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MAKE IT CUTE
Parties
BBQ Bash
Smell those bonfires and juicy hot dogs grilling? It’s officially cook out season! Break out of the house for some fun in the sun and good grub.
Invite your closest gals, and those cute boys you’ve had your eye on all year, and prepare a backyard barbeque to ring in the spring!
Scrumptious Invitations
Sending a quick text to your pals about a get together is alright—but why not invite in style with some rockin’ home-made invitations? You can make the invites look like any fave cookout food, (think hot dogs, hamburgers, chips), but your attendees will have their mouths watering with excitement when they receive a watermelon invite.
Take any kind of paper, preferably card stock which is a little stiffer, and use a ruler to draw a line up the center going long ways (“hot dog style”), then cut on the line you drew. You’ll have two long pieces of paper now. Fold each in half so that it is less long, like a card. With construction paper or colored blank paper, cut out and color a watermelon shape to paste onto the outside of the card. Don’t forget the black seeds! On the inside of the invite, write the Who, What, Where and When. Make sure to include your phone number so parents and friends can get in touch for more details.
Set up the scene
Balloons are a great way to attract attention and make any event feel like a kickin’ party. Tie some balloons to tables, chairs, railings, and of course your mailbox so people know which house the fun is at!
Balloons can be weighed down so they won’t blow away in the breeze and used as a centerpiece on the picnic table. You could even use flowers in bloom and make little vases or buy inexpensive potted plants to use as table centerpieces.
Party stores sell colorful tablecloths, so get an awesomely bright plastic tablecloth for the table. Choose cheery spring colors—you can even decide on one color and make that the them for the whole party!
A cookout isn’t a cookout without some good eatin’!
Watermelon, duh!
What’s a cookout without sweet ‘n’ tasty watermelon slices? You can buy it pre-cut or buy the whole watermelon and chop it up yourself. Have a seed-spitting contest outside and see who can spit theirs the farthest!A Twist on the Hamburger
Cook up some great hamburgers on the grill like usual, but have some crazy toppings. You can grill pineapple slices to top the burger for a tropical punch, or smother on guacamole instead of ketchup! Some other changes could be getting a variety of cheeses, like Pepper Jack and Cheddar, or having different breads, like Sundried Tomato slices or wheat rolls to keep it healthy. Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade
Don’t just bring out the ole’ Cola for your BBQ bash. Sparkling Strawberry Lemonade (get the recipe HERE) will help all your buds get into the springtime mood with its refreshing, bubbly taste! Let it chill in the fridge before your friends arrive and serve it in fun glasses.
Delish Dessert
Buy a big family pack of popsicles to hand out for dessert. Get a package with a bunch of diff flavors so everyone can take their pick!
Fun ‘n’ Games
With the weather getting warmer, everyone’s lovin’ being active outdoors. You can make or buy a corn hole set and get a tournament going while the hamburgers are grilling. Corn hole is easy enough for anyone, but it’s still competitive!
To get everyone involved at once, start up a game of capture the flag. Have two bandanas, flags, or shirts, one for each team. The teams get to hide their own flag on “their side.” Each team can designate their jail area. An imaginary line (or you can use a hose, just don’t trip over it!) is used as the middle ground. The team can capture you and put you in jail if you cross to their side—and you can’t get out unless someone tags you. Play nice, and let jailbirds get back to their side on a free ride. First team to capture the flag and get back to their side without getting tagged wins!
If it’s warm enough, have your pals bring bathing suits. You can set up a slip-n-slide on the lawn so everyone can cool down and kick off the warm-weather season in style.
As the sun goes down…
When it starts getting dark, prepare a small fire pit or bonfire. Make sure you get your parents to help you out with this so you don’t have any, er, party disasters. Big stores, like Target and Home Depot, sell portable fire pits that are great for any back yard or patio. All you need is the firewood! For a bonfire on the ground, though, it’s important to find an area where the fire will not spread. Usually, a sand or dirt base is best, and rocks could be placed around in a circle to really keep the fire contained. Def talk to your parents for help, though!
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