Best Pool Party Ideas: Themes, Decorations, Games, and More

The pool party is a fundamental staple of American entertainment. More than one-third of children in the U.S. swim in a pool at least six times each year. Particularly during summer months, pool parties represent a great opportunity to cool off, spend time with friends, and memorialize a special occasion.

The best pool parties don’t happen by accident. It’s important to plan your event well ahead of time, organizing the theme, invitations, food, and other aspects. The planning stage is also important for identifying safety requirements that keep all children and adults safe around the water.

Birthday Pool Party Themes

A great birthday pool party starts with a great theme. A great theme makes planning easier, allowing you to organize the day’s decorations, food, and events around a single focus. Your theme should be unique, one that inspires the participants. Be sure to choose a theme that’s age-appropriate and easy to understand, to accommodate guests of all ages.

Under the Sea Adventure

Throwing an “under the sea” pool party allows you to take advantage of the pool environment itself. It’s easy to find decorations, food, and games that pair well with the theme and the pool itself.

Decorations can include a wide assortment of sea-themed animals and items. Consider inflatable sea creatures for the pool itself, with blue tablecloths and cutlery to match. Make seaweed garlands from fabric or streamers and use them to mark entrances and exits. You can even use colored sponges and foam to create your own “coral reef.”

A sea-themed pool party also allows you to make full use of the entire pool space. If you have a backyard pavilion, use it for sea creature decorations and decorate tables with a host of pirate-themed objects. Items like gold coins, pirate flags, netting, and treasure chests are a great start. Serve indoor or outdoor meals like shark-shaped sandwiches and blue jello, or get creative with fish and chips.

Tropical Paradise Luau

The tropical luau is another common pool party theme, one that’s easy for everyone to enjoy. Create a tropical ambiance with tiki torches, Hawaiian leis, and other brightly colored tropical decorations. You can also scatter palm leaves and leafy plants around seating and entryway areas for added effect. Use a speaker to play ocean waves or tropical music to bring the entire space together.

Tropical food is always a pool party favorite. Serve items like fruit skewers, pina coladas, or coconut-flavored candy. At mealtime, you can serve Hawaiian pizza, Hawaiian barbecue, or coconut rice for a more substantive meal.

Olympic Sports Extravaganza

An Olympics-themed pool party is the perfect excuse to break out your competitive side. Take advantage of the nearby pool to host a variety of competitions in water and on land. Swimming races, pool basketball, water polo, and relay races are fun activities that everyone can participate in.

For an added wrinkle, assign each party guest — or groups of guests — an individual country. Guests will compete to determine the day’s winner. Award plastic medals in each event, and take time to recognize gold, silver, and bronze winners on a podium before the next event begins.

You can serve a variety of sports-themed snacks during a break in the action. Consider an Olympic rings fruit platter or stadium hot dogs as meal options. You can also fill ice cream cones with popcorn, candy, or other goodies to emulate the Olympic torch.

Pool Party Decoration Ideas

The right decorations can make any pool party an unforgettable event. Consider your entire outdoor space when decorating — and don’t ignore unsightly elements like fences, walls, doors, or outdoor lighting. With the right approach, you can even transform structures like a pool house to match your theme.

For best results, make your pool party a full decorative experience. Take time to define outdoor lighting, install shady structures like umbrellas, and spread out lounge chairs and tables for relaxation and social activity.

Outdoor Lighting

Outdoor lighting delivers more than visibility; it helps to enhance the mood and draw party guests together. Particularly during evening hours, guests gather in lighted areas to eat, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company. Your outdoor lighting can transform a simple pool into a great memory for every party attendant.

Your outdoor light fixtures and bulbs should agree with your theme. Choose lights with a color, brightness level, and location that adds to the focus of the party. Of course, it’s also important to adequately light all paths, entrances, and exits for all guests.

Pool parties aren’t the only outdoor events that need good lighting. The right lighting is also a staple for outdoor dinner parties, barbecues, or business events that take place by the pool.

Floaties, Lounge Chairs, and Tables

Seating and table settings are perhaps the most important decorations present at any pool party. They give guests a place to sit, gather, relax, or socialize between events. For starters, add a few floaties to the pool so that guests can relax between dips under the water.

It’s also important to consider guests who only want to gather around the side of the pool without getting wet. Make sure to place enough lounge chairs by the side of the pool so that everyone has a place to relax, even if there aren’t many people in the pool at a given time.

Organize chairs around tables and lighting, while leaving enough space for people who want to stand or walk around. If you find you have too many decorations, place chairs and extra backyard and pool furniture in a storage shed. This keeps extra seating out of the way until you need it.

Shade Structures

Shade serves more than one purpose at a pool party. It can provide a comfortable resting place out of direct sunlight, and also represents a backup plan in case of rain. Shady spaces allow you to enjoy an outdoor setting without subjecting yourself to UV exposure.

One of the best ways to introduce shade into your pool party is through a pavilion. Even a small pavilion gives pool party guests the chance to gather out of direct sunlight and enjoy the day. You can also add shade to your outdoor space with patio umbrellas, shade sails, gazebos, or a retractable awning.

Pool Party Games

Games help pool party guests unwind and enjoy each other’s company. They also help guests stay active between snacks or meals. The best games are safe, interactive, and consistent with the party’s theme.

Here are a few pool games that keep everyone entertained:

• Water volleyball: Perfect for an Olympics or sports-themed pool party. Guests split into teams and play volleyball with a net spread across the pool.

• Pool noodle races: Also ideal for a competition-themed pool party. Guests race across a pool, individually or in teams, on top of a pool noodle while swimming.

• Limbo: Poolside activity where people see how low they can bend backward at the waist without falling into the pool. Adult supervision is necessary for this activity. It’s ideal for any tropical or Hawaiian-themed pool party.

• Karaoke: An opportunity for brave party guests to break into song. All your music-themed pool party needs is a karaoke machine, or a microphone and background music.

• Underwater photo contest: Ideal for a pool party with nearly any theme. There’s only one rule: the guest or guests with the best underwater photo will be declared the winner. Guests will need waterproof cameras for this activity.

• Floating card games: Relaxing activity where guests play a variety of card games while in the pool. Guests will need a floating table or stable surface.

Remember to prioritize safety for each of these games. Station a lifeguard, or at least a responsible adult, by the side of the pool when young children are present.

More Tips for Your Pool Party

Hosting a pool party is an exciting venture — with more than a few things to remember. Between your decorations, food, and theme, it's easy to forget a few details along the way.

Here are a few more things to keep in mind:

• Check the weather before your pool party begins and plan for any rain.

• Plan an array of food that everyone will enjoy, including any guests with specific dietary preferences or restrictions.

• Childproof your outdoor space to keep kids safe during the party.

• When children are in the pool, make sure at least one lifeguard or adult is in attendance.

• Clean the pool before and after the party.

After all the preparation, don't forget to kick back and enjoy the experience. Grab some food, find your poolside lounge chair, and catch up with friends in one of the highlights of the summer.