Dreamy Pondside Parties
Summer is the time for BBQs and block parties. The kids are off from school, and the days are long, so you have plenty of sunlight to have fun! The warm weather lets you get outdoors, soak up the vitamin D, and enjoy nature. Make your pond the star of your outdoor parties.
Organizing a summer party is easier if you can decide on a central theme. A central theme helps choose the food, decorations, and even activities. You could have a luau complete with colorful leis, flavors of coconut and pineapples, and hula hoop contests, or a fancy Great Gatsby theme with your invitees dressed to the nines, tables decked in white and gold, delicate finger foods, and games of croquet and bocce ball in the backyard.
Your pond can be both a decoration and a source of entertainment during a summer party. Kids love water, especially in the summer to help them cool down. Your pond may not be big enough to jump in, but it can still be great fun.
Outdoor decorations
Tropical Paradise
Transform your pond into the place of daydreams. Who says you can't build your own beach? Clear out a space in your landscaping and create a sandy edge, or you can add a sandbox near the pond and turn your oasis into a beachy paradise. Bonus points if it covers up any dead patches of grass! Add a large beach umbrella for shade with a hammock or beach chairs underneath. You can even add a kiddy pool for the kids and dogs! Make yourself a pina colada, and you're ready for the summer!
Outdoor movie night
You can create an epic movie night for kids or adults using a projector, laptop, a big screen or white sheet, and outdoor speakers! Moviegoers can lounge on blankets and chairs and watch a movie under the starlight.
Light up your pond
For outdoor soirees, light up your pond with LEDs! smartpond Pond and Landscape Lights come with a dusk-to-dawn sensor, so they only come on at night. The Floating Fountain is an easy upgrade for your pond that packs a serious wow-factor. It has 16 color-changing lights and comes with a pump. All you have to do is place it in your pond and turn it on, controlling the light show with the wireless remote.
Decorate
If you don't have the time to add some floating plants, you can use faux lilies! They look beautiful and will help protect your fish from predators, with zero maintenance. String lights and paper lanterns are reusable decorations that quickly transform a yard and add a great ethereal feel. Lights can wrap around trees or gently hang overhead from tree to tree!
Mason jars
Mason jars scream summer and are an awesome eco-friendly alternative to the red solo cup! You can start saving the jars from your sauces and jams and reuse them to serve cocktails, iced tea, and lemonade! They also sell them at the supermarket if you need them ASAP.
*pro tip* Slide a cupcake liner over the top of your mason jar, seal it down with the ring top of the mason jar, and pop in a straw to keep the bugs away from the drinks!
Stay hydrated
Wheelbarrows, kiddie pools, and planters (you can get really creative here) can be filled with ice and used to keep food and drinks cool! No one wants a warm soda in the summer!
Many fruits, vegetables, and herbs are in season (and on sale!) during the summer and can easily be incorporated into decorations and drinks! Try to use fresh flowers and any goodies you have in your garden to make centerpieces and other decorations!
Drink ideas
Flavor your water
You can make water exciting by adding lemons, apples, mint, strawberries, and even rose petals! It will look festive and taste amazing! Most kids (adults, too if we're being honest) prefer the taste of juice, soda, and sports drinks over water. Still, proper hydration is extremely important for summer wellness! You can even substitute frozen fruit for ice!
Mocktails for the kids
Melon balls make great additions to Sprite or fizzy water and will delight the kids! Strawberry daiquiris, pina coladas, and fruit slushies can be made using fresh fruits and still taste great!
Adult ice cream
Scoop sorbet into champagne flutes and add some bubbly for a sweet, satisfying, and sophisticated adult beverage.
DIY Watermelon tap
You can use whole watermelons to serve your drinks with a little work. You want the watermelon to stand up on its own, ideally, so figure out which end needs to be the top. Cut the top open. You want to cut as close to the top as possible so you can fill most of the watermelon with liquid. Scoop all of the insides out while leaving the rind intact. Put the insides and juices into a bowl. Choose a spot on the bottom to insert the "tap," which you can find online or in a store.
They're easy to use and install. You will need to drill a hole in the watermelon for the tap. You can use a hand blender to turn the watermelon chunks into juice, add fizzy water for an easy drink, or get creative with your beverages! Watermelon taps look amazing, and you can just throw them out when the party's over!
Kid-friendly activities
Boat races in the pond
You can make really easy "boats" by connecting three wine corks with two or three rubber bands and using toothpicks and a little bit of paper for the flag. If there's not enough movement in the surface water, you can add a string to each little boat so the kids can pull them through the water.
Nature scavenger hunts
Scavenger hunts can be as creative as you want. You can hide things around the yard (gently in the pond) and create clues for the kids to figure out. Do you have an elusive fish in your pond? 5 points if one of the kids can snap a picture of him! Scavenger hunts are a great team-building activity that teaches kids to work together.
Water guns
Water Guns are an easy failsafe for summer fun. They help beat the heat while encouraging exercise. Who needs an iPad when you can engage in an aquatic battle with your BFF? The game is even more exciting if the adults join in!
Arts and crafts
Stepping stones are a beautiful decoration to have in your garden and around your pond. You can make this into a DIY project using sea glass and pebbles (if you live near the beach, you can go shell collecting first) or go to the craft store and pick up a kit. Kids will love being able to make a semi-permanent decoration for the yard. You can have them make imprints of their hands or design a turtle. There are endless options! If stepping stones are a little too complicated, you could have the kids paint small and medium-sized rocks, turning them into monsters with googly eyes or cute ladybugs.
Summer is a great time to entertain guests because the weather is warm, and you can utilize your outdoor spaces (and show off your pond!). Kids can run around and spray each other with water while the parents grill out! You can host parties during the day or after the sun goes down and illuminate your yard with pretty lights. During the winter and colder spring days, it can be hard to keep the kids indoors so the adults can catch up, but there are endless summer outdoor activities to keep them playing all day long. Make sure to use plenty of sunscreen and bug spray (get tips for keeping pests away from your pond), and drink lots of water during the summer to stay safe and enjoy the outdoors!
Meta: Make your pond the star of your themed summer party with kid-friendly activities and outdoor decorations.
