Getting hotter? Time to entertain with water!
“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” – Lao Tzu
And why try to resist water in the simmering summer months still ahead? Nothing lends itself better to summer entertaining than a water-infused celebration. Don’t have a pool? No problem! You’d be surprised at how hosts around the nation are utilizing H2O to have an event worth remembering. Let’s get to the makings of a wildly refreshing water extravaganza.
NO POOL? IT’S COOL!
It’s only natural to think “pool” when someone mentions “water-themed party.” And, while having access to a pool does offer diverse entertainment options, there are other ways to utilize H2O to have a good time. In fact, as whimsical as it sounds, many are taking pool making into their own hands with DIY pools.
One popular trend is the truck-bed pool. People of all ages, demographics and truck preferences have developed means of transforming their vehicle into a mobile swim station. Pinterest and YouTube have no shortage of ideas to offer.
If you decide to make a truck-bed pool, most hosts simply construct theirs using a tarp, duct tape and a water hose to do the job. If you don’t have the inclination or resources for DIY pool design, PickUpPools.com has a ready-made vinyl product to pop into your truck bed.
To play up the rustic theme of a truck-bed pool party, think about providing guests with a barrel full of iced beer and refreshments, old-school lounge and lawn chairs (the kind with the crisscross mesh), darts, Nerf guns and rubber ducky floaties. Serve some barbecue, and if you really want to accentuate the rough-and-tumble entertaining feeling, incorporate more than one truck and consider a campsite as your party destination.
No truck? You may still be in luck. There are several YouTube ideas to make your own pool (some for a mere $44 dollars). Simply put together some plank wood, tarp and fill with water.
POOL PLEASE
If you happen to be one of the lucky ones who has a pool, entertaining expert and celebrity caterer Andrea Correale, founder and CEO of Long Island, N.Y.-based Elegant Affairs, has plenty of water-themed ideas.
“For kids and adults, I would recommend a water party, complete with Slip ‘N Slides, water balloon contests and tube races across the pool,” Correale says. “At the bar, pre-make fruit-infused water in Mason jars with lids and pack them in a bed of ice. Provide a chocolate fountain for dessert, along with a variety of homemade ice pops or snow cones.”
Of course, booze-infused ice pops floating in Prosecco is a perfect addition for adults, says Correale.
For a more elegant spin, Correale suggests placing a fountain in the center of the pool, and accentuate decor with mini-fountain centerpieces on guest tables or even fill bowls with water and place floating candles or flowers inside.
“If you are familiar with lighting, project a gobo that looks like flowing water onto the back of the house,” Correale says.
Offering guests a projector screen, with favorite summer hits (think “Grease”) is another option to keep water-goers entertained.
“Depending on if it’s a day or night party, provide a variety of sunscreen options,” Correale says. “Also chilled flavored waters and magazines to read poolside. Maybe Evian facial spray to cool people off!”
RESORT-READY (BACKYARD STYLE)
While many resorts across the nation boast fabulous pools, they also often feature fun poolside activities. Who says you can’t adopt the water-related fun sans pool?
Take the lead from resort-pool activities such as what the El Conquistador Tucson Hilton Resort offers guests, like a water balloon fight on the lawn or hula hoop contest.
To invigorate the childlike spirit of summers past, incorporate sprinklers. Go with a beach ball theme and plug in a few Synergi Brands Amazing 29″ Rainbow Beach Balls, Inflatable Outdoor Sprinkler Fun For All (Amazon.com, $31.50). Blow up a variety of beach balls, provide colorful beach blankets, a bar with the infamous umbrellas and a buffet of beach-bum yums – deviled eggs made to look like tiny sailboats, a watermelon cut and shaped into a beach bucket filled with fruit, and Hermit-Crab Hot Dogs (think of pigs in a blanket, but made to look like twisty-hermit crabs).
