12 Fun Pool Party Ideas For Adults
What's better than a pool party in the hot summer months? Gathering with friends and family for fun in the sun is an age-old tradition. All you need is a swimming pool and some pals for a great time had by all. But why stop at an ordinary pool party? With a little planning and creativity, some decorations and pool toys, a good theme, ample food, and a couple of signature cocktails, you can elevate your pool party from an ordinary pool day to a summer bash that your friends and family are not soon to forget! Make your pool party truly memorable with one of these unique and epic pool party ideas for adults.
1. Choose a Cool Theme
Nothing sets the mood for a cool pool party more than an amazing theme. Of course, you can go with tried-and-true ideas like a Hawaiian luau or tiki-themed pool party or a beach day party, but why not get even more creative? Try to think of something fun that has to do with water.
For example, a pirate-themed party could incorporate pool toys that look like boats, Jolly Roger flags, and pirate's grog. A mermaid pool party might feature treasure chests and handmade fins sticking out of the water. You could go with a Las Vegas theme, incorporating games with chips and lots of gold and glitter.
The number of ideas you can tap for a pool party is endless, so get creative with it! There's no limit to the number of pool party themes out there. Your guests will be impressed by your fun and creative ideas, and a good theme will help set the tone for the other fun details—like food, drink, decorations, games to play, and other aspects of your party—giving you a starting point for planning the rest of your party.
2. Don't Hold Back on Decorations
Whatever theme you choose for your party, go all out on pool party decoration ideas. Really committing to the theme is sure to get a good reaction from your guests. Nothing is sadder than a half-hearted attempt at decorations and snacks. This doesn't mean you have to spend a lot of money. Homemade decorations made from things around the house or cheap Halloween props and costumes from a local party store can all make for a fun and beautiful experience for your friends and family.
Paying special attention to details and throwing in fun and creative flourishes is sure to be noticed by your guests, but there is also something to be said for keeping it simple. Just committing to the theme, making an effort, using a bit of creativity, and paying attention to the details will make sure your guests feel that your pool party is not just another ordinary day at the pool but a next-level summer bash that they'll remember for weeks or months to come.
3. Serve Creative Refreshments
No pool party is complete without food and drink to round out the experience. Try to tie the refreshments served at the party to its theme. For a tiki-themed party, serve tropical cocktails in tiki glasses to go along with the tiki torches and tropical flowers that decorate the pool. Try to think of creative food ideas that will go along with the theme, too. For example, at a shark-themed party, you could serve shark fin-shaped cookies to your guests, or have signature cocktails with little shark fins sticking out of the top. Every detail you incorporate will be sure to delight your guests.
Serving light bites poolside will help guests feel comfortable and stave off their cravings. Especially if the pool party goes on for a long time, it may be good to incorporate food as an activity—for example, having a barbecue poolside or making s'mores together over a fire. Food and drink always make for interesting activities for a group and help bring people closer together, so the more you can integrate activities involving refreshments into your party plans, the more your guests will feel like active participants. They can get to know each other, break bread together, and either enjoy the company of the other guests or maybe even make some new friends.
4. Break Out The Pool Floats
One of the most fun pool party ideas for adults includes filling the pool with pool floats. Not only does this turn your pool into a fun and colorful spectacle, but guests will also have a great time floating on the pool toys and playing creative games with them. Buying high-quality and reliable pool floats doesn't have to break the bank, either. Pool floats like those sold at Above are high quality, reliable, fun, and sold at a reasonable price.
Having ample pool floats for your family, your friends, and other guests will make sure that everyone has a great time and that no one feels left out. Purchasing affordable, high-quality premium pool floats like those sold at Above allows you to have reliable and fun pool floats at many parties to come.
5. Crowdsource Pool Party Planning
While having a consistent theme is always fun, another idea goes the exact opposite direction: have each of your guests arrive with a small part of your party. Similar to a potluck, asking guests to come up with pool party decorations, pool party food ideas, refreshment suggestions, and toys can make for a fun and eclectic party. You can even ask guests to contribute to a music playlist. They'll be excited when they hear their requested song come on over the speakers. Embrace the chaos! Another upside to a crowdsourced party is that it requires very little planning on the part of the host!
6. Make Sure You've Got Enough Supplies For Everyone
Nothing is worse than having twenty guests jump into the pool only to discover that there are only two towels available when they get out. Avoid this embarrassing situation by planning ahead. Make sure that you have enough towels and toys for everyone, and try to think about how much food and how many drinks you will need to serve so that everyone goes home happy.
Extra beach towels, bug spray, spare sets of flip flops, ample food and drink, sunscreen, ice buckets, and cover chairs around the pool perimeter are all things to check off your list before inviting your friends over for a little fun in the sun. A little bit of pre-planning can make sure your pool day is the best pool party ever.
7. Go for a Night Swim
This is one of the most unique and fun adult pool party ideas. Moving your pool party to later in the evening gives it a totally different feel. Pool parties at night can make use of creative lights, fun games, and nighttime activities like cooking s'mores over a fire. Using paper lanterns, string likes, or even tiki torches for a luau theme can give the nighttime pool party an especially interesting feel. Pass out waterproof glow sticks that people can play with while they take a dip in the swimming pool. Just be extra careful to have a strong swimmer on duty and that the pool is well-lit, as swimming at night can be a bit more dangerous than swimming during the day.
8. Swimming and BBQ
Here's a pair that goes together like peanut butter and jelly. Having a barbecue in your backyard to accompany a fun night of swimming is the perfect combination. Set your barbecue equipment poolside and serve up some hot dogs, burgers, steaks, and chicken breasts while watching your friends splash around. Or have a barbecue station on the other side of the backyard, allowing people to swim or eat and chat, depending on their mood. Barbecue and pool parties are both synonymous with an outstanding summer bash — combining the two is sure to be a good time for all involved.
9. Make It a Movie Night
Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum da-dum-da-dum-da-dum. Imagine the Jaws theme resounding on a projector at one end of the pool while all your guests lounge around on Above pool floats. Any number of movies have to do with the ocean or the sea, and even more, are considered summer classics. What better way to spend the evening than setting up a projector and a large screen at one end of the pool, hooking up waterproof speakers, and enjoying a double feature while splashing around and lounging in the water? Including a movie night with your pool party is one of the most unique pool party ideas for adults, and if you tie the movie in with your pool party theme, it's sure to make for a memorable event for everyone involved.
10. Make It a Potluck
Everybody wants to eat and drink at a pool party, but all that cooking can be trying on the hosts. Why not throw a potluck? Ask everyone to bring one item from home while you supply the pool, the plates, cutlery, napkins, and perhaps some beverages. People will have fun coming up with ideas for what to bring and showing off their cooking, and a contribution from everyone will be sure to result in an eclectic feast. Plus, comparing the different offerings of different guests can be a great icebreaker or conversation starter. Mini sandwiches, hot dogs, tacos, chips, and salsa, or other light bites are a perfect addition to a fun poolside party. Try to make a list of what everyone is planning to bring so you don't end up with too many duplicates.
11. Give Out Party Favors
Who doesn't like party favors? The staple from kids' birthday parties and weddings can be repurposed to make for a memorable addition to your adult pool party. If you've decided on a theme, try to find as many small and clever trinkets as you can go along with that theme. If you're planning a Hawaiian luau, provide leis for all your guests. If you choose a Las Vegas-themed party, give out gold coins and playing cards.
Having something fun to take home or perhaps even incorporate into a fun game poolside will be a special and memorable addition to your adult pool party. Bonus points for wrapping them in a nice package that goes along with your theme or even incorporating them as prizes in a game that your guests can play. Get creative with it! The more icebreaking activities you can give to your guests and the more you can incorporate little party favors for them to take home, the more memorable your party is sure to be.
12. Safety First!
Everybody's soaked in water, so it may not be obvious that people will need drinking water, too. Keeping people hydrated, having travel-size bottles of sunblock available, and making sure that a confident swimmer is keeping an eye on everyone are essential. Keep bug spray on hand to make sure people can ward off pesky pests. Having a party in the pool can be a great time, but swimming is always a dangerous activity, so making sure to observe basic safety rules is a must. Nothing can ruin a pool party like a bout of dehydration, getting a bad sunburn, or, God forbid, a near-drowning incident. Keep your party safe with some basic safety steps.
Have a Blast!
Whichever of these pool party ideas for adults you choose to incorporate into your next pool party, we're sure you're bound to be in for a good time. Pool parties are a time-honored tradition in the summer. They can bring neighborhoods together, help old friends reconnect, or just be a great way to cool down and enjoy the summer months with your friends and family. Most of all, remember to have fun. No matter how much planning you do, if you're not having fun, then there's no point. Everyone will be in the spirit to have a good time, so take some time to enjoy the party for yourself.