When you’re a parent, one of your driving factors is to ensure that you give your kids a happy life so they create great memories that they’ll cherish forever. That’s why we spend so much time perfecting the parties we have to celebrate their birthdays and accomplishments. If you’re considering hosting an outdoor party for them and their friends, we’re here to help with a comprehensive guide. We’ll tell you why outdoor parties are great and provide tips on planning, entertaining the kids, serving the best food, and more.
Why You Should Have Your Party Outside
If you’re debating about partying inside or outside, consider going out in the backyard, to the park, or to a local establishment with outdoor space for your kids to have fun and play. There are many reasons why your next party should be outdoors. Most of them come down to the fact that being out in the sun is good for your health.
The vitamin D that the sun provides is great for your mood and the positive attitudes of the kids. Plus, being around greenery is also great for reducing stress and helping you to feel relaxed. The indoors can be hectic, but outside, you and the children can relax and enjoy the day more.
There are also other great perks to an outdoor party, including the fact that there’s more space to run around. The kids can go crazy playing tag and climbing in a jungle gym, and they can burn off that energy without being restricted by walls or worrying about breaking things. Plus, there’s generally less of a mess with outdoor parties. Instead of needing to sweep and mop dirty floors, you can use a power washer and clean in half the time. Also, an outdoor party can have fewer decorations, so it might be less work overall.
Planning The Outside Party
Although outdoor parties are often easier, planning is still required so you can control the chaos. The one issue that you’ll have outside that won’t exist indoors is inclement weather. You must plan for different weather scenarios so you can schedule the party on a day when rain or storms are less likely to occur.
Review the weather forecast ahead of time so you know what to expect. Of course, you can’t control the weather. It’s always possible that there could be a little summer shower, so plan accordingly by having tents and canopies on standby and have a place reserved to go inside if the storm gets out of hand.
It’s also important to think ahead about the party’s theme so you can get the proper decorations and plan the activities. You have many options when it comes to potential outdoor party themes, including:
- Disney-themed party
- Carnival-themed party
- Party based on their favorite book
- Base it on something they love like dogs or dinosaurs
- Theme the party around your child’s favorite color
Once you have the theme in mind, you’ll want to work on the decorations. When you’re outside, you won’t have a lot of walls to decorate, but you can still hang streamers and a birthday banner from signposts or against a brick wall. There’s also the option to put out colorful balloons that you secure from tree branches, and you can even make cute centerpieces out of colorful flowers that grow nearby.
Entertainment And Game Ideas
While you know your outdoor party will be colorful, you must also ensure it’s entertaining. When you’re outside, you have many options. At a bare minimum, you can bring out sports equipment, such as frisbee, volleyball, football, and baseball.
There are many other more involved entertainment ideas that may fit into your budget. A bounce house is always a winner, and the kids can either bounce around and do whatever they want, or you can set up games, like bouncy dodgeball or capture the flag. You can also set up interactive games to keep the kids involved, like games based on carnival attractions, such as ring toss or rent a dunk tank.
When you’re coming up with fun activities, remember that there will be other people in attendance other than the kids, so try to find things that folks of different ages can enjoy. Activities like cornhole, croquet, bocce ball, and ladder toss are always favorites, or you can come up with your own. When in doubt, ask the guests what they like to play.
Safety Measures
It’s always important to keep your children safe. While outdoor parties can bring extra hazards, preparation can make the event go off without a hitch. Before the event, visit the party site and survey the area to watch for threats. Is there a fence in disrepair that could cut one of the guests? Is there a swimming pool or pond that could be a hazard? Take care of these issues now so they’re not a factor during the party.
Also, you must set clear rules when all the guests arrive so everyone knows what to expect. Tell the kids if there’s no running or roughhousing allowed and tell the guests which areas are strictly off limits. If you’re renting an outdoor venue, ask about their safety policies and be sure to follow them.
If you’re having the party in your backyard, don’t assume the kids will stay outside the entire time. You don’t want them to get hurt if they wander into the house. So, remove all clutter so people can walk through without tripping and falling, and keep all dangerous items like medication and knives out of reach. Basically, if there’s anything dangerous that you wouldn’t want around your kids, then eliminate the threat for your guests as well.
Food Options
When it comes to cooking or bringing food, remember to keep the potential weather conditions in mind. You don’t want to prepare many cold dishes that could melt under the summer sun, and you also don’t want to bring food that can go bad when out in the elements.
Since you need to be a positive role model for your kids, you should make food that is tasty and will also teach them a valuable lesson. One way to do that is to prepare food with sustainability in mind.
Think about food and beverages that won’t create waste or hurt the environment. Get watermelons at local farmers’ markets instead of buying them from the store. You’ll eliminate the need for trucks to create pollution while delivering it from the other side of the country. Also, avoid disposable plastic water bottles that will be thrown away. Instead, consider giving everyone a reusable drink container they can bring home. If you use disposable containers, ensure that everything is recycled at the end.
Conclusion
These are just a few important tips you should follow when creating fun and unforgettable outdoor parties. Plan every detail in advance and create an event that the kids will cheriash forever.
