BBQ Party Ideas That Keep Your Guests Entertained!

BBQ party ideas are a great way to get together with family and friends and relax in the Summer sun with your favorite food and drinks, whatever your age.

It is also an ideal backyard party idea if you are on a budget as it requires hardly any planning and you can even ask guests to bring their own food without them being offended!

Once you have chosen a date and time for your BBQ, late afternoon or evening is the best time to start, then the first point you need to consider is who is going to cook the food.

This may require you to nominate a member of your family to cook as you or your friends don't want to be burdened with having to cook for hours and not being able to party!

There is also the safety aspect of having an adult cooking if your a teenager, especially if there are quite a few teenagers in your party you want to make sure that someone is going to take responsibility over not only cooking but also fire and BBQ safety.

The safety rules can vary dependent on whether you have a gas or charcoal BBQ so check over the instructions well in advance of the party starting.

The next thing that you need to consider is if you want to have a theme to your BBQ. Many people throw a BBQ as a get together for family and friends for no other excuse than the sun is shining. But if you are throwing BBQ for a celebration then it is nice to have a theme to make your party extra special.

The Pink Heaven Party Angel suggests a Western theme, a Luau or Hawaiian theme or a BBQ camp out. But you can use any themes from the many party ideas on this site and incorporate them into your BBQ party. Just follow each step to create your own BBQ party checklist.

There are many links to party supplies in the USA throughout this page but if you are in the UK then visit Party Delights for Summer party supplies. You can also visit the USA or UK supplies pages for more ideas.

So fire up your grill and let's get started!

INVITATIONS

If you are having a small get together then you may not need to send out invitations you can just create a Facebook event or send a few texts to let people know the date and time of your party.

If you want to make some easy but professional looking invites then the Pink Heaven Party Angel recommends creating extraordinary free digital invitations in minutes at Smilebox.com! You can even add your own photos, video clips and music.

This is an easy and free way to share your invite creations especially if you have a lot of guests to invite.

If you want to buy invitations try these BBQ Invites (USA) then there are many different designs that you can choose from such as pictures of BBQs and aprons.

Or you can create your own BBQ party ideas for invitations by printing out the details on BBQ or apron shaped card.

Another idea would be to write the details of the party on a small piece of card and tie it to the neck of an empty glass bottle. Make sure that you add on the card that you want each of the guests to fill the bottle with their favorite BBQ sauce or marinade.

DECORATIONS

As long as you have a BBQ and some tables and chairs, apart from the food and drink, this is pretty much all you will need.

But if you want to party in style add some BBQ decorations along with some themed decorations such as Western or Luau. Here are some BBQ party ideas for decorations:

Set off an area of your backyard for the BBQ that is not near anything flammable and away from the main area of the party
Gingham Table Cover (USA) or these Weekend Bbq Plastic Tablecovers (USA)

Paper plates and cups or maybe this Weekend Bbq Kit (USA) or Picnic BBQ (UK)
Bbq Bonanza Personalized Banner (USA)
Bbq Grill Mylar Balloons (USA)
Fairy lights
Lanterns
Inflatable Beach Ball Cooler (USA)
Tent or canopy for people who want to sit in the shade
Picnic blankets
Summer decorations - palm trees, inflatables and more if you are in the UK
Patio tables and chairs
Provide some seating and nibbles inside for people who end up going indoors
Also check out some Western or Luau decoration ideas if your having a themed party for some extra BBQ party ideas.

PARTY COSTUMES

Guests usually attend BBQ parties in just casual clothes, you can add a 'kiss the cook' apron and a chefs hat for the cook!

But if you are also having a theme to your BBQ party ideas it may be fun to make everyone wear at least one item of clothing or accesory to match your theme. An example would be to wear Western or luau theme dress such as a cowgirl hat or bandana or a grass skirt and Lei.

THE BIRTHDAY CAKE

If your celebrating a birthday then you will need a birthday cake. Here are some BBQ party ideas for birthday cakes:

BBQ shaped cake - a round shaped cake topped an iced grill with hot dogs and burgers on
Apron shaped cake - cut into an apron shape and colored in red and white checked or leave plain white
Beach ball cake - a brightly iced circular cake
A burger cake - two bun colored cakes with a chocolate cake in the middle

FOOD AND DRINK

BBQ party ideas revolve around one thing - tasty chargrilled food!

Start up the BBQ just before your guests are due to arrive so it will be ready for when they arrive. Start by serving some pink lemonade and a few light nibbles then move on to the main course and dessert.

Don't cook everything together, try and cook the different foods out so that it speads over the length of the party and the guests don't get bored with the same food.

If you are having a pot luck BBQ then state that you are going to buy the basics e.g. bugers and sausages and everyone is to bring a dish each.

If you don't want everyone to buy the same food a good BBQ party idea is to set up a Facebook event, invite all your guests and then get them to comment on what they will be bringing.

Here are some BBQ food ideas:

Burgers
Hot dogs
Chicken wings in BBQ sauce
Tofu or Bean burgers
Corn on the cob
Potato Salad
Fruit salad
Chips and dips
Fish

Beans
Baked Potatoes
Ribs
Brisket
Pasta
Ice cream
Apple Pie

Make sure you have different flavors by using a variety of marinades and sauces and don't forget plenty of ice to keep the drinks cool.

ENTERTAINMENT

When thinking of BBQ party ideas the main worry is that you want to make sure that the guests don't get bored. There are plenty of games and entertainment ideas you can use or you can just turn the music up, relax and eat!

But if you want to keep everyone busy here are some of the Pink Heaven Party Angels favorite BBQ party games, just pick the most appropriate games for your age group:

Water Fights - Get ready to get wet, having a water fight may sound childish but as soon as you get the water balloons and water guns out it ends up a whole lot of fun!
Badminton - It's easy to pick up a few cheap badminton sets and have a badminton tournament

Karaoke - Get a karaoke machine and get the guest belting out their favorite tunes
Twister - The classic party game which is a brilliant ice breaker
Disco - Either play some CDs or hire a DJ
Roast Marshmallows - If you are having a camp out then this is the perfect way to end the night, roasting marshmallows around a fire, whilst telling ghost stories
Volleyball - Put up a net and let the game begin, make sure your not to close to the BBQ or the food though!
Make your own BBQ Sauce or Dessert - Get together some sauce or dessert ingredients and see who can make the best sauce or dessert
Inflatables - Such as water slides or even sumo wrestling!
DJ or Band - Hire a DJ or a local band to get you party guests in the mood for dancing
Limbo - Always a firm favorite for any backyard party ideas, try this Limbo set (USA)
Pinata - Blindfold each guest and see who can break the pinata and win the treats

FAVORS

Pick a few of the following BBQ party ideas for favors and place them inside a chefs hat for some funky BBQ favors:

BBQ party music CD, created using songs you will play during the party
Homemade BBQ sauce
Outdoor or personalized mugs
Personalized chocolate bar (UK)
Kiss the cook apron
Multi Colored Flower Leis (USA)
Pink Cowgirl Hat with Marabou (USA) or bandana
Freezer pops
Glow straws

Remember, if you can't find what you are looking for here then why not ask the Pink Heaven Party Angel, who is there to answer all your party questions. Or why not help others with their party planning problems by answering their questions!

Then once you've thrown your party let everyone know about it at YOUR parties, readers can then rate your party and give their comments. Your party could then help others searching for the perfect party idea, whilst giving your ideas the fame they deserve!

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