Here are indoor beach party themes and ideas to help you create an atmosphere that will make guests forget all about the snow and cold.
Invitations
You could try using bars of surfboard wax with labels that include printed party information. If you have the time to hand-deliver the invites, grab some plastic coconuts from a party store. Either attach the party information to the outside, or, even better if they open, put the invitation inside. Perhaps the simplest invitation of all would be to cut a pair of sunglasses from construction paper and include the invitation info where the glasses would be.
The Atmosphere
Set up an area where guests can drop off their winter gear, and keep it well away from the rest of the party. The point is to make guests feel they are in a warm climate again. Set out plastic buckets of party favors that include sunglasses, plastic whistles, suntan lotion and even flip-flops, and you have an instant mood-setter that can be used for adults and children alike.
Make your table resemble a beach by using a blue tablecloth and yellow or orange plates and flatware. For a centerpiece, make sandcastles, or make an island of sand with a small hut and palm trees.
Then put together a beach-party mix of hits old and new. Go with musicians associated with fun in the sun, like The Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffett, Don Henley and the Mamas and the Papas. Also choose songs that reference the beach, like Belinda Carlisle's "Circle in the Sand" and Elvis' "Blue Hawaii." If you prefer instrumental music, go with musical genres like salsa and samba.
Food
Add in the perfect beach foods, and you are all ready. Dishes can range from casual and fun to a bit more sophisticated. Cookout foods like hotdogs and hamburgers are a standby, but you can go with a clambake feel and have a clam bar, oysters, shrimp skewers, crab cakes and cocktail shrimp. Fresh pineapple, bananas and ice cream cones could provide wonderful dessert options.
Colorful punch and pina colada-flavored drinks are the perfect accompaniment. Add some tiny umbrellas to your cold drinks, and you will be ready to relax in the "sun." Have buckets of ice with various types of soda and flavored waters so there are plenty of options. You may even want to put some of your foods on ice if you run out of room in the refrigerator. Even though the weather is cool, your house will be warm, so be sure to follow the same food-safety rules you would follow in the summer or on the beach.
Whatever you decide to do, remember to relax and enjoy yourself. Watch a Frankie & Annette movie, dance to music that invokes summer fun and transport your friends to the beach any time of year.
 | Beach party ideas can vary if kids or adults are the main guests, but most beach party tips apply for all ages, and the beach atmosphere can appeal to the kid in all of us. |
 | The perfect complement to a sun-and-sand-filled party is great beach party music. All you need is a CD burner or an mp3 player. The idea is to have catchy, upbeat tunes that keep the happy mood going and possibly get people dancing. Think of mixing up different styles from the suggestions below, and add your favorites, too. |
There is one thing that almost every American has in common in summer: attendance at the summer cookout. We gather around the grill with neighbors for a block party, with the soccer team for an end-of-year celebration or with our cousins for a family reunion. |
Incorporate the best of what the tropics have to offer when creating beach party invitations and give guests a hint of the upcoming party in paradise. Use the invitations as a springboard to other beach party ideas and ensure that everyone can't wait to put on their Hawaiian shirts and sandals. |
If you're busy planning a big beach bash, you'll want to check out these great themes for beach parties. |
