How to Host the Best Holiday Pool Party

You’ve worked hard to create a safer swimming pool area, and a great way to enjoy it is with a Winter pool party that brings together your friends and family to celebrate the season. Whether you’re planning a Christmas pool party or a secular celebration of the changing seasons and calendar, your swimming pool area can be the perfect backdrop for a party that will be talked about for years to come. All it takes is some planning and preparation, a little hard work, and a group of loved ones ready to enjoy a much-needed opportunity to relax and blow off some steam.

The Season Has Many Reasons to Party

The winter months have long been marked by celebrations. Many different religions mark the time period around the Winter Solstice with rituals and observances tied to their core beliefs. Aside from theological observances, these parties marked a last opportunity after a bountiful fall harvest to see friends and family before freezing temperatures made travel dangerous or impossible. It was a time to give gifts to help them get through the long cold months and a potentially final chance to see those whose health was poor, placing them at higher risk as temperatures dropped.

Modern Winter pool parties may not have the same grim undertones, but they still offer a chance to participate in tradition, let our loved ones know they’re cared for, and bring your friend circle together before a cascading torrent of school, office, family, and community parties fill up the calendars. With so many reasons available as an excuse to come together for fun, your first job is deciding on the reason for your party.

• Christmas Pool Parties – The most common winter celebration in the United States is the observation of Christmas. People celebrate this holiday with varying degrees of piety and secularism, but they all share a similar sense of joy and togetherness. 
• New Year’s Eve – Every year, when the ball drops in New York City, hundreds of millions of people in the USA and around the world celebrate the completion of one more trip around the sun with parties that begin in one year and end in the next.
• Winter Solstice – Popular among many cultures, indigenous peoples, and those who want a secular, science-based Winter pool party, solstice parties mark the longest night of the year with fun and togetherness.
• Kwanza Parties – One of the fastest growing celebrations in America, this celebration of the community and family traditions of the African diaspora is a chance to strengthen bonds and acknowledge a shared history.
• So Many More – While these may be a few of the most common or popular Winter pool party reasons, they’re nowhere near a complete list of celebrations observed in the coldest part of the year. 

Choose a Theme

While you may have a specific celebratory event in mind, it’s important to let your guests know if you have a theme you want them to participate in. A Christmas pool party might feature elves, reindeer, or they may need to bring their favorite ugly Christmas sweater, pin, swimsuit, or towel. Whatever your theme, make sure you keep a focus on pool party safety. Themes are usually for outside the swimming pool, as many of them are not designed for pool use.

Pool: Party Activity or Backdrop

You also need to determine if pool usage is safe or wanted at your pool party. It is absolutely possible to have a Winter pool party with minimal or no pool use, as your pool area offers a beautiful site to entertain guests in the crisp, cool air–with plenty of seating, existing decorations, and often many amenities designed for outdoor entertaining. If the temperatures will be too cold for swimming or if you’ve already closed your pool for the winter, let your guests know. There’s no bigger letdown than showing up in a swimsuit for a Winter pool party that will never see the water.

If you do choose to use your pool because it’s heated or you live in an area where temperatures allow year-round pool use, make sure you take extra pool party safety steps. Keep a close watch on the pool as the party goes on, especially if alcohol will be served. Make sure you have a warming area for swimmers who get too cold that offers a close refuge from potentially chilly winds. Colder water can sap swimmer’s energy quickly, especially with elderly or children, so plan on plenty of rest breaks for refreshments.

Winter Pool Party Refreshments

Choose refreshments that offer plenty of hydration and quick energy without weighing down swimmers if the pool will be open. Veggies, fresh fruits, and the classic fall/winter grill fare of burgers and brats all work well. Food has no place in the pool, so these also offer an opportunity to get swimmers out, warmed up, and rested. Plenty of water should be available, but for warmer drinks, hot cider, teas, and coffee can get internal temperatures up fast.

If the pool itself is closed, you can choose heavier holiday-party favorites. Add more sauce to the barbeque, dig out the fondue pot, and put nachos back on the menu. Popcorn ball snowmen, brownies, and Christmas cookies are always popular sugary noshes for young and old alike.

Barriers Save Lives

Thousands of people drown every year, and a lack of proper swimming pool barriers is a contributing factor in the majority of those deaths. One of the perks of your removable mesh pool fence is the ability to take it down and remove it to allow more space for your Winter pool party. When the pool is open, make sure sober adult supervision is always present and keeping an eye on the action. Make sure your pool is protected by a secured safety barrier when not in use. This means putting your pool safety cover in place as soon as the last swimmer is out of the pool, reinstalling your removable mesh pool fence, closing and latching pool fence gates, and activating any alarm systems. 

To Gift or Not To Gift

Make sure you let guests know if gift giving is a planned activity and prepare them for any rules they need to be aware of when it comes to gift giving. Setting a cost limit helps everyone participate without leaving anyone in an embarrassing bind. You can also specify whether gifts should be serious, white elephant oddities, or tongue-in-cheek frivolities. There are many ways to organize gifting activities. Secret Santa is a popular option where everyone draws a name to buy for from confirmed attendees, but for a fun twist, you can also consider alternatives like Dirty Santa, where each person has a set amount of “steals,” allowing them to take another’s gift.

Organize Your Own Party “Elves”

Santa has his little helpers, and you can use some help too. Talk to guests about what they can bring, who can help out as a water watcher, and to coordinate set-up and clean-up. While many hosts choose to go it alone or with only help from their partner or spouse, that doesn’t mean you have to. Don’t be afraid to make the party a participatory experience for everyone.

Getting Your Pool Winter Party Ready

Your local All-Safe Pool installer is the pool party safety expert that’s ready to help you with professionally installed pool barriers. Whether you need a removable mesh fence for your Christmas pool party or a cover that will keep loved ones safe for Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, and Groundhog Day, they’ll take the time to create a written estimate tailored to your pool’s needs. Find out how affordable peace of mind can be. Request your free quote from your All-Safe Pool pro today.