Coed Beach Party

Coed Beach Party Planning

For a coed beach party to be a success, all you really need is great food, fun activities, and lots of friends. A little organization can go a long way toward creating a party that everyone will love.

Invitations

If you are planning a beach party for teenagers or even college-age kids, you probably won't need to order invitations. Word-of-mouth may be sufficient if you don't have a specific guest list in mind. However, because news of a party will spread pretty quickly, attendance could get out of hand. If you really want to manage the crowd, then an "invitation only" party can help you perform some crowd control. Because beaches are very open, you may not be able to consistently close the party to those without invitations, unless you have several chaperones who can man the perimeters. Instead of standard invitations, consider using the following methods to check who is and who's not actually on the guest list.

• Wristbands - Clubs do this all the time, and it will also work for a beach party. Purchase wristbands for kids to wear, and have someone in charge of putting the wristbands on guests as soon as they arrive.
• Lanyards - Lanyards with laminated tickets attached to them are another great option. You can purchase colorful lanyards that fit the theme of your party.
• Hand Stamps - Be sure you pick a stamp that will be difficult to recreate. If you don't, those who aren't invited to the party may try to copy the stamp.

However, none of these options will work if you don't have plenty of volunteers who will keep tabs on the party guests.

Food

Beach party food can be as simple as hotdogs and marshmallows for a bonfire, (make sure you are allowed to build a fire, however, before you make this part of your party plans), or as elaborate as a tropical buffet. The choice is up to you.

• Hot Dog Roast - For a hot dog roast, you'll need plenty of sticks for roasting. Wire hangers that have been straightened work well for this. Add chips, marshmallows, and coolers full of drinks, and you're ready to go.
• Cookout - Have several people bring portable grills, and serve anything you like, such as steaks, hamburgers, and chicken. Add potato salad, coleslaw, baked beans, cookies, and brownies for a great meal with minimal preparation.
• Tropical Buffet - You'll need to set up folding tables for the array of food. Buffet items could include coconut shrimp, fruit salad, pasta salad, meat and cheese trays, etc. Drinks could echo the tropical theme with fruity punches and cool daiquiris.
• Ice Cream Bar - While you might not want to do this in the heat of the day, an evening ice cream bar is a perfect menu choice. Put out plenty of ice cream fixings, such as sprinkles, chocolate and caramel syrup, and nuts. Place a stack of cones nearby as an alternative to the traditional bowls.

No matter what the menu, be sure to bring plenty of garbage bags for cleanup.

Activities

With a beach party, the activities are easy to plan. Try the following:

• Sandcastle building contest
• Scavenger hunt
• Survivor contest - Divide guests into two teams, and hand out challenges just like the Survivor reality game.
• Crazy beach race - Equip racers with flippers, snorkels, and masks, and have them race across the sand.
• Beach Olympics - Come up with competitions, such as a relay race, softball throw, or long jump.
• Beach volleyball
• Frisbee golf
• Beach soccer

Safety

As with any party or activity involving young people, safety should always be the first thing on anyone's mind. However, teens often feel that nothing bad will really happen.

• Lifeguards - If a lifeguard isn't on duty, consider hiring one or two.
• Illegal substances - To guard against underage guests who want to sneak in a beer, have plenty of volunteers on hand to chaperone. Even if the party guests are of age, it may be against the law to have alcoholic beverages at the beach.

A coed beach party is the perfect way to celebrate the beginning of summer, a July 4th party, a birthday celebration, and any other excuse to just have fun!