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  • 6 Things To Make Your Backyard Birthday BBQ Bash A Success

6 Things To Make Your Backyard Birthday BBQ Bash A Success

July 22, 2015

There seems to be no shortage of summer babies and that means even more reasons to have a backyard birthday BBQ party. Get togethers require some planning but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. From grocery list and menu items to easy decoration, the food and the music, make a list and set the date! Regardless of the birthday person’s age, the celebrations will all need these things so here’s a quick list you can build on!

1.INVITATIONS

These will set the tone for the party. If you decide on a theme it may help to make the rest of the planning much easier. From dollar store packs to creating your own on your computer or using free websites to help you create your invitation, make sure to include what you expect your guests to bring, how to dress for the party (if there is a pool or water activities and they require a change of clothing) and if the party is best wishes only in the case of an adult party or a BYOB event.

2.GAMES

Depending on the age group your games can go from simple to alcohol related.

No one is too old to play games. Potato sack races, water guns, pinatas and corn hole. The possibilities are endless and since the weather will likely cooperate why not make the most of it? Throw out a basket of Frisbees or a croquet set and let people decide what they want to play.

Have a basket of prizes for the winners and treats for the losers of the games so that everybody wins and walks away from the party feeling like they had a great time. Along with being able to buy many of the games at your local Dollar store, you can also stock up on the prizes. Fun doesn’t have to be expensive.

3.DECOR

Dollar stores are a welcome relief for decorating parties in today’s world. The possibilities are endless but a few basics to set the mood should always be on the list. Keep your theme or colour scheme in mind, nothing says planned like a party that has a theme throughout. It shows thought and effort.

Start with a birthday banner and make sure to have lots of balloons. Bouquets of balloons create a better party environment and if you are going into the evening don’t forget about lighting! Lighting up walkways, pathways and gathering areas is important with either solar lighting, safely stowed candles or outdoor lights.

Set your tables with colour matching table wear and utensils and don’t forget a centerpiece. A plastic pail filled with party favours, ice and bottles of beer, sand and sunglasses, the possibilities are endless. If the centerpiece is your cake make sure it is protected from the heat and any bugs.

4.FOOD

What you grill is just as important as the birthday cake for birthday celebrations. For kids, hot dogs and burgers are common fare but you can get them in on the fun and do make your own pizzas as well. Store bought pizza dough circles on a picnic table with trays or muffin tins of toppings so kids can design their own and then they take just minutes to grill! Adult fare can be easy like burgers, upscale it with steak or go all out with lobsters on the grill. We have recipe videos that range from salads and fruits on the grill to veggies and full meals. You are only limited by your imagination but it’s always a good place to start with the birthday person’s favourite dish and work around that.

Want even simpler? Skewers. Skewers. Skewers. Start with salad skewers. That’s right. Greek salad on a stick is perfect for people to mingle and eat easily. Skewer Kalamata olives, cherry tomatoes, english cucumber and feta cheese and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then make kebabs on the grill, veggies, meat, combos of both. And for dessert? Skewer strawberries, pineapple, melon, watermelon and even cubed sponge cake to go along side the birthday cake!

Going into the evening? Keep that grill going and why not let the kids (even the adults love these) make their own S’mores. Just supply some dishes of graham crackers, marshmallows and milk chocolate squares and they are good to go!

5.CAKE

The birthday boy or girl deserves a cake but if you want simplicity, nowadays cupcakes are easily transported, offer a variety of icing decorations for every taste and gives everyone the excitement of choosing their own and they are already portioned. No dishing out on plates with cutlery!

6. MUSIC

We all have special songs that scream “SUMMER!” to us and those songs are also ones that will keep your guests singing and enjoying from afternoon until evening. Just pick tunes that make you smile, dance or just drum on the table. There are plenty of playlists available online designed for BBQs, tailgate parties and more. Check out your iTunes store or have friends bring their own mp3 players and hook up your system outside.