Summer is sizzling and so are the grills. It’s the perfect time of year for an outdoor party and we’re teaming up with our friends at Edwards® Desserts to bring you some fun and easy outdoor party ideas that will make your house the cool house on the block!

6 Easy Outdoor Party Ideas

1. Water-tainment

One of the great things about hosting an outdoor party is that the entertainment stays outside while your house remains clean inside. You smart hostess you!

To keep the kids occupied, hook them up with some fun water-tainment. Set up a slip-and-slide, a kiddie pool or a sprinkler, and put someone in charge of a few water games. Our fail-proof outdoor game is water balloon volleyball. You grab a partner and a towel, and then take turns hoisting a water balloon back and forth between two teams to see who drops it first!

2. Have something sizzling on the grill.

Tantalize your entire neighborhood’s taste buds with succulent aromas coming from your grill. The whole block will be hoping for an invite to your next shin-dig! Grilling is a smart choice for an outdoor party because it is total a sensory experience. Guests can see those juicy burgers sizzling on the grill, smell the charred flavors, and gather around for a good chat while their meal is cooked to perfection.

Try our absolute FAVORITE summer BBQ recipes including tiger bacon burgers and brown sugar rubbed pork chops.

3. An easy dessert that brings it!

Everyone hangs around an outdoor party to see what’s for dessert. It’s the best part of the meal! If you want your guests to eat and run faster than Usain Bolt’s 100 meter dash, serve up a fruit platter that’s like 85% cantaloupe. Mwah, mwah.

Or…

You could serve up a killer dessert that steals the show every single time—and you don’t even have to make it!

Edwards Desserts are scrumptious, pre-made pies that are mouth-watering and completely party-worthy. It’s the dessert that gets rave reviews every single time. Friends and family will hang out well into a memorable evening when you serve up slices of Edwards Desserts goodness on a plate.

Guests swoon over how beautiful each dessert looks, with lovely peaks of whipped cream and chocolate drizzles.

I’ve tried multiple Edwards Dessert varieties and each is creamy and sweet, with velvety layers and a crunchy cookie crust. You’d swear you were eating an upscale slice of delicatessen pie. I promise you, they are that good—the ultimate summer dessert that brings my friends and family back for seconds and thirds.

No fruit platter has ever done that.

You can find Edwards Desserts in a freezer aisle near you. Check out the product locator for exact store locations.

4. Cold bevies on deck

Since it’s going to be hot out and since your party guests will be stuffing their faces with your gourmet food, they’re going to need some cold beverages to wash it all down. Keep plenty of sodas and bottled water on ice, fill the lemonade dispenser to the brim, and always make sure to keep drinks topped off. There’s nothing worse than being thirsty at a party.

5. Plenty of paper products handy

In the summer, I stock up on enough paper products to supply an army. Paper plates, bowls, utensils, and napkins save my bacon all summer long. Use them at outdoor parties to make your life a bazillion times easier. Keep a large trash receptacle outside so guests can conveniently toss their trash and you will have zero pickup.

6. Natural bug repellant that doubles as a centerpiece

There’s no bigger buzz-kill than insects at a party. Keep the mosquitos and flies away from your guests and the food with this cool centerpiece that also happens to be a natural insect repellant!

Place vases of dried lavender, rosemary, and eucalyptus in the center of your tables. They’ll keep the bugs at bay and keep the party hopping!

Thanks to Edwards Desserts for sponsoring this post. Try their velvety layers for yourself (the Key Lime Pie is my family’s favorite and there’s a new Hershey’s® S’Mores Creme Pie perfect for summer!). You’ll have the whole neighborhood lined up to party at your house!

Photography by Melodee Fiske