8 Fun Summer Family Party Planning Ideas for Kids and Adults

Party planners have their work cut out for them when it comes to planning an event that flows seamlessly between adults and children alike. We want our adult guests to enjoy the event without the constant worry about where the kids are and what they are doing. At the same time, we don’t want to focus so much attention on the children’s activities that the adults feel as though they crashed a neighborhood kids birthday party. How can you blend the two together and make your next event family-friendly all the way around?

Here are 8 Fun Summer Family Party ideas to keep the children close by and involved, while you, too, enjoy the party!

1. Piñata time!  Seriously. Who can deny raining candy? That mad scurry for falling candy never gets old. We suggest hanging several colorful, large piñatas around the party area, and allow for a breaking of a piñata at various points throughout your event. The piñata doesn’t have to be the culminating event. It can be a fun surprise every hour if you choose. We also suggest allowing the adults to have their own piñata. Let’s face it, you want to take a really hard swing, don’t you? Better to space them apart and allow the children to have fun with their piñata, and the adults can take their swing at a different time on their own piñata.

2. Play a movie! (We recommend some great comedy.) Bring back the drive-in movie atmosphere with an outdoor movie projected onto a large white sheet. Of course, you need some prep to make this happen, but with popcorn in different flavors and some large lawn blankets, movie time can be a great, relaxing activity for everyone enjoy together.

3. Give a Fun Bag Favor at the beginning!  Put together a bag of fun items to keep the children happy throughout the evening rather than a goodbye gift.  Add coloring books and crayons, bubbles, “Bendables” wax sticks, and other fun, busy items. When the children get tired of running around the party and complain about being bored, you can pull out your busy bag and set them down next to you.

4. Light up the night!  Use lots of stringed lights, and even consider a fun lampstand from Colorado Party Rentals. Use lots of candles and votives scattered all around the area to create an inviting glow and add plenty of necessary lighting to keep your eyes on the little ones as they move about.

A pink fruit cake is perfect for summer parties.

5. Make dessert the highlight! With children (and adults who are still children at heart), dessert is the only reason they eat their dinner! Create a fun dessert bar with many ways to sample several options. Start with popcorn in different flavors and add ingredients to mix with the popcorn to create your own snack mix. Place some paper “Chinese food takeout” boxes on the table and label each item. Let the children and adults choose from mini-marshmallows, chocolate chips, roasted almonds, and more!

6. Let your drink table be a centerpiece! This is another creative way to include the children. Give your guests, young and old alike, the choice to create their own beverage concoctions. Serve plenty of fresh lemonade and allow your guests to flavor their lemonade to their liking. Serve flavor syrups in dispensable bottles and leave basic instruction cards for flavoring ideas. For example, raspberry lemonade made with one glass of lemonade and three squirts of raspberry syrup. Create your own mixes and leave a card with flavor combination ideas.  You can do the same for iced tea! Kids love anything they get to do themselves.

7. Serve food the kids will eat, too! There is no adult who can turn down a cheesy baked macaroni and cheese. While you may want to round out your menu with a few adult options, don’t make the children turn up their noses at your menu.

8. Plan a family-wide scavenger hunt! If you and your guests are on the adventurous side, you might really enjoy the hunt. This can be your culminating event. Send your families in search of a hidden treasure. You don’t need a complicated hunt with dozens of clues. Three or four clues will keep them entertained and happy rather than frustrated. There are several fun ideas with clues included online in case you’re not in the mood to create your own clues.

Colorado Party Rentals has everything you need for a family-friendly summer event!

At Colorado Party Rentals, we want to make sure every one of your guests feels important. Blending young guests and adult guests together in one event can be effortless with our professional staff to guide you. From the moment we answer the phone, you will receive the assistance you need to bring your ideas to life. Trust us with your family-friendly event!