School’s out! No more early mornings for you. No more homework for them (well, until college!). It may seem like graduation was never going to come but now that it’s here how will you and your graduate celebrate? Why not with a pool party! How to plan a graduation swimming pool party is what the swimming pool contractors from Advanced Pools, Inc in Memphis, TN are writing about today.

How will you make the graduate’s party one to remember? By inviting friends and family over for a swimming pool party! You know that you’re looking for a reason to have a pool party anyway, right? A graduation party is the ideal “excuse” to throw one!

How to plan a graduation swimming pool party

Ask your graduate when he or she wants to have the party because you will be trying to coordinate yours around his or her friends and no one will want to miss the parties of their friends. Once a date has been set you can work on the invitations. Chances are your graduate will simply want to text his friends about the party — that’s fine! You can send invitations to friends and family or hand deliver them. If you want to be unique — write the invitation on a deflated beach ball (with waterproof ink). They inflate the ball, see the invitation and bring the ball with them to the party!

Make or buy decorations in school colors. String streamers, use helium balloons to decorate the poolside area. Grab some pool noodles, spray paint them in school colors then hang them around the pool area. Hang photos of the graduate through the years! Grab a disposable camera or a polaroid type camera and let the graduate and his or her friends take photos of one another and hang those from the pool noodles. Having a picture of the graduate and his friends is unique because we rely so heavily on virtual images that this could be a great keepsake.

Ask the graduate what he or she wants on the menu and build your food plan from there. If they only want hot dogs and chips, feel free to supplement that with salads, veggie trays hamburgers and other family favorites. Set up a hot dog and burger station complete with bread and toppings so everyone can build their own. Don’t forget watermelon and other in season fruits as well as cut up veggies, cheeses and dips.

Cupcakes are more portable and give your party a unique flair, too. You can stll have a cake decorated with the graduate’s name but have it surrounded by cupcakes frosted in the school colors. Or you can let the guests decorate their own. Set up a cupcake decorating station with frostings, sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, and more.

Make it easy on yourself and indulge in plastic drink cups and throw away plates and plastic utensils.

You can plan games for your guests — in pool and out of pool. Don’t feel you have to be the ringleader for the party games. You can let them decide whether they want to play a game, swim or just kick back and relax.

Have additional towels on hand for guests who have forgotten theirs and don’t forget to have sunscreen to protect anyone who wants it.

Here’s to your graduate and to your swimming pool graduation party!