If you are reading this from somewhere in the northern hemisphere, summer is here! (If you are reading this from the southern hemisphere, come back in 6 months.) And what better way to commemorate the hot and sweaty months than by adhering to its stereotypical traditions and throwing a summer party. And who better to ask about such a party then someone who was born and raised on a tropical isle where summer is not a season but the entirety of your existence. So let me introduce – myself.
Obvious Point #1: Get Out
So let’s start our party planning from scratch and the one sure thing is that you can’t have an event without people or without a physical space. (Of course you could argue that technology makes this somewhat possible but does that honestly sound like fun to anyone?) So ditch the indoors and save those places for cold and wet days/months. Choose a venue that you can ONLY use in the summer and head to the beach or to the open fields or to the poolside. Exploit the possibilities that the weather offers and reacquaint yourself with nature and the natural elements. After all, it’s a health benefit that you only get in summer.
Tropical Kid’s Notes: Being at most an hour away from the beach or the sea means that you can take these things for granted. On the other hand, there are less conventional activities that aren’t stereotypically “sun, sand and sea”. For instance, pull an all-nighter and set up camp on a pier somewhere. It’s a great way to star-gaze, look out into the distant horizon and fish for food. Furthermore, the night sea-breeze always makes a conducive environment for conversations or even falling in love. Other possible event ideas include a night-cycle, renting a small boat to drift out a bit or getting to an offshore and semi-deserted island. All your preplanned activities are still possible but the location changes the whole timbre of the event.
Obvious Point #2: Theme Party
Every party needs some sort of a theme and your summer party is no different. So go crazy and make use of everything the weather gives you. Have costume parties that allow you to bare some skin and soak in the glorious sun rays (and vitamin D) or maybe include treasure hunts that have lists of objects that can only be found in the summer (certain fruits or flowers, for instance). It goes without saying that an interesting theme can really spice up your party.
Tropical Kid’s Notes: Hot temperatures 365 days a year mean that we are always decked out in minimal clothing anyhow. So a bikini and beach bottomed party is about as out of the ordinary as a green leaf. Therefore, be imaginative and use your creativity or sense of humor to plan an event that is out of the ordinary. Introducing rules and restrictions as to what may or may not be worn can turn a theme on its head. Or being completely contrarian can be ironic and well worth a laugh. For instance, a “Frozen”-themed party may not seem like an appropriate idea, but by being intentionally ironic about it, a party organizer might display a lighter side and light the creative flares of its participants.
Obvious Point #3: Parties Need Things
The things I’m referring to here are necessities like food, drinks and the like. To keep cool in the summer heat, what could be better than an ice-cold beer or ice cream. Make sure these things are available in abundance and everyone in your party will be adequately satiated and happy.
Tropical Kid’s Notes: As kids from warm climates will tell you, keeping cool is a way of life and there are many foods or beverages that can help you maintain a cool head. What we also can tell you is that despite the year-round heat, there are still certain produce that are seasonal. At these times, the flavors of fruits or food “in season” will be especially remarkable and fresh. As the organizer of your party, try to find out which of these crops are unique to the particular time period of your party. Find innovative recipes that incorporate these elements into your party and your party will be even more sensual than you expected.
That’s It
So look, summer’s great, I get that. What I am saying is that even something like summer has many nuances that you can consider when planning your party. Just as Eskimos have 1,300,658 words for snow (I might be exaggerating), those of us who live in perpetual summer know that hot weather is not just hot weather and there are many avenues to explore. Hopefully, these three ideas will set you up for a summer party with a bit more depth!
