When school’s out, it’s time for the pool! There’s no better way to stay cool on hot summer days than a poolside celebration. Here are a few tips to throwing the perfect pool party.

1. Prep the pool

The right décor can transform a plain old pool into a magical hideaway. Use fun decorations both inside and outside the pool to make the environment fun and lively:

2. Prep the playlist and entertainment

Nothing sets the mood for a party like the music. Make the playlist beforehand, and consider clustering artists. Good ones that go together are UB40 and Bob Marley, Jack Johnson and John Mayer, and Jimmy Buffett and John Mellencamp.

As for pool games, everyone knows Marco Polo, but for older kids, consider something like I-Spy. Have all the kids turn around (or go into the house). Fill a clear plastic bottle with water and toss it into the pool. The fact that it’s clear makes it nearly impossible to see, so they’ll have to keep diving to discover it -- first one to find it wins. Of course, they’ll need goggles to play:

3. Food

The rule of thumb when it comes to pool party fare is to keep it light. No one wants bloated bellies, least of all those in bikinis. Skip things like potato salad and go for things like veggie platters and chips and dip.

And rather than a traditional fruit salad, make things special with fruit skewers. Simply cut squares or balls of watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe and stick them on wooden skewers for an easy-to-eat crowd-pleaser. The Slice Right Watermelon Slicer makes it simple to cut up all kinds of melons without sticky fingers:

4. Drinks

For the kids:

Build-your-own slushies are a stellar addition to any summer soiree. Simply bring out different juices, sodas, or even chocolate milk, let kids pick out their drink of choice, and tell them to squeeze, squeeze, squeeze. They’ll have their very own slushies in a minute or less!

For the adults:

Now is the time for fun, summer-themed cocktails. Keep things easy on yourself and just choose one to go all out with. Consider creative options like pineapple sangria, watermelon margaritas, or even an adult Capri-Sun  (yes, that’s a thing!).

To keep drinks chilled without watering them down, try Soiree Dimple Self-Chilling Wine Glasses. Just freeze the gel insert, pop it into the glass bottom, and enjoy:

5. Keep it going after dark

Pool parties get even cooler after dark. Dress up the backyard with tiki torches or solar-powered lanterns for a soft glow.

And if you want to get extra fancy, make the pool itself a star by dressing it up with accessories like color-changing water lights:

BONUS: Rain plan. If it does happen to start to sprinkle, move the party indoors. Plan ahead for a simple but fun group activity, like a trivia game. Split the group in half, either kids against adults or boys against girls (all boys/men against all girls/women) and play against each other. Whoever gets 20 questions right first, wins!

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Summers are for carefree good times, and pool parties top the list. So however you organize it, don’t forget to splash around and have a blast!