How To Plan A Summer Party: 13 Fun Themes To Decorate Your Backyard

Author Gonzalo / Posts / Published: 16/01/2020

Finally, summer has arrived! Now it’s time to discover how to plan a summer party to end all parties! Even though it can get blistering hot in the Aussie summer, the longer daylight hours and lovely cooler evenings let us enjoy leisurely get-togethers with family and friends. So if you want to know how to have the best summer party ever – keep reading!

First of all, let’s look at a few summer party themes, then we’ll explore how to pull together a tropical theme party, followed by some awesome pool party theme ideas.

Summer party themes:

You can’t just throw any old party, you need one of the on-trend summer party themes that only the best hosts organise to impress their guests. A high impact party will always be remembered and you will carve your place at the top of the party-hosts hall of fame! So you need a theme, not just any theme, but a theme that makes everyone gasp with delight and hammer their way to your door!

Some of the best parties are held al fresco outside in the garden, under a patio or awning if it’s during the heat of the day. On our list of how to have the best summer party are some awesome choices: ice cream parties, backyard BBQ parties, beach parties, camping parties, surfing parties, pineapple parties, Hawaiian parties, scavenger hunt parties, movie night parties, Australiana parties and Mexican parties. We also have a tropical theme party and pool party theme ideas on our list, so everyone is happy! That makes 13 different themes for your summer party!

1. Ice cream parties: There’s nothing like ice cream on a hot summers day to bring a smile to everyone’s face. So why not host an ice cream party, asking everyone to bring a different flavour, as well as toppings and condiments?
2. Backyard BBQ parties: Steaks, burgers, chicken and snags are one of our more popular party themes, but adding a cowboy, rodeo or western element takes it to a whole new level! Think about cowboy costumes, lassoing games, boot scootin’ line dancing, lots of beer and don’t forget the beans!

Image of people holding lots of colourful cocktails.

Image of man checking BBQ full of burgers and sausages.

The Ideas Don't Stop at Home!

3. Beach parties: Another fabulous option from our list of summer party themes, beach parties are practically a way of life in Australia! You can go to the beach, but you can also create the beach at home in your garden. So prepare lots of light finger food and have plenty of water, beer and the odd bottle of wine on hand. Make sure that you have enough beach umbrellas for everyone in your backyard, as well as sunscreen. Add a few surfboards, buckets of sand and a slippery slide and you can turn your backyard into a beach for the day. WooHoo!

4. Camping parties: If you are going camping with friends over the summer, then you can throw a camping party at your campsite. On the other hand, you can just as easily put up a tent in the garden. Cook some real camping food including damper, cheesy campfire potatoes, grilled prawns, chicken nachos, chilli, pancakes and French toast. Now you know how to throw a summer backyard party that rocks!

Image of three yellow tents in a forest under a starry night sky.

More Summer Classics:

5. Surfing parties: Whether on the beach or in your backyard, a surfing party will bring everyone running fast! You want plenty of surfboards, beach balls, water guns, slippery slide and water balloons. You can even set up a surfing photo booth to take memorable photos of the event and post them to Facebook.

6. Pineapple parties: Everyone loves pineapples, so a pineapple inspired summer party is a great idea. You can serve pineapple cocktails in hollowed out pineapples, pineapple inspired food, and string pineapple decorations around the backyard.

7. Hawaiian parties: Palm trees, grass skirts, leis, hibiscus flowers and Pina Coladas are all great ways to pull together a Hawaiian themed summer party. Play some Hawaiian music, make fruit kebabs and pineapple lemonade, set up a Tiki Bar, bake pineapple cupcakes and have a fabulous time! Now you know how to plan a summer party!

Image of three woman wearing Hawaiian Luau themed outfits under a tiki archway.

8. Scavenger hunt parties: Throw some prawns on the barbie and then join in the fun of a scavenger hunt. Create about 20 clues that lead to a worthy prize, and when you have a winner – throw some more prawns on the barbie!

9. Movie night parties: Set up a large screen TV outside or a projector and poll your friends for their top 3 movies. Light the barbie, grab a beer and have some fun!

10. Australiana parties: A Crocodile Dundee party will create more new best friends than any other type of party! Ask everyone to dress up in a Dundee costume, throw some steaks on the barbie and watch all the movies, one after another.

11. Mexican parties: Mexican hats, pinatas, guacamole, chilli, tacos and nachos, and lots of Mexican beer and Margaritas make the best parties. Play some Mexican music, make another jug of Sangria, give everyone a haybale to sit on and let everyone know the Cantina is open!

Image of margarita with lime and nachos in the background.

12. Tropical theme party: A tropical theme party is easy to do and is perfect for a hot Aussie summer day. To pull of your tropical themed party you need lots of coconuts, seashells, balloons, pink flamingos, paper lanterns, Tiki torches, fruit salad and rum punch. Playing the Beach Boys music is a great idea and palm trees in the garden is an added bonus! Think about roast pork and seafood dishes, plenty of cocktails, salads and rice dishes.

13. Pool party theme ideas: Everyone loves a pool party in the summer, so you won’t have any problems coming up with pool party theme ideas. To get you started you need a beach feel to your outdoor décor (pastels and creams are on-trend right now). You can also set up an ice cream bar, a big bowl of fruit punch on the deck, get the barbie hot to trot, and fill the pool with balloons and floats. To add an extra dimension to your pool party, why not choose an extra theme? Summer goth, vampires, James Bond, cartoon characters or Baywatch are great inspirations for some awesome pool party costumes.

Image of colourful beach ball floating in blue pool.

With these 13 party themes, everyone will know that you have the most awesome ideas! Now you know how to have the best summer party of the season, your fame is guaranteed! For more inspiring ideas for your summer party, check the vaults at CostumeBox.