Outdoor party ideas
Taking the party outside gives you space, fresh air and far less tidying up. This collection includes garden and park parties for every age: treasure hunts, sports days, campouts, water fights, barbecues, outdoor cinema nights, pony rides and pizza ovens.
Every plan includes a wet-weather backup, because the weather rarely does what you hope.
67 ideas
Backyard campout
Tents in the garden, a campfire with s'mores, a torchlit nature trail and ghost stories under the stars.
Backyard carnival
Carnival stalls in the garden: hook-a-duck, tin can alley, face painting, candy floss and a ticket-based prize stand.
Backyard movie night
A projector, blankets, bean bags and a popcorn bar for an outdoor cinema under the stars.
Backyard Olympics
Teams represent countries in sack races, egg-and-spoon and silly relays, finishing on a medal podium.
Backyard wedding reception
A relaxed garden reception with festoon lights, a long table dinner, lawn games and a dance floor.
Boat party
Charter a river cruiser or canal boat for a sail with drinks, a buffet and a sunset playlist.
Bouncy castle party
A hired bouncy castle in the garden, with bounce games, a snack station and a picnic-blanket lunch.
Bridal shower garden brunch
A floral brunch with a mimosa bar, a flower crown station and games that test how well guests know the couple.
Bushcraft survival party
Den building, fire lighting with a flint, knot tying and cooking dampers over the fire with an outdoor leader.
Carols and hot chocolate night
Neighbours and friends gather outside for carol singing by lantern light and a hot chocolate bar.
Co-ed baby shower BBQ
A relaxed barbecue for both parents-to-be and all their friends, with nappy pong, a dad-to-be challenge and baby bets.
Construction site party
Hard hats, diggers in the sandpit, a cardboard box building zone and a dump truck cake.
Craft beer and BBQ
A low-and-slow barbecue with a craft beer tasting flight, beer-paired dishes and garden games.
Day-after wedding brunch
A relaxed brunch the morning after the wedding, with a bacon roll station, coffee bar and the couple's favourite photos.
Dinosaur dig site
Bury plastic fossils in a sandpit and let young palaeontologists dig them up with brushes and goggles.
Easter bonnet parade
Kids decorate Easter bonnets and hats with flowers, chicks and eggs, then parade them for prizes.
Easter egg hunt
A garden egg hunt with clues, a golden egg, bunny footprints and baskets, finishing with hot cross buns.
Engagement party
Celebrate the newly engaged couple with a toast, a love story slideshow and a guestbook of date ideas.
Fairy garden party
Wings and wands, a fairy door hunt, mini fairy garden planting and a toadstool picnic.
Farm animal party
A visiting petting farm brings lambs, rabbits and chicks, with a hay bale picnic and tractor games.
Festival-style wedding
A field wedding with bell tents, food trucks, a live band stage, flower crowns and festoon lights.
Foam dart battle party
Team foam dart battles with barricades, capture the flag and target practice, plus protective glasses.
Football party
A mini tournament with skills stations, a penalty shootout and a trophy presentation for every player.
Football tournament watch party
A watch party for a big international football match, with flags, a sweepstake, national dishes and a penalty game.
Garden party with lawn games
An English-style garden party with Pimm's, a croquet tournament, giant games and a summer buffet.
Gender reveal picnic
Family and friends cast their votes, then a balloon box, a cake or a confetti popper reveals the surprise.
Glamping weekend
A weekend in bell tents or pods with a campfire feast, a hot tub and woodland walks.
Go-karting party
A booked race session at an indoor or outdoor karting track, with qualifying, a grand prix and a podium.
Golden anniversary party
Celebrate 50 years with a gold-themed lunch, a photo timeline of the marriage, a slideshow and a vow toast.
Golf day
Book tee times for a friendly scramble, add nearest-the-pin and longest-drive prizes, then dinner at the clubhouse.
Graduation open house
A drop-in afternoon party with a photo timeline, a memory table, a food bar and cards of advice for the graduate.
Graduation picnic
A celebratory picnic in the park after the ceremony, with a cap-toss photo, fizz and a grazing spread.
Halloween trick-or-treat trail
Neighbours host spooky stations along a street or garden trail where kids collect sweets and stamps.
Hawaiian luau
Leis on arrival, tiki torches, a limbo contest, a hula lesson and a tropical feast with pineapple everything.
Hot tub party
A hired hot tub in the garden with fairy lights, floating drinks holders, a playlist and a robe for every guest.
Ice cream sundae party
A sundae bar with five flavours, sauces and toppings, an ice cream eating race and a vintage ice cream parlour look.
Ice skating party
Book a session at an ice rink, with helmets, penguin skate aids for beginners and hot chocolate afterwards.
Jungle safari party
Explorer hats, an animal tracking trail, binocular making and a jungle juice feast.
Laser tag party
Mobile laser tag in the garden or a park, with team missions, scoreboards and a debrief over pizza.
Mad scientist lab
Safe fizzing, slime-making and colour-change experiments in lab coats and goggles.
Mermaid pool party
An under-the-sea pool party with a shell hunt, mermaid tail races and an ocean-themed feast.
Mini golf party
Build a crazy golf course in the garden from household items, play nine holes and award a green jacket.
Ninja warrior party
Trainee ninjas tackle a backyard obstacle course, balance challenges and a final ninja test.
Office summer social
A team summer party in a park or garden venue with a barbecue, sports day games and an ice cream van.
Pirate treasure hunt
A crew of young pirates follows clues and a treasure map around the garden to find the buried chest.
Plant swap party
Guests bring cuttings and plants to swap, pot up new finds at a repotting bar and learn propagation tips.
Pony party
Real pony rides with a handler, horse grooming, a hobby horse race and a horseshoe hunt.
Princess garden tea party
Mini sandwiches, paper crowns, a flower-decorating table and a royal tea served in the garden.
Prom after-party
A safe, supervised after-party at home with a DJ playlist, photo booth, late-night food truck and sleepover option.
Pumpkin carving party
Friends and families carve and decorate pumpkins together, then light them up for a judged display.
Racing car party
A chequered-flag party with cardboard box cars, a slot-car racetrack, a pit stop challenge and a podium.
Rehearsal dinner barbecue
A relaxed night-before barbecue for the wedding party, with a slideshow and lighthearted toasts.
Retirement party
Celebrate a career with a 'this is your life' slideshow, speeches, a memory book and a bucket-list jar.
Silent disco
Wireless headphones with three DJ channels, so everyone dances to their own choice without disturbing the neighbours.
Space mission party
Astronaut training, rocket launches and a moon rock hunt, with a galaxy cake for the countdown.
Stag adventure day
An active day out with axe throwing or paintball, a barbecue and a pub quiz about the groom.
Superhero training camp
Kids make capes, pass an obstacle course and defeat a slime villain to earn their hero certificate.
Taco fiesta
A build-your-own taco bar, a piñata, papel picado bunting and fresh agua fresca.
Teddy bears' picnic
Toddlers bring their favourite teddy for a picnic, a teddy hunt, bear games and a bear-shaped cake.
Tennis and strawberries party
A summer tennis-themed garden party with the big final on screen, strawberries and cream and a mini tennis tournament.
Tie-dye workshop party
Everyone tie-dyes their own t-shirt or tote bag, then hangs out with snacks while the colours set.
Uni send-off party
Send a student off to university with a 'survival kit' gift table, a recipe card book and a farewell barbecue.
Vow renewal garden party
A short, heartfelt vow renewal under a flower arch, then a relaxed garden party with afternoon tea or a barbecue.
Water fight party
Water balloons, water blasters, a sprinkler obstacle course and a giant slip and slide on a hot summer day.
Wood-fired pizza party
Fire up a garden pizza oven, set out a topping bar and let guests stretch and cook their own 90-second pizzas.
Yoga and brunch party
A private yoga class in the garden or a studio, followed by a healthy brunch spread and smoothie bar.
Zombie survival night
Teams complete missions to find supplies and the cure while zombies hunt them through the garden.