Celebrating our nation’s freedom with the people you care about the most is something we look forward to every summer. Cookouts, fireworks, and fun! It’s a pretty basic game plan, but adding a pool party to the mix is enough to put the kids over the top in excited anticipation. Especially, if you’re gathering your family and friends together at your place this Independence Day.
We’ve got some tips to share that should help you prepare to host the best 4th of July pool party ever!
Prepare the pool
Of course, the fireworks display is the height of the festivities, but until that time arrives, your pool is going to be the focal point for guests, right? You want it to be in tip-top shape so the water never looked more inviting.
Give the pool a thorough cleaning a day or so ahead of the party. Skim the pool and then thoroughly brush all pool surfaces. Clean out your skimmer basket and strainer and, lastly, vacuum the bottom of the pool to clear away any dirt and debris.
Go ahead and set your pump and filter system to run continuously for a few days before the pool party. Running the pool pump full time will clear out any debris, disperse chemicals during balancing and shocking, and circulate the pool water. All of these things work together to help ensure you have the sparkling pool water everyone is dreaming of.
Next, test and balance your pool water. Keeping the water clean and sanitized ahead of time is the best way to ensure that you don’t have a chemistry problem pop up on the 4th. Nobody needs that kind of stress on a holiday. You’ve got burgers and stuff to get ready for the grill!
Don’t forget to shock the pool 24 hours in advance though. More swimmers than usual will create a higher volume of contaminants, such as sunscreen, deodorant, laundry detergent, and—well—a boatload of skin cells actually. Shocking your pool in advance beefs up the chlorine levels to handle the onslaught of ick.
Rally the troops
Planning your Independence Day pool party should be a family affair!
Gather everyone together and knock out the list of pre-party chores. Does the lanai enclosure need a quick scrubbing? Arm the kids with a bucket of warm, sudsy water and some scrub brushes. They will have a blast helping clear any dirt and debris from the screens. You may even want to break out the power washer and have at those sidewalks. Decide how you’ll arrange the furniture in the yard next. Is everyone gathering in the same spot or do you like to create several areas of group seating?
What about decorations? If you have a flag, it’s the perfect day to have it on display. Small flags make for a festive tabletop decoration either on their own or placed in flower arrangements or greenery. Will you hang lanterns in the yard? Can you program your pool lights for a red, white, and blue light show after dark?
The sky’s the limit—but the fireworks surely have that covered, right?
Mustering up the menu
Cookouts aren’t known to be extravagant. Burgers and hotdogs are the perfect main course. You can make it seem extra special though by doing a build-a-burger bar. Prep is minimal, but once all the fixings are laid out on a table, there are sure to be some oohs and ah’s of delight. If you’ve got a firepit, you can’t go wrong with s’more as one of your dessert choices. Red, white, and blue is the theme of the day. Desserts with red and blueberries are traditional fare on Independence Day.
You might want to try this recipe for Watermelon Stars. It’s easy to prepare so let the kids in on the fun! You will need 1 seedless watermelon, a star-shaped cookie cutter, whipped cream, and about half a cup of blueberries.
Follow these easy steps:
- Cut the watermelon into 1/2″ thick slices.
- Using a star-shaped cookie cutter, cut the slices.
- Lay the watermelon stars side by side on a baking tray.
- Add a small swirl of whipped cream on the center of each piece.
- Place 1–3 blueberries on top of the whipped cream to decorate.
No one invites them, but those pesky flies find their way to every cookout, don’t they? If you have an enclosed poor area or lanai, consider laying out the food inside your enclosed area.
Patriot games
Keeping guests engaged is the key to throwing a great pool party. Plan some games and encourage some friendly competition. Volleyball or croquet are both fun, yet not too strenuous for most people to participate in, depending on the temperature, of course. Most of us are acclimated to the heat. If you have party-goers attending from out of state, however, give them a word to the wise so they don’t overdo it.
If you have an extra watermelon on hand, the watermelon race is simple to set up and a ton of fun to play! Slather petroleum jelly on a watermelon and toss it into the center of the pool. Don’t worry! You’ve pre-shocked, remember?
Divide players into two teams and have each team line opposite sides of the pool. On the count of three, everyone dives in and goes for the watermelon. The antics displayed as each team tries to gain and keep control of the slippery watermelon are sure to entertain! The team that successfully gets the watermelon to their side of the pool and out of the water, wins.
Play it safe
Before anyone enters the pool, you should run over the house rules. Most guests are probably aware of your pool rules, but being the responsible pool owner that you are, you will take the time to go over them again at the beginning of the party. No running on the pool deck. No diving off the edge of the pool. Standard, but serious, rules. Anyone who breaks them gets time out of the water.
Other ways to play it safe around the pool include keeping all glassware away from the water. If any broken glass gets in the pool water, you will have no alternative but to drain the pool to get it cleaned out. It’s a good idea to encourage water breaks after about 45 minutes of swimming too. Especially the kids!
Speaking of the kids, appoint water watchers to be on duty. Parents are sure to volunteer to take a shift. Making sure everyone is safe in the water is paramount to the success of the day. And, the day will be nothing less than that.
We’re celebrating our freedom! Let’s make some noise!