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5 Tips to Help Ensure a Great July 4th Weekend Pool Party
The July 4th weekend is traditionally the biggest weekend of the year for pool use. With Independence Day falling on a Tuesday this year many are celebrating the weekend before (July 1-2), in addition to Tuesday, July 4th.
Whenever your party is, the following five tips will help your July 4th pool party be one to be remembered!
- Make sure your pool is ready:
The recent heat that we have experienced means that more attention needs to be given to water chemistry. To avoid last-minute water problems such as cloudy water or a green pool, be sure that your pool water is balanced. Consider having it professionally analyzed at Gohlke Pools sometime before your party. This preventative maintenance will help prevent eye and skin irritation that sometimes accompanies a weekend of swimming in a pool of unbalanced water. Eye and skin irritation are usually due to insufficient sanitizer levels or incorrect pH levels. If you need any last-minute help or pool supplies, our Retail Store in Denton will be open during our regular hours except on July 4th. On Tuesday, July 4th the Retail Store will be open from 9am-noon.
- Prepare the area surrounding your pool:
In addition to preparing the pool, the area surrounding the pool will also probably need some attention such as mowing, trimming plants, cleaning the patio, etc. Consider using container plants in the pool area to help dress it up. Also, do not forget to get rid of pests such as wasps and ants. It would probably be a good idea to have wasp spray on hand for any unwelcome pests that arrive during your party.
- Decorations & Music:
Decorations and music really help set the mood. Seasonal decorations really can add to the feel of the party and paper products such as tablecloths, plates, cups, and napkins are also available in a patriotic theme. Party stores such as Party City or Hobby Lobby are an excellent source for these festive decorations. For evening parties, try stringing party lights along the fence and in the trees and shrubbery or use tiki torches. As far as music goes, patriotic music or beach music (try some Beach Boys or Jimmy Buffet) can really add to pool parties.
- Food:
Firing up the grill and serving hamburgers and hot dogs is always a safe bet. For the more courageous, smoke a brisket or ribs. And for dessert, nothing represents summer and pool fun more than homemade ice cream. Be sure to delegate some of the food responsibilities to your guests.
- Activities:
Although a swimming pool and refreshments are usually enough to provide for your visiting guests the following are some pool games and activities that can really add to a party:- Marco Polo – An oldie, but a goodie!
- Relay races – For a patriotic touch, use red, white, & blue plastic streamers to separate swimming lanes.
- Chicken fights – Many of us have participated in chicken fights but try chicken fight tag (self-explanatory) or chicken fight races (from one end of the pool to another).
- Sharks and minnows – This game is good for a large group.
- Water volleyball – Available at most pool supply and sporting goods stores.
- Water basketball – This was a favorite available at most pool supply and sporting goods stores.
- Water football – This game is self-explanatory and is also quite fun.
- Water baseball – Typically it is played in the shallow end of the pool with bases being approximately 10’-15’ apart. Typically, a ball hit out of the far end of the pool is a homerun.
There are many other pool games that can be found by Google searching swimming pool games and activities.
While enjoying your pool party, remember that swimming pool safety should always be a concern. Drownings and accidents can occur during parties if children are ignored while parents socialize. You might consider hiring a lifeguard or consider having parents take shifts being the pool monitor and even provide a whistle and a list of pool rules if you feel that is necessary.
Gohlke Pools wishes you a wonderful safe celebration!
