The Ultimate Guide To How To Throw A Good Beach Party! [Summer 2020 Edition]

Author Gonzalo / Posts / Published: 23/1/2020

It’s summer! So do you know how to throw a good beach party? If you are organising a birthday party (or any type of party celebration), you can’t go wrong with a beach party. It doesn’t matter your age, everyone loves spending time at the beach!

Even if you are nowhere near the beach, you can still recreate a beach party in your garden. You just need the right beach theme party decorations and a few good beach party ideas. So let’s take a look at how to have a birthday party at the beach and also how to do it at home, in the garden.

How to have a birthday party at the beach

A party at the beach is a great way to celebrate summer, but it’s an even better way to celebrate a birthday! When you need to know how to throw a good beach party, preparation is the key. With some forethought, you can have everything ready the day before, leaving you to pack the car, gather the kids and head for the beach the next day. So here are our best beach party ideas - helping you to pull off the best birthday party on the beach ever!

Shade: Most Australian beaches lack shade, so you will need to take your own. You can take beach umbrellas, but if you are hosting the party, it’s a much better idea to take a large gazebo with you. This can provide shade for all the food and drinks, as well as space to sit and chat or lounge around watching the kids play.
Sunscreen: You can’t go to the beach without a big bottle of sunscreen. Some people will likely forget to bring their own, so buy one of those large 1 litre bottles and you will have enough for everyone. Don’t forget to reapply it frequently throughout the day or everyone will still get sunburnt. Knowing how to have a birthday party at the beach, includes keeping everyone happy and safe in the sun!
Drinks: Frozen water in bottles and soft drinks will be your two staples for the day, even if it’s a birthday party. It makes no sense to drink alcohol all day long in the sun, particularly if you are the host and there are lots of kids along. A flask of coffee, a few beers and a bottle of wine is a good mix but focus on staying sober and hydrated for the day.

Food: Eating on the beach is no fun when the wind is blowing sand into your face. Sand gets everywhere, even if it’s not windy, so your best option is finger food. Unless you have access to a BBQ on the foreshore, you want food that doesn’t need a knife and fork to eat, so finger food is the way to go. Our beach party ideas for finger food include small quiches, wraps (take all the bits and bobs for the wraps in separate containers), chips, dips, boiled eggs, fresh fruit, cupcakes, chocolate brownies, cold chicken drumsticks, roasted nuts, popcorn and watermelon. If you want to take cheese and biscuits, take brie or camembert that ooze nicely in the heat, not a hard cheese like Cheddar that goes oily.
Seating: Not many of us want to lie on a towel all day long, so pack your camping chairs or deckchairs in the car the night before. Life is so much more civilised on the beach when you can sit comfortably and chat with friends.
Decorations: If you are throwing a birthday party on the beach, you need to lift it up a notch by taking along a whole swag of beach party decorations. These can include any beach theme party decorations you can get your hands on! Ideas include Tiki torches, leis, and those little umbrellas to put in your drinks. You can also take inflatable beach balls, plastic birthday tablecloths, colourful paper cups and plates, and even an inflatable palm tree for extra fun.

pineapple in the sand wearing sunglasses

Backyard beach theme party ideas

It’s one thing to throw a beach party on the beach, but it’s an entirely different beast when you need to do it in your back garden! If you have a pool, then you are half way there, but what can you do if you don’t have a pool and you want to host a beach party?

Backyard beach party decorations: We have lots of beach theme party ideas for your garden, but let’s start with the beach theme party decorations you will need. Setting up your backyard with a Tiki bar, and providing leis and grass skirts for the guests is one option for your beach party. You can also hang fishing nets along the walls with cardboard cut-outs of fish and other sea creatures, paint the tops of pineapples in pretty colours and fill mason jars with sand and seashells. Beach umbrellas are a great way to add colourful beach party decorations to your backyard, as are blue and white balloons, banners, garlands or hanging lanterns. Beach themed tableware is also a fabulous way to add another layer to your beach theme party decorations, as are pastel coloured ice cream cups, paper straws and little umbrellas for the drinks.

Drinks: At home, you can go a little crazier with your drinks than at the beach! Fruity cocktails are a great idea for a beach party, as well as jugs of sangria or punch. Lots of lemonade (even a lemonade stand) are great for kids, but it also pays to have beer and wine available as well.
Food: Our beach party ideas for food in your backyard, also includes finger food, as it saves you a lot of prep and clean-up time. The same foods you would take to the beach can be offered at your backyard party, but you can add a few more items that might need a knife and fork. A BBQ is a brilliant idea, so consider prawns, steak and chicken, accompanied by lots of wonderful fresh salads.

Now you know how to throw a good beach party and you have discovered lots of fabulous beach theme party ideas, why not check out CostumeBox for all the party supplies you need?