Having a swimming pool provides people with a great opportunity for outdoor entertainment.  When hosting a summertime party, you may be wondering how you can decorate your swimming pool/patio are to be unique and memorable.  This article will provide you with some great ideas as far as economical decorations and party ideas that will make your next outdoor party something to really remember!

If you are hosting an outdoor engagement party, there are many ways to decorate your outdoor space beautifully and with taste and elegance.  Covering tables with linen clothes and a contrasting color is a great idea.  If you want to bring in some soft lighting, you can add some twinkle lights to treetops and put out some scented tea light candles to provide a warm glow.  For the final touch to tie your look together, purchase some long vases and choose some long-stemmed scented flowers (check local florist for in-season blooms to save money) in contrasting colors to add a wash of color and complete your venue.

Hosting a birthday/pool party is another great idea for summertime entertainment.  Depending upon the age of the celebrator, there is a wide variety of different things that can be done to make your backyard festive and colorful.  For a small child’s birthday, you can bring in balloons and streamers in bright primary colors, arrange for some games and provide gift bags for guests.   Another example would be a Sweet 16 Birthday party for a girl; in this case you could decorate using the honoree’s favorite colors.  Use lots of glittery party favors, decorate using bright girly colors (hot pink, royal purple, silver, gold, etc.), hang up some pink twinkle lights from treetops and get a great themed birthday cake and you are all set for the party of her dreams.

Another great event to hold poolside is a Mexican-themed Cinco de Mayo party!  You could decorate the space using a piñata, sombreros, and maracas.  Tie the look together by using Mexican colored blankets to cover the tables and provide a feast of Mexican favorites such as salsa and tortilla chips, guacamole, mini-tacos and burritos and some margaritas and a selection of Mexican beers!  Ole let the party begin.

You can throw some very memorable parties poolside using a bit of creativity and imagination.  Following the suggestions mentioned above coupled with your own spin; you can create a festive and bright outdoor space which will enhance the experience of party-goers no matter what the occasion.  Enjoy your summertime and get the party started!

If you are looking forward to a night out, look no further than your backyard swimming pool.  There are several great theme parties you can hold over the summertime, some ideas include the following:

·         An outdoor birthday party

·         A Hawaiian Luau

·         A beach-themed party

·         Movie night

Swimming pools and socializing go together; a backyard swimming pool is a party just waiting to happen.  With a bit of creativity and imagination, your pool party can be the most fun your family, friends and neighbors can have all summer.  Here are a few ideas to help make your pool party a whopping success:

·         Use umbrellas and awnings to create enough shade

·         Remind guests to bring suits and towels (be sure to have extras on hand just in case someone forgets)

·         Make sure all your guests understand the need for strict swimming pool safety

·         Provide plastic bags for wet swimming suits and towels

·         Have extra sunscreen for those who forget to bring their own

·         Provide a convenient changing station for guests

·         Make sure the swimming pool is pristine clean, adjust the chemicals to meet the demands of increased activities

·         Spray or fog the pool area and add citronella torches and candles to stave off mosquitoes

·         Use festive plastic server ware to avoid having an glass accidentally broken by the swimming pool

·         Have extra flotation devices and blow up toys to keep children safe and occupied

A pool party is a great way to celebrate the summertime with your family and friends.  Create themed invitations, use festive decorations and provide a fare of simple, light appetizers and iced tea and water.  You can have gift bags containing sun screen samples, swim caps, colorful flip flops and water guns for guests.  With minimal expense you can throw a great party and not break the bank, the options are only limited by your imagination.

Having a home swimming pool provides hours of entertainment and a great opportunity for get-togethers.  Your friends and families will enjoy spending time having fun in the sun and will always remember your fantastic parties for many years to come.

With the hot weather rapidly approaching and summer vacation looming, parents are wondering what types of activities will keep their child busy and entertained.  Aside from the old school favorites such as hide-n-seek, tag and others, there are also a great number of entertaining games kids can play in the family swimming pool.

A game called “Get Dressed,” can be great fun for kids of all ages and is easy and fun.  With a small group of people, the game can involve everyone and with a larger crowd, it can be an “up-front” game and perfect for adults and kids alike.

The more players that participate in the game, the more fun it can be, but it can also work with as little as two players.  Each person needs to have a t-shirt, socks, shorts, bathing suits and whatever other clothing they intend on wearing and using.

Have all the participants line up at one end of the swimming pool.  Ask someone who is not playing to take all of the participants clothing and bring them to the opposite end of the swimming pool.  Have that person wet the clothing and mix up the pile, sinking it to the bottom of the pool.  That person now gets out of the swimming pool and acts as a judge telling players to get ready, set and GO!

When the judge tells players to “get dressed,” the people must race over to the other side of the swimming pool and find their shirt, put it on and race back to the other side of the swimming pool.  The judge announces which item to find next, the player swims back to the pile finds their belonging, puts it on and swims back to the other side again, until fully clothed. 

It is important to note that lightweight shorts are easier to get off and on than heavier weight jeans or longer pants.  The first person to find all of their clothing, get dressed and be back at the other side of the swimming pool is the winner.

If the host wants too, they can arrange for each person to win a prize such as sand toys, squirt guns, cheap sunglasses, sunblock and other novelty sun-and-fun related items.  This can be a great activity for any age and is the perfect way to incorporate a day of games in the fun and sun.

Once the pool contractor you hired is paid for a job well done, it’s time to make some good use of your new pool! Since it’s summertime, you and your family (as well as your neighbors and friends, quite possibly) will want to be in there all the time. Instead of spending all your pool time “hanging out” in the pool, jumping in and out of the pool over and over again, and doing laps, consider incorporating some fun pool games so you can all enjoy your new pool even more. Whether you’ve invited a few friends or neighbors over on a hot day, are hosting a pool party for your kids or an adults-only pool party, or just looking for some new ways to spend time with your family, pool games can add a lot of fun to any get-together.

To start, you can play all kinds of pool games using simply a ball or other throwing device. With a football, you can go from playing catch with one or a few other pool mates to an all-out game of water football with 10 or 20 people (guys against girls works great). Set up a pool net, get out a beach ball or actual volleyball and play a game of water volleyball in the pool. If you have a poolside basketball net, you can also play some one-on-one (or 10-on-10) water basketball.

Water polo, a swimming/handball-type game, is another great idea for those who enjoy competition and team sports. Keep in mind that you’ll need some water polo equipment, enough players, and an understanding of the rules of the game before playing.

If traditional team-based sports like water football, water volleyball, water basketball, and water polo aren’t your thing, there are plenty of other water games and activities you can try with your friends and family. Tossing around a frisbee in the pool, for example, is a pool-time favorite. If you have water balloons, you can play non-competitive water-balloon “volleyball,” a water-balloon toss (throwing them back and forth until they break), or even a water balloon fight with two teams on opposite ends of the pool. One simple game you can play that doesn’t require anything but your bodies is a simple race from one end of the pool to the next. Mix it up a bit by using different types of swim strokes (front crawl, back crawl, butterfly, underwater).

A coin toss game also works great. This game involves throwing coins into the pool (which will sink to the bottom) and having a “race” to see who can get the coins first. Rather than simply throwing a few pennies into the pool and have the pennies be the prize, consider throwing in a bunch of pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. Alternatively, incorporate some cool prizes for whoever gets the most number of (or value in) coins.

Finally, try a wet T-shirt relay race, in which your pool party guests are split up into two teams, and each team is given one oversized T-shirt. The teams line up and the first person in line of each team must put on the huge shirt, swim to the opposite end of the pool and back, pass on the shirt to the next person, and so on, until everyone’s had one turn. The first team to finish is the winner.

If you don’t have your own pool, local lakes offer cool temptations for getting back to nature
There’s nothing that compares to the thrill and excitement of skinny-dipping. Whether you dare to bare with your love interest or a group of adventurous friends, there are few things quite as exhilarating as splashing into the water au natural.

But be careful. Unless you have your own swimming pool, you’ll need to plan ahead to ensure your clothes and swim come off without any snags.

True, part of the fun of skinny-dipping is the excitement of getting naked — and possibly seen — in public. But it’s only fun if you don’t get caught, arrested and served with an embarrassing citation. This is easy if you have your own pool, because the shelter of your house is close at hand.

If that’s not an option, or you just want to add to the excitement, these local lakes provide some good locations to strip down, jump in and try your luck.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY

Bee Tree Park (map)
2701 Finestown Road
South of Telegraph Road along the Mississippi River in Oakville, Bee Tree Park has a 7-acre lake with accessible parking and fishing dock. Watch for anglers and hooks and keep an eye out for park rangers.

Spanish Lake Park (map)
12636 Spanish Pond Road in north St. Louis County
Spanish Lake Park offers two lakes in which to try your luck. Spanish Lake consists of 34 acres and Sunfish Lake has 29 acres. Both are popular fishing holes and are also open to non-motorized boats. If you want to make a day of it, take a boat out on the water, find a quiet, secluded cove and take a dip.

JEFFERSON COUNTY

Brown’s Ford Park (map)
Located on the Big River, Brown’s Ford Park in Dittmer is a perfect place to launch a float trip. Starting from the boat ramp at Brown’s Ford, you can float 18.3 miles down to Morse Mill Park. Just remember, whatever happens on the river, stays on the river.

Morse Mill Park (map)
Also on the Big River, Morse Mill Park near House Springs features and old mill and dam overlooking fast flowing water dropping over rocks. It’s a nice place for a dip and another good place to launch a float trip. From Morse Mill the Big River flows 9.8 miles to Rockford Beach. Park security is provided at Morse Mill during selected hours. So take a careful look around before taking it all off.

Rockford Beach Park (map)
Rockford Beach Park in High Ridge is a perfect spot to spend a relaxing afternoon next to the Big River. An old stone dam creates a cascading waterfall producing an environment that naturally suited to adult recreation. Park security is provided at specific hours.

George C Winter Park (map)
If you enjoy a sandy beach, swimming and fun, you will enjoy Jefferson County Winter Park near Fenton. This is a popular spot for picnics, swimming and personal watercraft, so plan accordingly. Park security is provided at selected hours.

ST. CHARLES COUNTY

Hideaway Harbor Park
Located on Sioux Drive just west of Portage Des Sioux, Hideaway Harbor Park features an accessible fishing dock and Weber Lake. Watch for hooks and park security.

Quail Ridge Park (map)
Located at Interstate 70 and Highway 40/61 near Wentzville, Quail Ridge Park is located along Peruque Creek and includes a three acre lake. This is a popular family spot, so after dark excursions are recommended.

Indian Camp Creek Park
Situated at the confluence of Big Creek and Indian Camp Creek offers a six-acre fishing pond in a largely undeveloped setting. A perfect place to get back to nature, but watch for the park rangers.

Of course, the best place to skinny dip is in your own pool. If you don’t have a swimming pool, but are thinking about getting one this year, go ahead and fill out our pool project form. Several local verified contractors will contact you about free quotes. Best thing is, if you do end up getting a pool, we’ll pay you $50 bucks!
Do you have a favorite skinny-dipping spot in St. Louis? Don’t agree with our list? Ever snuck in a few unclothed dips in a public pool or fountain? Let us know!

Looking for something fun to do with your family and friends this summer? The answer might be as close as your own backyard. Hiring a swimming pool contractor isn’t quite the same as hiring a party planner, but once the pool builders leave, you’ll have all the equipment you need for a summer full of fun and memorable parties.Here are some ideas to get you started:

HOST YOUR OWN LUAU

Treat your guests to a Polynesian getaway without the jet lag. Decorate the pool area with Tiki torches, bright colors and Hawaiian- themed accessories from your local party supply or craft store. Use real or artificial flowers to decorate table tops and the surface of your pool.

Then, invite your guests to don their most colorful Hawaiian shirts, “grass” skirts and sunscreen for a stay-at-home trip to the Aloha State. Serve tropical drinks, plates of fruit and Hawaiian-themed dishes. If you have the yard for it, you might even want to host your own pig roast. For entertainment, line your guests up for a hula contest, or “surf” from the side of the pool or take turns making a splash in a Big Kahuna Belly Flop contest.

FOURTH OF JULY SPLASH DOWN

Celebrate America’s independence with an alternative to the hot, smokey mosquito infested fireworks display at the city park. Stay cool instead. Decorate your pool area with red, white and blue streamers. Start off the festivities with a squirt gun or water balloon battle. Serve All-American foods like apple pie, hamburgers and snow cones. When the sun goes down, kick back and enjoy the fireworks from the comfort of your favorite raft.

BACKYARD BEACH PARTY

If a trip to the coast is too pricey, bring the seaside fun home with a backyard beach party. Decorate the pool area with sea shells and fishnets, plastic crabs and other sea critters. Buy inflatable porpoises or sharks to float in the pool. Barbecue hot-dogs and hamburgers for your beach cookout. Put up a net for some “beach” volleyball, or bring in some sand for a castle building contest.

NEIGHBORHOOD YACHT RACE

You don’t need a fortune in misbegotten shareholder funds to go cavorting on the high seas. Host your own backyard yacht race. Have your guests don their best cabana wear, provide them with captains hats and suitably large sunglasses from your local party supply story and invite them aboard for some high class fun.

Buy some plastic boats from your local toy store to race across the pool. Decorate your pool and deck area with rope lights or colorful lanterns and serve the best “caviar” (tuna fish on crackers) and truffles (chocolate kisses) to complete your upper crust theme.