Just because it’s still pretty chilly outdoors, it doesn’t mean you can’t have a party in the garden. In fact, sometimes it’s better to have a party during the winter and early spring months because it can be far more atmospheric than in summer.
Imagine you all huddled around a fire pit, drinking hot chocolate and toasting marshmallows. It will feel a bit like a camping holiday and definitely get you in a party mood. Then again, you could eat warming baked potatoes with corn on the cob and a backdrop of fairy lights and glowing candle lanterns. The latter has a lovely soft light. It all conjures up a very cosy scene, doesn’t it? Here are other ideas for having a great garden party in the chillier months:
Turn the hut into a make-shift ski lodge
If you have a large garden shed or a garden office, tidy it out and fill it with oversized sheepskin rugs, woollen hats and scarves, bench seating, LED-filled lanterns and a few pairs of skis for decoration. Add some rustic décor, such as twigs and branches in a vase, along with natural grasses tied together in bunches and hung on the wall. Serve bits of pizza and other nibbles on wooden chopping boards.
Watch a film outdoors
Who doesn’t love watching a film outdoors, at any time of the year? It’s super fun for kids in the colder months when they can be wrapped in a throw and sitting in the glow of a warm lantern or two. You can use scatter cushions or giant beanbags and have plenty of popcorn, hot dogs and fairy lights. And you don’t need to go out and buy any fancy equipment for the film itself. Simply get hold of a projector and hang a white sheet up to act as the screen.
Fire up the pizza oven
If you’re lucky enough to have a pizza oven, get everyone together to make their own pizzas, then huddle around and munch into their favourite toppings before the party games begin. Alternatively, you could get the pizzas delivered, but it’s not nearly as much fun as getting messy and making your own.
Set up a tent
The kids will love camping out in a tent for the party. Make sure you put down cosy rugs on the floor and fill the tent with blankets and woollen throws for when it gets a little cold. But they can always come out and warm themselves by the fire if they feel a tad chilly.
Make sure there’s music
You don’t want to upset the neighbours, but you do want to ensure your party has plenty of ambience, so get hold of a portable speaker to bring outdoors. That way, you can get everyone singing along to their pop favourites – until they get to that point in the evening when they insist on dancing…
Go for a rustic theme
If you have a large garden or live in the country and can get hold of a few bales of hay, then decorate the garden and hut as a barnyard. Put up lots of chequered bunting and tablecloths; think Woody and Jessie from Toy Story, choose some cowboy-themed food, and prepare for a barn dance.
We’re confident that your children and their friends will have a great time just being outside, regardless of the type of party you choose.