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Published On: February 20, 2014
By: Maria King, Washington
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GENERAL CATEGORY
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SWIMMING POOL PARTY IDEAS
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swimming pool party ideas
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Party Time! Entertaining Ideas For The Pool And Spa
One of the most enjoyable aspects of pool ownership is entertaining family and friends in and around its refreshing waters. For casual family get-togethers to a lovely poolside wedding, the pool has unlimited uses as an entertainment venue. With a few starter ideas and a little creativity, you will find your pool environment can become the centerpiece of family’s social life.
Fortunately, pools create a lovely setting by themselves. But there are some beautiful and often inexpensive ways to decorate in and around the pool to create a festive atmosphere.
Add Candles
For an evening party, candles are always a wonderful way to set the mood and the citronella outdoor candles have the added advantage of help with insect control.
To decorate poolside tables, try filling tiny flowerpots with sand and a votive or tea light candle, and perhaps tying the pot with a raffia or ribbon accent.
Floating candles are always lovely in the pool, as are giant magnolias or other waxy-leaved plants or flowers that will float. There are a myriad of other decorative candles available in your local pool store or home center store as well.
Create a Centerpiece
It is very simple to make a showy floating centerpiece for your pool party, and choice of accessories and flowers on it can complement your party theme. Start with a flat Styrofoam base, and, if necessary, use floral picks wired to real flowers to create your centerpiece. You can also put the Styrofoam inside a floating pool animal ring, such as a flamingo for a tropical or luau party. Then use clear fishing line to anchor the floating centerpiece in the center of the pool, tying the line to rope anchors or skimmers on either side of the pool.
Obviously the pool is a natural for parties for kids or family parties including lots of kids. Any time you are mixing kids with water, some special considerations are vital. Whenever children are in or around the pool, have very firm rules for safety. And enforce them unequivocally.
Just as you do not allow kids to run in the street, do not allow them in or near the water without an adult watching them at all times.
Do not allow running or rough horseplay in and around the pool, or diving headfirst off the side, or at all unless the pool is built for diving, and then only off the board or “diving rock” if there is one.
Make the rules clear at the beginning to all kids and parents of kids at your pool, and insist on compliance.
Throw a Party!
Have lots of simple but fun stuff around to play with at a kids’ party. Any type of ball, diving toy, Frisbee and underwater rocket-type toys, and floats are fun at a kids’ party as are volleyball and basketball. For a Halloween party around the pool, or viewed from indoors, dry ice in the pool creates a neat foggy, spooky effect.
The pool is a terrific place to entertain the “young” teenagers just awkwardly entering the social world as they all are at that age. The little girl who will spend hours picking out her special bikini for the party, perhaps battling with her mom over how skimpy a suit is in good taste, will invariably swim in from of the boys only swathed in a shapeless tee shirt over it!
For a preteen or early teen party, provide lots of “throwing” toys and activities, lots of simple food, unobtrusive but careful adult supervision, and watch the kids relax, have fun and begin to develop their social skills in a safe and healthy atmosphere. If the pool includes a spa, the kids love sitting in groups in the spa and laughing and talking when the ball-throwing action dies down. Your pool-friendly home will soon become the venue of choice for a safe and fun teen social scene.
The pool is the ideal place for a church, school, team, club, or business group party, too. The easiest party of this type to host is a potluck, where everyone brings a favorite dish. Almost always an ideal mix is achieved of all types of dishes needed and there is also usually more than enough food!
There are some other very special events you can enjoy with your pool as the centerpiece as well. If you have always wanted to get away for a week or two to a fancy spa, consider this – you can create your very own spa-at-home experience for yourself and friends and family right in your own backyard! If the children are away at camp of visiting Grandma for a week or weekend, or perhaps you have a week of vacation, create your own health-spa-by-the pool week or weekend!
Stock up on a few pool fitness items, a supply of nonfat, low carb, low sugar food and diet TV dinners, perhaps some supplies for a home mask or facial, and maybe an exercise or water aerobics or yoga video. Then, pamper yourself for a week or weekend, engage in healthy exercise and treat yourself to a few beauty treatments. This is even more fun if you include a few friends or relatives you enjoy. This kind of threat is especially fun for women, but can be a delightful “couples” vacation, too. You can return to your daily routine refreshed and rejuvenated from your own home spa experience, and best of all, the price is right!
Enjoy Some Romance
Don’t underestimate the pool and/or spa as a great way to refresh your relationship with your mate as well. From time to time, plan a romantic dinner for two by the pool followed a refreshing dip. The pool or spa is an excellent setting to unwind the tensions that develop in any partnership and refocus a bit on each other in a positive way. Plan your very own pool “romance” night occasionally. It’s cheaper than marriage counseling and a lot more fun to do a little “preventive maintenance!”
A Poolside Wedding
And what more romantic setting could you have for a wedding than poolside? A poolside wedding is relatively simple and inexpensive to do, and can be an even lovelier setting for nuptials than the most elaborate cathedral!
First, the bride and groom need a special location for the ceremony. You may have a special spot poolside already, such as a gazebo, but if not, a rented arch or permanently installed arbor makes a pretty setting. You can opt to have the guests sit on one side of the pool at tables that doubled as dining tables for the refreshments, and installed an arbor planted with climbing roses and landscapes as a permanent mini-garden on the other side of the pool. It became a meaningful landscape feature with a daily reminder of happy memories.
Consider a poolside wedding as a more casual, inexpensive and yet meaningful expression of your loved one’s special bond. It can lend a special beauty to the garden ceremony.
Perhaps some of these ideas will serve as starters to spark your own creativity of ways to enjoy and get to most out of your pool investment. The pool lifestyle is enjoyable and healthy, promoting family fun, togetherness, health and entertainment.
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