Plan a Pool Party

By: Vanessa Greaves

Make your pool party the hottest ticket of the summer.

Music

Music for a Hawaiian Pool Party

Facing Future by Iz Kamakawiwo'ole
Hawaiian Favorites by Don Ho
Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar Masters by various artists
Legends of Waikiki by various artists
Vintage Hawaiian Music: Steele Guitar Masters (1928-1934) by various artists

Pool Party Pointers

You can never have enough dry towels or fresh ice

As the temperature soars, keep all prepared food properly chilled. Large disposable aluminum baking pans make great ice beds for bowls and platters.

Stock extra towels, goggles, sunblock, insect repellant, ponytail bands, beach balls, inflatable rafts, squirt toys, etc.

Supply plastic bags to tote wet things home.

Glassware is a big poolside no-no; use unbreakable but recyclable or reusable products instead.

Fun and Games

When swimming's not enough

Organize a water balloon toss, cannonball competition, or treasure dive.

Raid a craft store for faux flowers, shells, and beads so guests can decorate inexpensive sunglasses, visors, and flip-flops for do-it-yourself party favors.

Hire a hula instructor and don't let anyone sit this one out.

Soggy Movie Marathon

Once the sun goes down, hang a sheet on the fence and roll a film while guests lounge in and out of the water.

Surf's Up
Lilo and Stitch
Finding Nemo
The Little Mermaid
Blue Hawaii
Beach Blanket Bingo
The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie

Hawaiian Punch

Send invitations with bold tropical images. Hint: remind guests to bring swimsuits, towels, and dry clothing.
Drape tables with oilcloth--thin vinyl backed with cotton--printed with hibiscus flowers or palm trees. (Check your fabric store or search online.) Beach towels, inexpensive sarongs, or tropical print bed sheets work as table coverings, too.
Can you splurge? Order a big bouquet of tropical blooms such as anthuriums, birds-of-paradise, proteas, tuberoses, red ginger, and orchids for your centerpiece. To keep costs down, heap a large platter with bananas, papayas, mangos, and coconuts.
Greet each guest at the door with a big "aloha," a kiss, and a flower lei (fresh or paper). Or have a basket of loose flowers for guests to tuck behind their ears (left for married and right for single).
Party stores have lots of island-themed accessories. Buy table skirts in raffia or plastic grass. Cut them into lengths for individual grass skirts fastened with ties or Velcro.
Light up the tiki torches when night falls and battle the biters with citronella candles.

Play it Safe

Kick boards, foam noodles, and inflatable rings are fun float toys, but they're not meant to be water safety devices. Strap the little swimmers into US Coast Guard-approved life vests, and get right in the pool with them.
Separate the shallow end of the pool from the deep end with a rope-and-float line.
Reapply sunblock frequently, following manufacturers' guidelines.
You might not notice but swimming is sweaty business, so be sure to keep the kids properly hydrated.
Anytime you plunge people into water, safety is a major consideration. We recommend you hire a qualified lifeguard to watch the kids. The American Red Cross has a great site with practical advice for pool parties: everything from where to find lifeguards for hire to how long you should wait after eating before diving in.