The conventional wisdom about backyard pool parties is wrong on two counts: you don't actually need a pool, and you don't need a backyard the size of a parking lot. What you need is the right setup for the space you have, and a clearer view of what guests actually care about versus what they don't.
We sell a lot of pool party gear at bgbanana, so we've watched what people buy together, what gets returned, and what shows up in repeat orders the next summer. This is the no-fluff version of what works.
What people actually remember
Nobody walks away from a pool party talking about the streamers. They remember three things: whether the kids had something to do, whether the adults had somewhere comfortable to sit, and whether anyone's phone died in the deep end.
Solve those three and the rest is decoration. Most of this guide is about solving those three.
You don't need a real pool
The single biggest myth about backyard pool parties is that you need an in-ground pool, or at minimum one of those $400 inflatable family pools. You don't, unless you're hosting twenty kids in 100°F heat.
For most small-backyard parties — including kids' birthdays — a splash pad with a built-in sprinkler edge does more work than a stagnant kiddie pool. The water constantly refreshes from your garden hose, mosquitoes don't have time to lay eggs, and when the party's over you tip it over and the water drains in 30 seconds.
A standard-size splash pad fits 2–3 kids comfortably. A bigger one fits a medium dog plus a kid plus another kid trying not to get hit. Both options are under $50, which is real-pool money divided by ten.
The adults problem (it's the seating)
Adults at pool parties have a specific failure mode: they stand around drinking, wait awkwardly for someone to commit to going in the water, and then complain that "the chairs were uncomfortable" on the way home.
The fix is cheap. Two or three inflatable floats with backrests deflate when not in use — zero storage — and inflate in 60 seconds when someone shows up. Even on dry land, an inflatable lounger beats a folding chair for "actually relaxing." Throw them on the lawn, into the splash pad, or on the pool deck if you have one.
A pair of oversized tropical loungers with built-in headrests handles a couple. Get the single basic float too — at $9.99 it's the spare for the friend who shows up uninvited or the kid who needs something to drag around.
You still need ground space
Even with floats, people want to sit on the ground sometimes — for snacks, sunbathing, or just changing into a swimsuit.
The mistake is bringing one $20 picnic blanket for ten people. The fix is one oversized 79 × 83-inch sand-free mat that fits four adults at once. Polyester, lightweight, sand falls off when you shake it. Packs into a pouch the size of a paperback book.
It works for the actual pool deck, for the lawn next to the splash pad, for the corner of the patio where kids dump wet swimsuits.
The kids problem (give them weapons)
Kids at pool parties are easy to entertain for about 15 minutes. After that, supervision becomes a full-time job. The trick is to give them something with built-in chaos.
A 6-pack of pull-action water sprayers handles this. They're not battery-powered — kids load them, pump them, fire them. Six in a pack means every kid gets one and there's no fight over the last one. Foam grips so nobody gets injured at point-blank range.
For the under-5 crowd, a classic beach toy set with shovel, bucket and sand molds keeps them occupied next to (not in) the splash pad. The same toys that worked in 1995 still work now.
For the photo-opportunity moments, an LED automatic bubble gun fires roughly 500 bubbles per minute and turns the backyard into the kind of scene that gets posted on Instagram. Pour bubble solution in, pull the trigger, walk away. The kids will follow it like ducklings.
Decoration without trying
The Pinterest version of a pool party involves DIY paper pineapples and a balloon arch. The realistic version involves throwing 20 classic inflatable beach balls into the splash pad and onto the lawn. Total time: 8 minutes of inflating. Total visual impact: roughly the same as the Pinterest version, but with 90% less effort.
The beach balls also function as party favors — kids take one home, you don't have to hand out anything else.
The phone problem (somebody will drop one)
Every pool party has the moment where somebody's phone almost goes in the water, or actually goes in the water. Once your friend group has experienced this once, they will refuse to bring their phones to your house ever again.
Solve it with IPX8-rated waterproof phone pouches. The IPX8 part matters — most "waterproof" phone pouches are IPX4, which means they survive splashes, not submersion. IPX8 is rated for full submersion past 1.5 meters. Buy the 2-pack so you have a spare for the friend who didn't bring one.
These also double as a "where do I put my keys/phone/wallet" solution when you're floating around.
Stay cool
If your backyard doesn't have shade, the heat hits around 2pm. A portable rechargeable USB-C fan (from our Summer Cool-Down section) charges in a couple hours and runs 4–10 hours per charge. Hand one to your guests when they sit down. They'll think you put more thought into the party than you did.
The towels everyone forgets
This is the smallest detail that creates the most stress. Guests show up without towels, you only have 4 in your linen closet, and everyone's standing around shivering before the first hour is up.
Oversized 63 × 31 microfiber beach towels are the right answer. They dry roughly 3× faster than cotton, weigh half as much, and fold down small enough that you can actually keep 4–6 in a beach bag. Get a pile and leave them next to the splash pad as a "free for guests" stack.
What to skip
A few things people buy that nobody actually uses:
- Themed paper plates and napkins. Buy white. Nobody photographs napkins.
- A speaker system. A regular Bluetooth speaker on the patio works fine. You're not throwing a Coachella afterparty.
- A bunch of one-time pool inflatables. One swan float looks cute in photos. Three swan floats are clutter.
- A bartender setup. Drinks in a cooler. Done.
- Big novelty pool toys for adults. Adults don't actually play with them. They sit on them or pose with them for photos.
The simplest setups, by guest count
2–4 adults, no kids: Splash pad optional, couples lounger 2-pack + beach towel + waterproof phone pouches. The Couples Pool Party Kit covers most of this at $54.99.
Family with kids: Splash pad + beach towel + waterproof phone pouches. The Backyard Pool Party Starter Kit is exactly this at $59.99.
Big group / hosting: Everything above plus the single float, plus water sprayers per kid, plus beach balls, plus the bubble gun. The Ultimate Pool Day Kit at $89.99 gets you the 5-product core; add water toys depending on kid count.
Total damage
For a fully-loaded group party with kids:
- Splash Pad: $38.99
- 2-Pack Tropical Loungers: $29.99
- Single Striped Float: $9.99
- XL Beach Towel: $19.99
- IPX8 Phone Pouch 2-Pack: $19.99
- Water Sprayers 6-Pack: $29.99
- Beach Balls 20-Pack: $29.99
- Kids Beach Toy Set: $29.99
- LED Bubble Gun: $29.99
- XL Picnic Mat: $29.99
Total: $269.89 retail. Or grab the Ultimate Pool Day Kit at $89.99 and add the smaller items à la carte to save closer to $30 off the full set.
Most "real" pool parties cost more in alcohol than this entire setup. Buy once, use it every summer for the next three years, and the per-party cost drops to about $30. Cheaper than the snacks.
Hosting checklist
The week before:
- Inflate everything once to check for leaks
- Charge any battery-powered toys (looking at you, bubble gun)
- Buy ice. More than you think. Twice as much, easily.
The morning of:
- Re-inflate floats and loungers
- Lay out the splash pad in the spot it'll stay (sun until ~3pm is ideal)
- Fill cooler. Put drinks on ice two hours before guests arrive
- Put sunscreen by the door where guests will see it
When guests arrive:
- Hand out a waterproof phone pouch
- Point at the towel pile
- Point at the cooler
- Walk away. They'll figure out the rest.
One more thing
The whole point of a pool party is that you, the host, are also at the party. The setups above are intentional about making sure you're not running between the kitchen and the yard for two hours while everyone else is in the water.
Buy the gear once. Set it up once. Be at your own party.
Browse the full Pool Party collection if you want to see everything in one place.