Dive into Summer: Easy Pool Party Themes for the Ultimate Splash Bash

With summer in full swing, now’s the time to host some amazing poolside entertainment!

Pool parties are always a good time, but a little extra planning can turn ordinary pool days into extraordinary events. Start with a pool party theme that sets the tone for games and decorations, as well as drinks and munchies.

Summer living is easy – and planning your entertainment should be, too. Christmas Central offers these easy pool party ideas to add polish to your recreational activities.

From pink flamingos to fruity drinks, a tropical paradise party always delights. Develop the theme by serving a selection of tropical frozen pops and slushies, tropical fruit salad, grilled pineapple and your favorite protein basted in mango habanero barbecue sauce.

Enchant young guests with an underwater-themed pool party. Set the scene with LED teal mermaid fairy lights and tropical fish table decor. Populate your pool with fish floats of all sorts, including an angel fish swim ring, a pair of inflatable seahorse noodle floats or clown fish swim raft.

Light up your party area with underwater themed novelty lights like our blue starfish lights or seahorse lights.

Include sea-themed games, like a sinking jellyfish dive, light-up piranha dive or shark target toss.

The best way to chill on a hot summer day is to think cool thoughts! And what could be cooler than a Summer Freeze theme, complete with chilled treats and an arctic inspired decor?

Serve freezer treats, fruit slushies and ice cream. Let the kids chill in an inflatable ice cube float while the adults lounge on an ice cream cone raft.

Ice pop lights or novelty lights featuring colorful margarita glasses add a bright touch.

Turn your pool party into a pirate adventure, complete with pirate themed pool floats, games, pool party supplies and decor.

What’s a pirate themed party without a little treasure? Toss a handful of dollar store gold doubloons in the water for kids to retrieve, or keep score with our sunken treasure diving game.

Afterward, set the kids loose on their own pirate adventures in an inflatable pirate ship or pirate castle hideaway.

Since pirating is thirsty work, keep your drinks cold in our inflatable treasure chest cooler.

Snacks for the younger set can be served on treasure map placemats and can include “skeleton bone” yogurt covered pretzels and “cannon ball” donut holes. Plus, any rectangular cake can easily be frosted to resemble a treasure map.

Aloha! Channel some colorful island vibes with a Polynesian luau theme. Set the scene with soft island music and present each guest with a lei or tropical flower.

Hospitality is key at a luau. When swimmers need a break, make sure there are plenty of drinks and snacks on hand. Set up a floating tiki bar in the pool, where guests can grab their favorite tropical drinks. Keep additional canned and bottled beverages cold in an inflatable totem pole cooler.

It’s an Olympic year! Since swimming competitions are some of the most popular events, nothing could be more appropriate than to hold your own backyard summer Olympic games.

Serious swimmers can compete head-to-head, if you wish, but there are lots of ways to inject some fun and frivolity into your pool Olympics theme.

Options include pool float relays, pool volleyball, pool basketball, diving games, sharpshooting, floating ping pong and pool jousting. Support “Team USA” with a selection of red, white and blue pool floats.

Snacks can also support a red, white and blue theme. Top a bowl of red and blue berries with fluffy white whipped cream. Or serve bowls of red, white and blue corn chips. Alternatively, play with the colors of the Olympic rings - black, red, blue, green and yellow - to create your own colorful Olympic snack bar.

Ready to light up the night with an after-dark pool party? When swimming at night, be sure your pool is well lit with lights in and above the water.

Supplement pool lights with floating LED lights for an inviting ambiance. Enhance trees, shrubs and architectural elements like fences and pergolas with warm white mini lights and fairy lights.

Some pool toys shine their brightest at night. Consider the nighttime luxury of a lighted air mattress, or the playfulness of an inflatable LED color changing beach ball.

Since an after-dark pool party is more likely to be adults-only, consider offering more sophisticated refreshments like wine and cocktails, paired with a charcuterie tray.

Pool party themes add to the fun, but it also gives your plans some direction. Instead of wavering indecisively over how to decorate or what to serve, let your party theme inspire food, games, decor and other entertainment.

Whatever theme you choose, your attention to detail is sure to enhance the party atmosphere and shape a memorable occasion.