8 Tips For Entertaining Guests In Your Backyard
Getting your friends and family together for a great backyard party requires a little bit of planning. With that in mind, we have come up with these eight tips for entertaining guests in your backyard, so that your have party will be perfect, whether it’s winter or summer.
Light the Way
Make sure your backyard is illuminated at night with lanterns, candles and lights. It will help prevent any accidents, and create a festive atmosphere. There are solar-powered lights available that run on the energy they collect during the day and turn themselves on as soon as night falls.
Cart the Bar
To keep your guests from having to travel for a refill, stock a bar cart with everything from ice to juice to glasses to alcohol. If it’s winter when you’re throwing your backyard shindig, keep drinks on hand like hot toddies, coffee and hot chocolate to keep your guests warm. You can equip your bar cart with a hot plate to keep the warm drinks from getting cold.
Comfort is Key
Keep your guests comfy with soft cushions and blankets. In the summer, the blankets may not be necessary but if you’re having a backyard gathering in the winter, they’ll keep your guests warm. An outdoor party won’t last long if people are too cold or uncomfortable.
Throw-away Plates
When hosting guests in your backyard, stick to plates, cutlery and cups that can be thrown out. If you can find recyclable options, even better. Dishes can break and you’ll save time during clean up if you can toss everything into the recycling bin.
Simple Food is Great Food
When you entertain outside, you don’t need to serve a six-course meal. Keep the food light with salads, meats on skewers if you’re barbecuing, fresh fruits and vegetable dishes. If you’re entertaining outside in the colder months, opt for foods that you can make in big batches like chilis and stews.
Keep Pests and the Sun Away
Bugs love a good backyard party. Keep them away with citronella candles and have bug spray handy for your guests. Don’t forget about the sunscreen too. Even in the winter, the sun’s harsh rays can do damage to exposed skin. You can still get a sunburn in the winter so having sunscreen available for your guests is a must.
Pump Up the Jams
Make a playlist of fun music for the daytime. For nighttime, create a playlist of “chill” music that will work best in the background. Also, if you are going to play music at night, make sure it’s okay with your neighbours, or invite your neighbours over to join the party.
Fire It Up
Make your guests comfortable when it’s cold out by setting up a fire pit. You can create a cozy camping ambiance and roast marshmallows. Please check with your city before installing a fire pit to ensure that you’re not breaking any laws. If you cannot make a fire pit, you can purchase portable heaters to keep your guests nice and toasty when the sun goes down, or during the day if you’re hosting people in the winter.
No matter the season, having people over is always a great way to bring friends and family together. If you really want to amp up your backyard entertainment game, you can always get a pool. Then, you’ll have people begging to come over.
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