out to chill on the pool deck by making sure you have these essentials:
- A bathing suit (or two!)
- A t-shirt or fun robe to cover up
- Flip flops or water shoes
- A sun hat
- Sunglasses
And while you are covering up, don’t forget to put on plenty of sunscreen and reapply as needed throughout the day. One thing you definitely don’t want to be wearing is a sunburn!
Pool Tunes
Everything is decorated, the food and drinks are all laid out, and you have on your best poolside get-up. Nothing left to do but grab your portable speaker and crank up the jams! Make a playlist that gets you and your guests in the spirit of summer fun (and maybe even an impromptu sing-a-long or two). A pool party is all about good vibes, so keep the music mood light and happy all day long!
Pool Party On!
The most important part of any pool party is for everyone to relax, chill out, and enjoy the company and vibes. Once you have taken care of all these party necessities, there’s nothing left for you to do but float your way straight to cloud nine at your super hot (and cool!) pool party.
