Having a summer birthday party? Then you need to check out this beach party theme! This one is sure to be a hit with the kids. Let's not waste any time and get right into it.
Calling All Beach Bums
Outdoor parties are great for a larger crowd if you have the space and the help of additional adult supervision. If you're going to be using any sort of water, such as a pool or a slip n slide, make sure that safety comes first! Check with the parents of all guests to ensure that each child knows how to swim. Have some floaties on hand for inexperienced or tired swimmers.
Make sure your guests don't get too rowdy with a slip n slide. It's quite easy to get hurt if one is used improperly. Have some first-aid supplies on hand in case of any accidents, and make sure someone is always available to supervise.
Prior to the party, reach out to the parents of guests and inquire about any potential food allergies. You'll want to do this enough in advance to plan around any food issues. Peanut allergies, lactose intolerance, and vegetarianism are all special circumstances you may encounter. Make sure to understand the depth of an allergy; for example, can a child be around those who are eating peanuts, or do they need to be in an entirely peanut-free zone?
At the Sea Shore – The Venue
If you're having your party at an actual beach, decorating is a snap; Mother Nature has already done all the work! Just bring lots of sand toys, beach balls, maybe a volleyball set, and some portable speakers to play some cool beach music.
You don’t have to be at the beach though to have an awesome backyard beach party. You don’t have to have a pool either, a sprinkler or slip and slide can be just as much fun. A large bucket of squirt guns and super soakers will have keep kids entertained for hours.
Toss a bunch of beach balls and brightly colored hula hoops throughout the yard.
Hang extra bathing suits and towels on the fence or clothesline for guests who forget theirs.
Make a beach scene on your garage door, or the back of the house. Cut out palm trees, the ocean, sand, and other things you would find in a typical beach scene, and attach them to the door or wall. For an added touch, cut out a surf board and lean it against the door.
Make a sign or banner for the front yard that says “Beach this way” with an arrow pointing to the back yard. Scatter beach chairs, umbrellas, and beach towels throughout the yard. Play beach music. Jan and Dean or the Beach Boys are both good choices. Have a couple extra cans of spray sunscreen on hand, too.
Beach Bites – The Menu
Keep the food simple with a big picnic lunch.
Hamburgers, hot dogs, and corn on the cob are easy grill foods. Potato salad or macaroni salad, fresh fruit, veggies, and potato chips can be served using large pails and shovels to serve. Have lots of cool beverages to keep everyone hydrated; serve gallons of Kool-Aid or lemonade.
Make a beach ball out of cut up vegetables. Red peppers and cherry tomatoes for the red stripe, cucumber slices for the green, cauliflower for the white, and orange bell peppers for the orange.
To go along with the cake, serve cups of sand. Spoon a layer of vanilla pudding into clear cups, and top with crushed vanilla wafers or blonde Oreos for the sand. Put in a gumball for the beach ball, and add a drink umbrella with a teddy graham cookie lounging under it to complete the look.
Have an ice cream cart in the backyard. Using several coolers on a table, set up your cart. Buy a few different verities of ice cream bars and popsicles, and let the children choose.
To make a cake that looks like a beach scene, bake a 9×13 inch cake. Once it's cool, frost half the cake with blue frosting and the other half with white. Make a wavy line in the icing to denote the shoreline. Sprinkle crushed graham crackers over the white half for the sand. Put a toy boat in the blue icing, and use decorator icing to make shells, crabs, and fish. Scatter a few gumballs to be beach balls, and add a few drink umbrellas.
Keeping Your Sun Bathers Busy
For younger kids, use a sandbox. Build a sandcastle in one corner and have plenty of sand toys scattered around for your guests to play with. If you don't own a sandbox, make your own with a baby pool. Fill it with clean play sand and lots of sand toys for an instant sea shore!
Toss water balloons. Make sure to prefill them and keep them hidden until ready to use.
Create a carnival-like spray and shoot game. Line up small figurines or cups and have kids shoot them down for a prize.
Beach Favors
Use smaller pails and fill with sunglasses, colored sunblock, shovels, beach toys, and bubbles as fun favors for each guest.