With summer in full swing, I’m trying to come up with creative ways to keep the kids busy even on a hot summer day. More than just that- I want them to have a good time and make memories, too!
This last weekend we had a Backyard Beach Party and it was so much fun! We live really far from the beach but this was a great way to get that beachy feel- in our own backyard!
So how did we pull off this beach-themed party at home? Keep reading to find out what we did- and to get even more fun beach party ideas you can use to turn your next beach themed birthday party into a summer party to remember!
Craft Idea: Beach Ball Frisbees
Before our party even started, the boys and I painted Beach Ball frisbees!
We used blue, yellow, and red paint and painted alternating sections of a paper plate to make it look like a beach ball. {I let the kids do theirs however they wanted though to encourage creativity!}
We let them dry overnight and the next day we used them to play Frisbee during our party! These also double as great party favors- as long as they don’t get wet during the party!
Beach Party Theme Food Ideas
Summertime beach parties can have a variety of different foods while still staying in theme. You could do something as simple as hot dogs and fresh fruits or go with some more elaborate snacks- whatever party food you’re up for!
At our party, we had some healthy snacks like sweet peppers and a “Pirate Ship Wheel” made with watermelon slices on sticks! As an added bonus, the sticks in the watermelon slices made them easy to eat at the party!
We also had some sweet treats, including Clamshell Cookies and Beach Cupcakes!
These Clam Cookies were so easy to make- I just took two vanilla wafer cookies, put some blue frosting between them {I used white frosting with a little blue gel coloring mixed in} and added a candy pearl sprinkle!
The Beach Cupcakes featured some teddy bear cookies sunbathing, which everyone thought was adorable! To make them, I used our favorite yellow boxed cake mix, whipped up some light yellow frosting by mixing white frosting with a little yellow gel coloring, and spread it on the cupcakes. Then I dipped each one in graham crackers crumbs, inserted a parasol sandwich pick, and added a teddy bear cookie or two! So simple, and yet so cute!
Other great food options for a Beach Party theme summer celebration include:
- Grilled burgers
- BBQ Chicken or RIbs
- Vegetable skewers or corn on the cob
- Fresh fruit salad or fruit skewers
- Cold pasta salad {this one is SO good}
- Chips & Guac and/or Salsa
- S’mores
How to Decorate for a Backyard Beach Party
While it can seem hard to imagine your backyard as a tropical island, it really doesn’t take that much work to set the tone for a beach party! Our decorations were fairly simple but had a few fun touches that really added beachy vibes.
I made these table weights using decorative fishing net- all I did was hot glue it onto some blue mason jars and fill them with play sand! This turned out to be one of my really great ideas because in addition to being cute, they did a great job holding down our tablecloth, even when it got a bit breezy. If you’re hosting a party at night, you could also add some tea lights {real or LED} to add some extra lighting!
We also had mini sand pails and shovels- both as décor and as a fun way to hold the cutlery & napkins.
Looking for more seaside setting decoration ideas? Beach party decorations can be as simple as stringing up beach balls or as over the top as inflatable palm trees! I did also use one of the beach backdrops that I found on Amazon {affiliate links} to help transport us to the beach- and it made for some cute photos, too!
What should you do at a backyard beach party?
During our party, the boys did everything that they would do at the beach- they dipped their toes in the sand{box} with sand toys, and splashed around in the water- even though that water was the mini swimming pool in our backyard!
Other fun party games could include a beach scavenger hunt or beach volleyball -well, regular volleyball but use your imagination if you aren’t at the actual beach!
If you’re up for some friendly competition, try some other beach party games like a sandcastle building contest, limbo, or even a water games or a water balloons fight! You could even take it to the next level with a full “Beach Olympics”- think activities like tug-of-war, relay races, sack races, and more!
What are some great party favors for a beach birthday party?
If you’re looking for some great gifts for your party guests, check these out {affiliate links}:
- Beach Towels
- Beach Buckets
- Grass skirts
- Water Bottles
- Sunglasses
- Flip Flops
- Beach balls or sand toys
- Sunscreen
We all really had a great time at our backyard beach themed party and are thinking about making it an annual tradition! Maybe next time we’ll invite our close friends and other favorite people to have fun with us! It really was the perfect way to kick off summer and I know the kids will remember this for years to come!
[…] love this idea for using sand buckets to hold utensils and other items on the table. That article has lots of other ideas for a backyard beach […]