Who doesn't enjoy a party at the poolside? Maybe the sun, water, or just the summer season inspires us. A party at the poolside is just a perfect fit for the hot weather, meaning that we should enjoy it till it lasts.
Gathering our friends and family together, swimming in the water instead of going to work out, and having poolside parties in our outdoor spaces are all benefits of the summer season. While you prepare to throw a fun party along the poolside, serving enough food is essential. Whether you are hosting the party all by yourself or either planning a potluck with friends or family, there should be a food or drink recipe that makes everyone happy.
There is nothing that compares to having a bunch of friends by the pool and enjoying the sunshine while swimming. However, hosting a party all by yourself is quite a challenge. You must keep the food free of water, and the drinks chilled. From managing your glassware to warding off the bugs away from the food, hosting a poolside party requires a little more effort than other regular parties. You need to carefully put your thoughts on what food and drinks to serve your guests, primarily how to serve them. We have listed a few hacks below to conveniently serve snacks, keep your food fresh, and keep bugs away from the edibles. Following these simple techniques, you would actually be able to enjoy and relax at your poolside bash.
Hacks to serve food and drinks at the poolside party.
Serving your guests with their favorite food and drinks wouldn't have been easier with these easy hacks. So go ahead and keep reading. Your pool party is waiting!
Individual Food Bags.
This is an excellent idea for serving snacks to your guests instead of using plates and bowls in which the food might get soggy because of people using their wet hands to pick the snacks up. You simply need to pack your snacks like veggie chips, popcorn, and trail mixes in portioned bags. If you are not using transparent snack bags, just label the bags with the food you have put inside the bags with a black marker. Your guests can grab their bag of choice and enjoy the food without leaving a soggy mess behind.
Use bread cups to serve veggies and dips.
Appetizers can be messy. This is why bread cups holding veggies and dips inside are easy to serve your appetizers without using utensils or containers. There is also no need to get out of the pool to have these. You can simply grab these mini cups from the food table and enjoy your snack while in the pool. To make the bread cups, you have to cut the baguette into a 3 or 4-inch piece for each cup. Pull out some bread from the inside to form a cup-like shape. Now fill the cups with your favorite dips and put the veggie sticks on the top. And it is ready! So simple and so delicious. The guests can enjoy their veggies and can have the cups as well!
Use lidded jars.
Having a party at the pool comes with some living challenges. Living challenges like bugs and tiny insects. You can easily prevent these little organisms from entering and enjoying your food plate by serving your food in lidded jars. The best option is to serve cold side dishes like coleslaw, cubed fruits, and grain salads in these jars. You can use plastic jars instead of glass if you are afraid of using glassware near the swimming pool. Pack these jars and store them in the refrigerator before the party timings. Serve them chilled.
Replace cocktail glasses with popsicle sticks.
Ditch your cocktail glasses this year and surprise your guests by serving popsicles instead. This hack is easy to make and a portable take if you do not want to use any glassware for your party. Your guests get to enjoy these frozen cocktails without even getting out of the pool. There are many options online from which you can make homemade cocktail popsicles, with or without alcohol. We recommend trying the refreshing margarita ice pops recipe made of lemon juice, water, sugar, and a pinch of salt.
Use juice pouches instead of glasses.
If you have set up a mini bar for your guests at your poolside party, playing bartender is not necessary. Go easy on yourself and make your guests feel like kids again! Pour the cocktails and other drinks that you made into small ziplocked juice pouches. The best thing about these plastic pouches is that they are easily available everywhere and could be reused after washing. This means you can enjoy your poolside bash with friends without worrying about glassware.
Utilize the kiddie pool uniquely.
Is the mini-fridge too small for your party? No worries! We have got you covered. If you have a portable kids pool lying around, use it as an icebox to keep your drinks and cold food chilled. Simply fill an empty inflatable pool with lots and lots of ice and nestle your canned drinks and salads or fruit bowls into it. Enjoy chilled food and beverages all day long.
Scoop that ice cream way before the party starts.
Who said you cannot serve ice cream at outdoor summer parties? Of course, you can, and that too without using any serving bowls or even spoons. How? The answer is simple. Pre-scoop your ice cream at least two days before the party and keep them in the freezer wrapped in aluminum foil. This would make the ice cream even harder, and it won't melt very quickly. You can follow the recipe to make two-ingredient strawberry ice cream sandwiches by scooping the frozen ice cream between two graham crackers. You can wrap the sandwiches again in aluminum foil individually and store them for up to seven days. Serve your guests hand-held mess-free no-bowl ice cream sandwiches straight out of the freezer. Another more straightforward way is to serve ice cream cones instead of scoops. Easy-breezy!
Keep the bugs at bay using herbs.
When organizing a party at the poolside, you invite bugs and other small insects to enjoy your food and snacks free of cost. However, do not let the tiny creatures ruin your party and mood. Many insects and bugs are allergic to a few herbs like sage, mint, and lavender. Throw these fresh herbs into your fire pit to keep away the mosquitos and some herbs onto the grill after cooking. The fragrance and smoke from these herbs do not let bugs or insects invade your space, so you can enjoy your time without any worries.
Baking cups as drink covers.
How do you like the idea of a fly floating around in your freshly made mint margarita? Gross right? So what do you do? Cover your glass with a baking paper cup to keep the flies and other insects away from your delicious cocktails. With the help of a straw, punch a hole at the bottom of the paper cup. Insert the straw into it. Now just turn the cupcake liner upside down and cover your glass, using the paper cup as a DIY glass lid. Your drink would remain insect and even spill-free while you have a chat with friends inside or outside the pool. Easy isn't it?
Struggling with finding snacks & drink hacks for the party?
Here are a few hacks that we have listed down for you to try out when throwing a poolside party. The coolest part about these hacks is that the snacks made do not require any separate bowls to be served in. So this year, you should go utensil-free and make your poolside summer party a memory to cherish forever!
Skewer Salads.
Everyone needs something to munch on while swimming, but no one wants to balance a salad bowl while eating and being in water simultaneously. Therefore, offer your guests a DIY skewer salad bar. Keep the veggies and fruits pre-cut on the table so that your guests pick up and skewer the components of their choice, drizzle it with dressing and enjoy a mess-free skewer salad inside the water.
Mini Pitas
Poolside parties mean that your guests would be walking around, applying sunscreen, and swimming in the pool. Therefore, you do not want the hassle of paper plates, do you? That is where finger food comes to the rescue. They are the best foods to serve at parties that involve water. By placing mini pitas on the table with a spread made of cheese or any other ingredient, your guests would have something to munch around as they enjoy the party by swimming and snacking simultaneously.
Melon glasses.
There has to be a dish or a drink that involves fruits on the menu. The gathering would not get a feel of a poolside party without colorful and refreshing fruits like watermelons, cantaloupes, and other melons. Follow many recipes available online to cut these fruits into tiny glasses and serve a sip of whatever drinks your guests choose from the bar. Simply pour in apple or orange juice if you keep the party non-alcoholic.
Quick tips.
- Try serving snacks that are smaller in size that everyone eats quickly no matter what state their hands are in, pruney or dry.
- Do not forget to keep small towels on the food table for your guests to wipe their hands before diving into the food station.
- Go for recipes that do not require crockery or cutlery to be eaten.
- Keep your food covered with a net to keep insects away.
- Make flavored ice by freezing your drink into cubes to not weaken it by water like regular ice.
- Make sure to use plastic dishware around the pool to avoid any mishaps from breaking glassware.
- Enjoy your bash to the fullest.