Summer Backyard Party Ideas

Backyard parties are a great way to get a break from the day-to-day routine in the summer. Having an outdoor party frees up a lot of possibilities when it comes to entertaining because your yard will generally accommodate a much larger crowd than your house. The ideas to spice up the party are virtually endless. Use these few tips to make your backyard party a hit.

Having a pig roast is one of the cheapest ways to feed a large amount of people without an overly excessive cost. The roasting can be costly depending on the size you choose, but the leftovers will last a long time.

Setting up a buffet-type dinner on picnic tables is a fun and inexpensive way to please everyone. Set up a few tables on one side of the backyard, away from any activities and games.

Follow the buffet style, but have each guest bring an item. Make a list of ideas with those individuals you know will be able to make it. Then ask each of them to choose an item that is on the list to bring.

If your backyard party involves alcoholic beverages, try buying a keg of beer instead of cans or bottles. Get an old ash tub and set the barrel inside. Then surround the rest with ice. If children will be present at the party, be sure to grab a keg of root beer or birch beer as well. Set it up in the same way with a clear label pasted on the tub to identify that it is soda for the kids.

You can cut down on the cost, and add to the fun, by making your backyard party a bring-your-own-beer, or BYOB, party. Have each guest bring their preferred kind of beer and have tubs and ice set up to hold different kinds.

Set up an area to the side of the party to throw horseshoes. Adding a game like this to any backyard party will increase the enjoyment for all of the guests involved.

Set up a volleyball net for the kids during the afternoon and for the adults for the evening. If money is an issue or you do not have a volleyball set, you do not have to purchase a new one. You can use one of the kids' play balls as the volleyball and a simple wash line tied between two trees as the net.

Set up a card table out of the way from all the other games and away from the beer tubs. If children will be present at the party, set up a smaller card table with children's card sets like Go Fish or Old Maid to keep them occupied as well. Cards will give the non-sport-like adults, the children and the non-alcohol drinkers another choice of entertainment for the length of the party.

Hiring a DJ could be expensive but would make a great addition to any backyard party. Alternately, you could set up a stereo near a window in the house and run the speakers outside. If you have outside electrical outlets, you would have a larger space to work with to keep the equipment out of the way of any possible hazards.