Celebrate Summer with a Fun in the Sun Theme Party

A Sun Theme Party to Embrace Everything-Summer

A fun in the sun theme party is the party of summer. While a Summer Solstice themed party officially welcomes the start of summer, a fun in the sun party officially culminates summer in all its glory and accrued heat – and with a large splash (in a pool)! It’s a tribute to everything we love about summer: sunshine, swimming at a pool/beach, outdoor summer activities, hanging outside with friends and good music during late summer nights, sweltering afternoon cookouts, summer sports, summer camp. There is just something so seductive about summer. It’s a universally loved season that we enjoy through all stages of life, even as full-time working adults without much holiday time. Whether you have the opportunity to enjoy the beach and any outdoor adventures, or whether you’re homebound due to work schedule or other circumstances, a sun theme party is a great way to harness some summer fun!

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Three smiling friends are running on the beach in the surf in their bathing suits — Photo by RDNE Stock Project

How to Throw a Fun in the Sun Theme Party

1. Create a Hot Scene with Summery Decorations

Hosting Locale

If at all possible, host your sun theme party outside! Ideally the weather cooperates and you have a proper hot and sunny day. Still, always have a plan B to move the party indoors if the weather turns wet. Even if you have everything set up to party outside, set up your indoor space to also be compatible for the amount of guests you’ll host. Have enough seating options and places for food. Hopefully the weather is advantageous and you can take advantage of the summer heat with a sun theme party in the actual sun! If you need guidance on hosting an outdoor party, check out the patio party post for details like adequate seating options, shade, and food setup.

If you have a pool, hosting a pool party is of course the ideal way to throw your fun in the sun theme party! Even if nobody decides to actually swim, it’s still fun to invite guests to attend wearing their favourite summery swimsuits with beach towels. Friends can choose to chat by the poolside with drinks while basking in the sun. The only reason this party theme isn’t explicitly a pool party is because most people don’t have their own pool or access to host a party at one. Which is fine because a pool isn’t necessary to enjoy a summer fun party. But if you do have a pool, this is definitely the best way to enjoy this party!

Four friends sit at a table outside while enjoying a meal together over a colourful Mexican blanket tablecloth and under strung bulb lights, the perfect setting for a sun theme party — Photo by RDNE Stock Project

Decorations

Decorating is the fun part of party preparation! Whether you host your sun theme party indoors or outdoors, there are plenty of colourful and cheerful decorations that set a playful party backdrop. Incorporating yellow suns is naturally fitting. Bold, bright summer colours are also great for things like streamers and banners. Yellow is especially suitable, as are bright orange and ruby red. Sunflowers make a great summer decorating scheme. You can also incorporate tropical elements (find more in the island party theme) or summer fruit decorations (see more in the fruit party theme). There are so many directions you can take this. Here are a few decorating ideas to get you started:

Woman wearing yellow Adidas T-shirt with yellow beanie and yellow-framed sunglasses

Woman wearing pink eye shadow holds large straw sunhat over bottom half of face

2. Prepare Summery Refreshments

Share the taste of summer with delicious seasonal dishes! Summer is a time for lighter fare like salads and finger foods instead of heavier fare like stews and casseroles. So check out this variety of summer salad recipes with seasonal produce like corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, and watermelon. Whip up tasty cocktails and punch. You could also make it a cookout if you have a grill! For drinks, serve anything cold and refreshing: juices, sparkling waters, fruit-infused water (an excellent beverage that’s easy to prepare), lemonade, beers, hard seltzers, etc. Make sure there’s a variety for everyone to enjoy.

Six clear mason jars full of fruit-infused water (watermelon, apples, limes, oranges, strawberries, lettuce, cucumbers, etc.) are lined up on top of a table in front of a backdrop of trees. Fruit-infused water is a healthy and delicious beverage to serve at a sun theme party — Photo by Kaizen Nguyễn

Here are some refreshing recipes to try:

3. Set the Summer Party Vibe with the Perfect Playlist

Six smiling friends raise their arms to clink their beer bottles together in the sun — Photo by Kampus Production

Time to put together the ultimate summer music playlist! If you don’t already have one, this is just as fun as (if not more fun than) decorating for your sun theme party. Background music is key for a party’s vibe, so plan your fun playlist with some thought! If you’re having a dance party where music is part of the main attraction, you’ll of course amp up some high-energy beats. But if you want people to be able to converse and easily hear each other, keep the volume lower and maybe play something a little more laid back.

For a classic retro summer vibe, there’s nothing better than some good 60s surf rock music. The Beach Boys is an obviously fitting choice, as is the king of surf guitar: Dick Dale. There are also plenty of sun-themed songs like the Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun, or Sammy Johnson’s Mr. Sun. And there are numerous songs about summer – way too many to list! You can also embrace a Caribbean themed party vibe with any of the Caribbean music genres, or a tropical party vibe with a Pacific Island playlist. Plenty of options! Start with music that you and your friends love and go from there to find the most summery songs or genres to create your ultimate playlist.

4. Add Enticing Summer-Inspired Aromas

A woman wearing a straw sunhat smiles in sunny field full of sunflowers — Photo by Farah

We covered the look, the taste, and the tunes of this summery party. Now, consider the scents – especially if you’ll be hosting indoors! To truly immerse your guests in a fun in the sun theme party, burn any of these delicious-smelling candles to evoke the feel of a summer vacation at the beach:

5. Plan Summer Party Games or Activities

Three women in different brightly-coloured swimsuits and sunhats sit on top of a pink beach towel and turn to face the camera. Swimsuits are a fun apparel option for an outdoor sun theme party — Photo by Ksenia Chernaya

A summer party is all about hanging out outside while enjoying good refreshments, conversation, and sunshine. But having some games set up is always a great idea! Games can also help your introverted guests more comfortably engage in a structured activity if organic conversations aren’t flowing as easily. Of course, having a pool provides plenty of fun when you can use a beach ball for a game of pool volleyball. Or race each other in pool floats (sure to be entertaining). When you’re hosting outside without a pool but with enough yard space, guests may also enjoy tossing a frisbee with each other or playing bocce ball or cornhole.

If you’re hosting indoors, there is a wide variety of summer-themed printable games you can download that are also quite fun. Another fun way to engage guests, whether inside or outside, is storytelling. Storytelling is basically taking turns conversing about specific stories or topics while listeners relax and enjoy a good story. Maybe ask each guest to take turns sharing their favourite summer memory, or their favourite thing about summer, or their favourite summer vacation, for some example prompts.

6. Establish Guest Participation

Three smiling friends sit on the dock of a lake in their bathing suits with drinks and snacks — Photo by Ron Lach

Guest participation involves how you’d like your guests to participate or contribute to your party. If you host a pool party, invite them to come in their swimsuit (even if they don’t plan to swim!). If you’d like to make it a potluck party, request that they bring a dish to share. Or maybe invite them to BYOB. Whatever you decide, make sure you communicate any participation requests when you initially invite guests so they have that information up front.

Checklist of Items You Need

These are the things you need for this party:

Any outdoor seating, shade, and food setup arrangements as needed
Sun theme party decorations
Seasonal food and drinks
Sun theme party playlist
Summer-inspired scented candles
Outdoor summer games and/or indoor digital/printed games
Swimsuit/towel if hosting a pool party

A skinny can of La Croix stands next to a watermelon-design straw hat on top of a pink and white striped beach towel in the wet sand. La Croix makes an excellent beverage choice at a sun theme party — Photo by Leah Kelley

Preparation Checklist for Your Sun Theme Party

1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date:

Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well
Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort)
Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s)
If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure calendar date for your awesome fun in the sun party!

2. Then, proceed with the fun planning:

Schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep as listed below (securing and/or making food/drinks, etc.)
Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
Order any party supplies and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time to prepare and set up)
Secure any outdoor seating/shade/food setup furniture/equipment needed (see patio party post for more information)
Shop for any party supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
In your planned time slots, acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
In your planned time slots, set up decorations and party supplies
In your planned time slots, prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)

3. Day of Party (in your amply planned time slot):

Prepare any foods/drinks that are too fresh to do any earlier
Set up any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations (if not up already)
Set up music, and candles if hosting inside
Get dressed in a fun summer party outfit (and swimsuit, if hosting with a pool)
Once everything’s ready, take some time for any preferred self-care activities so you can get in a good head space if you aren’t already. You want to be a relaxed, energized, and happy host – both for yourself and for your guests, who will pick up on your contagiously sunny vibe!

Friends float on pool floats in the pool - including a large donut, unicorn, popsicle, and pineapple — Photo by Kindel Media

Have fun with this! Successful parties happen when you put thought and care into party preparation but also keep a flexible approach so you can smoothly weather any unexpected surprises. At the end of the day, the goal is for you and your guests to have a good time – even if it storms and you have to move the party inside. Besides, there is no reason you can’t host this party again – in a year, a month, or even next week if guests are free again. So enjoy the process and party on!