While no one really needs an excuse for a party, welcoming spring is the perfect justification for one! Celebrate simply because it’s warm enough to ‘cheers’ in the outdoors, or plan an upcoming birthday, baby shower, engagement party or community event around one of these fresh party themes.
1. Spring clean swap
This idea is similar to the Christmas secret santa, with a springtime twist. It certainly gives you some motivation to do that spring clean you’ve been putting off! On your party invitations, ask guests to bring something they no longer want or need from home, to exchange with other guests. Make sure everyone wraps the gifts, ready for the game.
When everyone arrives, lay out all gifts and number each one. Write out number cards to pop in a jar or hat and each guest gets to choose one and open the corresponding gift. Naturally, grandpa might get a floral apron, while mum opens a brand new tie from last Christmas. Therefore, round two of the game is swapping, bargaining and making good use of everyone’s spring clean giveaways.
2. Fly a kite
Are you celebrating a child’s birthday this spring? A kite-themed event will put a smile on everyone’s faces, including the adults. Hold your party in a local park or at the beach, where there’s plenty of room. Ask guests to bring their own kites, or buy a bunch of inexpensive ones from places like Kmart, Big W or eBay.
For decorations, make paper kite banners to hang from the trees or picnic tables. Pick a colour theme, write ‘Happy Birthday’ across them, or display the name of the guest of honour. Entertainment is taken care of, with kite flying competitions and scrambling to rescue rogue kites from trees. However, just in case the wind doesn’t show up that day, have some Frisbees, hula hoops and soccer balls ready as back up.
All that exercise means the hordes will be hungry, so hire a hot dog cart to provide fresh tasty dogs and a range of the most delicious gourmet hot dog toppings in Sydney. This way, you can spend more time flying (or rescuing) kites, while everyone enjoys a party food favourite!
3. Flower power
Beautiful blooms announce the onset of spring and the 1960s offers endless inspiration for a ‘Flower Power’ party. Bring peace and love to your garden or backyard, with cardboard cut outs of hearts and peace signs swaying from the trees, tie dye paper lanterns and tablecloths, and tissue paper floral bouquets as centre pieces.
Music is all-important for the 1960s vibe, so make a playlist of The Beatles, The Beach Boys, The Doors, Janis Joplin, David Bowie and The Supremes.
For entertainment, create a dress-up station with a tent or hang a psychedelic curtain up between the trees. Fill a box with flower wreaths, beehive wigs, round sunglasses, plastic beads, bandannas and flares, most of which you’ll find at op shops and costume stores. Each guest must enter the dress-up station and emerge in full costume for everyone else’s amusement!
Most importantly, get everyone up for the Twist, the Mashed Potato and the Shimmy, because springtime celebrations are all about having fun!