Planning For a Pool Party

Choose a Pool Party Theme:
Have your guests talking about your pool party for years by creating a theme party.  Planning a pool party based on a theme is fun and entertaining.   This is your opportunity to be creative and use your imagination!  Think about a luau theme, beach party theme, or a festive birthday party theme.   You can even consider having Christmas in July.    Visit your local party supply store to get ideas, search the web, or just think of your favorite hobby and try to base a theme around that.  Once a theme has been chosen then your decisions for decorations, music, and food will be easier to make.

Pool Party Invitations:
Decide whether or not invitations are necessary.  You can create your own invitations or purchase them from a party supply store.   Invitations come in various shapes and sizes including sunglasses, towels, and fish.  You may even want to purchase pool items in bulk to create functional invitations.  For example, you may be able to purchase inexpensive sunglasses in bulk, or small beach balls in bulk.  You can attach the invitation or write directly on the objects for an interesting or unique invitation.  The options are endless, but remember to tell your guests to bring a bathing suit, towel, and goggles.

Music to Get Your Pool Party Hopping:
Music will help set the mood.  You can easily set up a stereo and a speaker poolside.   Your genre of music can be based on the party theme.   You can create your own CDs or purchase readily-available CDs with Hawaiian music, surfer music, or "Christmas in July" music.

Decorating Your Pool Party:
This part of the party planning should be fun because it is your opportunity to be creative and inspired.   You can purchase decorations or use your imagination and create your own.   Most party supply stores have themed decorations available, which would include plates, napkins, cups, decorations, tablecloths, and other unique accessories.  

Luau- you may consider bamboo accents, tiki torches, tropical flowers and providing guests with leis.

Beach party- you may consider decorating tables with seashells, pails and shovels, and providing guests with beach balls or Frisbees.

Pool Party Food:
Create a menu that is simple unless of course you are hiring a caterer.  Barbequing is popular and most people enjoy grilled food.   Keep in mind that the food can look pretty but will your guests eat it?  This is not the time to test a new recipe.   Generally, you should provide guests with some pick-on foods or appetizers, a main course meal, fruit or fruit salad, and dessert.   When trying to keep with your theme, consider serving the food on themed platters or accenting dishes with small decorations.

Also have plenty of drinks available for your guests since they will be outside in the sun. Ice will be a must, sohave plenty of it.   Drinks can be sorted into different coolers for the ease of finding your choice of drink, and consider purchasing juice boxes for the children. 

        
Pool Parties Need Games:
What better way to entertain your guests, especially the younger ones, then to play games.  Consider playing Marco Polo, relay races, water volleyball, pin the fin on the fish, and BINGO.   You can even hand out small prizes for the winners.

Extras:

Some things to keep in mind:
- Consider hiring a lifeguard to assure the safety of all guests
- Have plenty of sunscreen available
- Make sure there is a shaded area for your guests
- There should be enough chairs for every guest to sit on
- Clean your pool and your yard especially if you own a dog
- Have pool toys available for your guests to play with including, beach balls, floats, rafts, and water guns.