5 Outdoor Theme Parties to Try This Summer

Kids’ birthdays often have a motif. This adds to the fun and determines the decorations, activities, and food that will be used for the festivities. Your fiestas, with or without the kids, should be no different. Here are some exciting outdoor theme parties to try this summer, instead of just inviting folks over for the typical barbecue.

1. Movie or TV

Speaking of kids’ birthdays, do you remember having a favorite movie or television show as a kid and wanting the characters to be on everything? Do the same as a grownup. Go all out and buy the Batman napkins, plates, straws, banners, and balloons. It can be a fun and nostalgic night for the adults.

Or, you can transform your yard and have people come dressed up as characters from the film. Think something along the lines of a Gatsby bash where guests come dressed as flappers from the 20s and the décor is elegant with black and gold coloring.

You can even watch the movie or show of choice with a DIY outdoor movie screen.

2. Beach

You do not need to live near the coast to feel like you are at the beach. These outdoor theme parties are a great way to show off your seashell collection from previous summer beach trips. Use light colors for your décor; ocean blues and sunset hues go well together. If you hang a hula skirt along a table (like you would a banner) and put up some tiki torches, you will have a fun makeshift tiki bar.

You can find distressed wood signs at most stores, or you can try making your own. Use them for food and drink stations, party entrances, and other fun sayings. Put snacks in sand castle buckets with shovels, and drinks in a kiddie pool full of ice. If you are feeling extra creative, you can make pineapple palm trees. Core three pineapples, take the tops off of two, and then put them on a dowel that is about the diameter of the core and tall enough to go about a third of the way into the third pineapple – which still has the green, leafy top.

There are several ways to incorporate fun seashore games like volleyball, and other associated items like beach balls. This outdoor theme party is sure to make your guests feel like they had a fun-filled summer day on the shore.

3. International

This is a great way to have and outdoor themed party that is a potluck this summer. Have each guest choose, or assign them, a country that they will bring food from. The fun thing about this is that you get to mash things up and have versatility when it comes to decorations.

Decorate with globes, maps, and flags. You can have organized chaos and incorporate country-specific items throughout or have areas that will be dedicated to a particular republic.

Alternatively, you can stick to a specific country or region. Hang paper lanterns for an Asian vibe or piñatas for a Mexican one. Use this as a way to take your guests on a trip around the world without the TSA lines.

4. Fair

Summer fairs are a lot of fun for kids and grownups alike, so why not host one in your yard? To set the mood for these outdoor theme parties, hang mini flags, use linen tablecloths with burlap accents, and hang ribbons.

Let’s face it, one of the best things about a fair is the food. Guests can treat themselves to funnel cake, popcorn, corn dogs, cotton candy, candy apples, apple pie, and fresh lemonade. Use wooden boxes for presentation, like a wine crate, to add a rustic feel. Serve drinks in mason jars with striped straws.

Or, maybe the best thing is the games? Breakout the yard games for this shindig; giant Jenga, hula-hoops, lawn darts, and sack races to name a few. To make it feel more real, give everyone tickets to participate.

5. Glow

If you will be throwing your outdoor theme parties at night this summer, glow all out. There is a lot you can do in terms of decorating, as there is so much out there nowadays. You can use glow sticks and glow-in-the-dark paint to make the place light up when the sun goes down. Put colored lights under white tablecloths for a neat effect. Make cool orb lights by putting glow sticks into transparent balloons.

The food is flexible with this type of bash, but aim for colorful items. There are recipes for alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks that will glow, or you can use cups that will. This will help people keep track of their beverages when the sun goes down, so you won't find them the next morning.

There are quite a few games you play as well. Use glow-in-the-dark paint for a psychedelic lawn twister, or do-it-yourself bowling.

Try one of these outdoor theme parties this summer to break the ordinary barbecue mold. Your guests will be sure to have an epic time at any of these shindigs.