How to Plan the Ultimate Pool Party for Summer 2024

It’s officially summer 2024 (almost), and the perfect time to have a pool party! If you’re the kind of person who loves to be the host among your friends and neighbors, then you’ve got to check out our guide on how to throw the greatest pool party.
This month we’re giving you a range of tips to help make your party the one they remember – and to keep your guests coming back for more.

The Space

First of all, you’re going to want to make sure you have the space. But don’t worry, even if you’re limited, you can still throw smaller, more intimate gatherings and provide those memories people will look back on fondly for years to come.

Planning out your space to cater to different areas is a great way to get people mixing and mingling, with different entertainment options to suit different crowds.

• Shaded areas – make sure you provided covered areas to shield people from the heat of the sun or even just the elements generally
• Fireside folk – there’s nowhere better to spend the evening than gathered around the fire pit in a backyard party, swapping stories and maybe even a song or two
• The kitchen – some people are naturally drawn towards the food and drink, so keep plenty of free space around this area for people if they want to congregate
• The dance floor – is it even a party if there isn’t somewhere to dance? Portion off a dance floor in a wide, flat area with garlands overhead and some fancy floor markings so people gravitate into the space when the music hits

The Seating

At a party, you don’t want everyone to be seated – especially if there’s music – but you have to make sure you’re catering to everyone. Some people will want to sit and chat, while others will want to sit somewhere comfortably when they’re eating.

• Recliners – A great way to sit and relax poolside during a party
• Armchairs – Available in a wide variety of styles, you can pick an armchair to suit the overall look of your backyard
• Purpose-built seating – You could even have stone structures built into your garden design to cater for lots of seating, perhaps curving them around a kitchen or firepit. It’s always good to offer a mixture of seating so that people don’t have to be penned in together. That means considering seating that is easy to pick up and move – this way you can configure a basic layout before your guests arrive with the option to change it up as the party unfolds

At Ashton Pools by Design, we can help support the design of your backyard for future parties with a variety of seating options, both in terms of permanent, built-in fixtures as well as luxury furniture items.

The People

Your guest list has to be impeccable. You don’t want to post a mass-invite out on social media or flick through your contacts on your phone. Think about the type of party you’re throwing and the different people who you think will mix well together.

Curate your guest list with the type of party you have in mind and you’ll be able to plan accordingly for all other elements such as seating, food, games, and decoration. You could even theme your party if you’re having a certain group over (e.g., sports fans, movie fans, or even office colleagues).

If it’s a children’s birthday party you’re throwing, be sure to give parents enough notice when you send your kid off with invitations – this gives them time to plan and ensures your child will have a good turn out for their big day.

 

Pool Party Food

Whatever type of party you’re throwing, people are always going to get hungry eventually, and it’s your job to make sure they’re not left starving. You can offer everything from nibbles to whole meals depending on who is coming, but it pays to be prepared!

Here are a few options to help you spice up your party:

• Pizza – With a pizza oven in your backyard, you’ll be able to please everyone. You could even set up a toppings bar and get people to build their own pizzas, reducing the time you spend cooking.
• BBQ – Integrate a barbeque into your backyard design for the classic way to cook up a storm. From your own unique recipes to standard burgers and hotdogs, it’s truly the easiest way to fill stomachs.
• Chips ‘n’ Dips – If you don’t want to spend an eternity in the kitchen or if you have a huge crowd to cater for, go with snacks. Providing a variety of chips and a range of dips – from mild to spicy – will allow people to graze as much as they want.
• Sweet Treats – Kids and grownups alike are bound to have a sweet tooth, so make sure you offer up dessert items. This could be a clever fruit cocktail or homemade cakes and cookies.

Your outdoor kitchen could make or break a party, so make sure you’re in good shape with a range of options. At Ashton Pools by Design, we offer everything from pizza ovens to barbeques and even cold storage. This will allow you to stock up well in advance for your party.

 

The Pool

What kind of a party would it be without a pool? On a hot, bright day, there is no better way to entertain than with a pool – especially useful for keeping kids entertained at a birthday party. For your family and friends, it might just be the atmosphere of being poolside that loosens them up, but you can always introduce games to help get people into the pool and having fun (see our games section below).

Preparing your pool for a party might involve setting up some inflatables, arranging poolside seating, or even just checking your pool temperature and chemical balance to ensure it’s a pleasant and inviting place to be.

 

Pool Party Games

Games at a pool party are a must. It helps people to mingle, especially if you’re bringing people together and they don’t know each other. To give you some ideas, we’ll break it into categories for pool party games for kids and pool party games for adults – see which ones work best at your party.

For Kids

• The Squirt Gun Race – Attach two lines of string over the length of the pool, use two plastic cups and run a string through each. Then fill two squirt guns and see who can propel their cup from one end to the other first.
• Inflatable Race – Have an array of large inflatables and let each child pick one to sit on to use as a raft – then it’s a simple race from one end to the other.
• Treasure Hunters – Throw some small weighted objects (waterproof ones!) into the pool for the kids to dive and collect as treasure. You could even have them trade in their treasure for snacks

For Adults

• Tug of War – You know the drill here, except it’s more fun in the water! Divide into two teams and see which is the strongest.
• Inflatable Jousting – Using an inflatable to sit on and another to use as a joust (you can buy specific sets if you’re keen to keep things fair) and let pairs attempt to knock each other off their perch into the water.
• The Best Selfie – Start the party off with the competition for the best selfie posted to social media (you can even create your own party hashtag) and provide a prize for the best pic later in the evening before guests leave. You might want to pre-warn people to bring waterproof phone covers to avoid any accidents.

We’ve found that few people – regardless of age – can resist a pool party. So if you’re looking to host the next party but want to make changes to your backyard – from big projects such as pool building to smaller additions such as integrating a pizza oven – look no further than our swimming pool design and outdoor living design services here at Ashton Pools by Design.

We’ll put you at the center of the process, which means you’ll be able to create the perfect place to hang out with friends, family, and neighbors – it’s your party, so do it your way! Contact us today to discuss the project you have in mind for your backyard.