Preparing Your Pool For A Party

Thinking of throwing a pool party? Here’s how to prepare your pool and backyard for the big shindig.

Theme

A good pool party has a theme. Before you decide on yours, figure out who’s going to be coming to your party. Are you throwing a party for your child’s birthday? Are you throwing a party for your friends? Will the crowd be a mixed bag of friends and relatives? A common and easy pool party theme is the beach. If you’re catering to a younger crowd, opt for a pirate- or superhero-themed party. Or, instead of having a traditional theme, pick a colour and use it as the basis for your party.

Cleaning

A few days before your pool party, give your backyard a good cleaning. Take the time to scrub down any patio furniture you’ll be using for the party. You should also clean your pool’s filters and get rid of algae build up. On the day of the pool party fish out any debris (leaves, bugs etc.) that’s fallen into the pool before your guests arrive.

Furniture

You probably already have patio furniture, but it won’t seat your entire guest list. Plastic chairs and tables are a cheap purchase and you can dress them up to fit your party’s theme.

Decorations

The decorations should match your theme. For instance, if you’ve chosen a colour as your theme, get decorations to match. For a nighttime pool party have candles and lanterns to keep things well lit. If your pool party is taking place during the day, beach-style umbrellas are great because they keep out the sun and double as decorations.

Changing area

Set up a room closest to the pool where people can change in and out of their bathing suits. Keep in mind that your floors will get a bit wet. Even if you tell people to take off their shoes when they come in and out of the house to change, that does not mean everyone is going to be kind enough to do so.

Refreshments

Swimming makes people hungry, so you want to have food handy. However, you don’t want people to get so full they don’t want to swim. Stick to finger foods and smaller portions like hamburger sliders. Makes sure you have vegetarian options too, and if you are going to serve alcohol, keep it away from the kids. You should also use plastic cups, cutlery and plates. Otherwise, you’ll be dealing with broken glass and a load of dishes to do post-party.

Accessories

Not everyone is going to remember to bring a towel to your pool party. Have extra towels and flip-flops on hand for those who forget to bring theirs. You can also go to the dollar store and get a few extra pairs of sunglasses and keep a bottle of bug spray and tube of sunscreen on every table. For the pool, inflatable toys are good to have around along with mini volleyball and water badminton sets.

Finally, make a fun playlist and enjoy your pool party!