Got the Winter Blues - Throw a Pre-Summer Beach Party

Just when the weather is at it's coldest and the days are at their shortest, think throwing a beach theme party. invite all your friends over and have them wear their favorite beach comber wear along with shorts, sarongs and, of course, flip flops. Sure, you may live where there is snow on the ground, but the party festivities will be inside so you will be fullness warm. For fun invitations you may want to write the invitation facts right onto a coconut. Something like "You'd be nuts to miss our Beach Party Blowout!" should get the point across.

For ambience find some great surfing records like Jan and Dean, or The Beach Boys and play them in the background. You could also put Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello movies on the television (muting the sound of course). Decorations should have lots of inferences to being near the sea. Brightly colored fish and streamers, tiki masks, and lots of greenery will add to the great mood of this beach theme party.

Games

For games, there are so many things you can do. One of my favorite is the snorkeling relay. The relay is great for guests of all ages, children and adults alike. Divide the guests into two or three teams. Have a set of flippers, a snorkeling mask, a deep measuring spoon, an empty measuring cup and a pail or bowl full or water for each team. The first relay member puts the mask and flippers on. When the signal is given he flips his way to the water bowl and fills up his measuring spoon. Then he walks the full distance of the relay trying not to spill very much out of his spoon. He dumps the spoon into the empty measuring cup and returns to give the flippers and the mask to the next member of the team. They repeat the actions. The relay keeps going until one team gets ½ Cup of water into their measuring cup. (If you use 1 Tbs measuring spoons it should take somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 relay runs to his the ½ C mark, and that's allowing for some minor spillage.)

Refreshments can include fresh fruit salads and lots of drinks with puny umbrellas in them (virgin style of policy if you have young guests). As the party starts to wind down be sure to throw up a conga line and a limbo contest. Why? Because what would any beach theme party be without a limbo champion. Why, limbo, of policy is a Must!

Got the Winter Blues - Throw a Pre-Summer Beach Party