The EquipSupply Guide to Hosting an Awesome Summer Party

Need a way to beat the heat? Hosting a spectacular summer party may be the way to go! First, you’ll need a list of who to invite. Next, you’ll need to decide on the perfect, healthy and fresh menu. Finally, you will want to provide some great entertainment. For all those Do-It-Yourselfers out there, the sky’s the limit when it comes to summer fun and Hosting an Awesome Summer Party!

The Guest List

Deciding who to invite to any party is always a strategic endeavor and it is no different when planning a warm-weather gathering. We aren’t talking fair-weather friends here, but we must keep in mind elderly and young children who tolerate heat much differently than most of us. Be sure to make appropriate accommodations for such persons which could include, but is not limited to, time of the event and seating in the shade as an option.

Is your awesome summer party going to be a large powerhouse party or a small cozy get together? When deciding on the length of your guest list, the atmosphere you desire to achieve is a crucial consideration.

If You Feed Them, They Will Come

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Now that you have completed the first step in creating a guest list, you must build the menu. In terms of your guests, keep in mind any potential allergies or diet restrictions as to make the party run as smoothly as possible.

Since it’s summer, think healthy and fresh! This is the time of year when healthy eating is easier than ever with the abundance of fresh garden goodies and farm market munchies available. Simple fruit and vegetable trays are easy and a great go-to in terms of portability. Grab-and-go snacks are one of the best menu options to keep guests and conversations flowing.

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And don’t forget the meat! Barbecuing doesn’t have to take a back seat to fresh vegetables and fruit at your party. Bring them together with the ever-popular kabob! Grilled chicken or beef pairs nicely along with green peppers, onion, tomato, and pineapple. Grilling fresh peaches and topping them with a dollop of whipped cream provides guests with a more sophisticated dessert option than the traditional fruit salad.

It might be fun to have guests participate in creating special sauces for the kabobs. Simply provide some traditional ingredients like ketchup, relish, hot sauce, barbecue sauce, mustard, maybe even some fruit jellies and let their imaginations do the rest. Small mason jars make cute containers to serve as the mixing bowls for your kitchen chemists. You can make this a laid-back activity or turn it into your own reality show where your guests battle for the title of best sauce maker! Prizes optional.

Let the Fun Begin

Now that you’ve created your guest list and decided on a menu, the obvious next phase is the heart of the party- entertainment and games! While simply relaxing pool-side is always enjoyable, when hosting an awesome summer party you must take it up a notch with some easy make-yourself pool necessities.

A large crowd calls for some of this season’s most popular pool floats. Whether you keep this healthy or not, think donut rings compared to fruit rings, you will need a practical way to store all of these floating devices which might even include the popular pretzel or pink flamingo. To get started, you will need to be able to use glue and a drill. The supply list includes a 10-inch wooden round, a 36×1-inch dowel rod, some rope, wood glue, a drill with a drill bit and Forstner bit, two 1×3 1/2-inch screw eyes, and a 13/16-inch fixed snap hook. As an optional finishing touch, pick paint in any color of your choice and give it a beautiful coat of color once it’s completed. As long as the float has a hole in the center (like a ring), it should easily slide down the dowel rod and be held securely in place and out of your way until you need it again. For complete instructions on this DIY pool project, visit Shelterness.

Another fun DIY project is a floating pool tray. This tray can be used for a number of things, but namely a perfect surface for a card game. That’s right. Get those card sharks out of the casino and into the pool with this easy to build pool accessory. All you will need is a rectangular plastic surface- like a lid off of a medium or large plastic tub. Next, flip over the lid and use E6000 high-performance industrial grade glue to adhere pieces of pool noodles. Just cut the noodles into pieces based on the width of your lid. Once the glue is set, your floating table can be flipped over and is ready to mingle in the pool.

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While a pool is refreshing in the summer heat, a cold drink is still hard to beat! Keep your guests at ease with a floating drink koozie. To make this, all you will need is a pool noodle, pair of scissors, hot glue gun and 4 popsicle sticks. To get started, decide whether your koozie will be used for a can or a bottled beverage. Then, measure twice the length of your drink and cut your noodle to this size. Next, you will need to cut this piece of noodle in half to create a “hot dog bun” style piece. This “hot dog” will serve as the base for your floating drink koozie. The second part involves creating the beverage holder. Measure 3/4 the height of the can or bottle to be used and cut another piece of the pool noodle. Then, hollow out the interior of this tube being careful not to cut away too much and make the unit flimsy and too thin. Finally, measure the circumference of the holder and cut a hole of this size into the base (hot dog)section. Using a hot glue gun, secure the beverage holder into the base. Once this has completely adhered and cooled, flip it over and attach the popsicle sticks. Underneath the floating drink koozie, there should be two popsicle sticks going across the base located on each side of the circle.

Image courtesy of Shelterness

For kids or crafters at heart, have a station set up so they can unleash their imagination in a productive way. The octopus pool pal makes a great pool partner for free play and gaming fun. To begin, you will need red SOLO cups (which you may already have purchased), scissors, glue, and some googly eyes. Flip the cup upside down so the bottom is facing up. Next, attach a pair of googly eyes on the smooth portion of the cup that is now the upper-side portion. Then, grab a pair of scissors and get crazy with those octopus tentacles. Using the scissors, cut slits into the cup from the opening up into the corrugated portion and continue around the cup until you have several tentacles or octopus legs. These tentacles can now be bent to create a stand-alone octopus that should float on water. Kids may enjoy simply playing with these pals as toy figures or they can race each other to see who captures the octopus first or who catches the most octopi!

Here’s an idea for a fun accessory that can be used for multiple functions. Before you head out and buy any supplies for this project, check the basement or garage and see if you find a small to medium-sized plastic tub not being used, square or rectangle shape works best. Three simple supplies (along with a pair of scissors) are all you will need for this: tub (plastic container), pool noodle, and string. Simply surround the plastic tub with cut pieces of pool noodle that have been connected by the string. It is really that simple! Cut the strips of pool noodle to fit each side of your tub. Then, run a string through the noodle strips to secure them to the tub, enabling the tub to float freely. Next, cut off any excess string and you’re ready to go. You may also wish to hot glue the noodles onto the sides of the tub for more stability. The best part of this project is the variety of ways it can be used. Throw in some ice and drinks and you have a cooler filled with drinks right at your guests’ fingertips- no more getting out of the pool dripping wet to quench their thirst! Additionally, it is a great component to most any game. You can use kitchen sponges, small toys or whatever your heart desires to score a basket in your newly-crafted floating tub cooler!

Conclusion

Cooling off with family, friends, and/or neighbors is certain to set the pace for the ultimate in summer fun, so be the one who hosts this amazing summer party with all the coolest tools and gadgets! Remember to consider each guest and his/her needs when planning the menu and entertainment. Be sure to give yourself plenty of time in preparation for this exciting extravaganza so you will be able to create any of the DIY projects listed above. Most importantly, have fun! Enjoying the great outdoors with family and friends is always an awesome adventure and incorporating some fun and fresh ideas with some healthy food options is certain to deliver the awesome summer party you always imagined!