Host An Autumn Themed Backyard Party

The oppressive summer heat has finally broken and given us some beautiful, crisp autumn weather. Now is the perfect time to host an autumn themed backyard party. There are many autumn themes from which to choose. Two common themes are football and harvest. Check your calendar and start planning. You will need to plan for the guest list, decorations, food and activities.

Football themed autumn parties are very popular. You can invite fans from only one team or you can invite fans from opposing teams and make embarrassing bets to be paid up immediately following the game. The decorations for this type of party are pretty easy. Team colors rule the day. You can order a personalized football banner, or just go with balloons and decorative lights in the team colors.

A fun activity for your football themed party is to use the other team's star player as a target in a friendly game of darts. A quick game of flag football is a must during half-time. Keep some inflatable footballs around for the kids to toss around.

The food for a football themed crowd is pretty straightforward. All you need to provide is chips, dip, hamburgers, hotdogs, and maybe some pigs-in-a-blanket. When it gets later in the season, consider serving heartier warm dip. Don't forget the soda and/or beer.

The harvest themed autumn party is a perennial classic. Your invitation will be welcomed by all who may be wearied by the back-to-school hoopla. Your party will be a welcome break. Your decorations should be in the earth tones of fall. Brown, gold, orange, and deep red will compliment your gathering nicely. Streamers in fall colors and leaf cut outs are popular. Dried flower centerpieces and pumpkin bowl accents are great seasonal touches.

Bobbing for apples and three-legged races are fun activities for the grownups and big kids during a harvest themed party. Bubbles should keep the little ones going for quite a while. If you are in a more southerly climate, you can turn on the sprinkler for the children to run through. However, anyplace north of Toronto lawn sprinklers won't be such a good idea. In chillier climates, a backyard bonfire might be more suitable.

The food for the harvest themed party is probably the best around. Sweet potatoes are a rich offering that can take many forms. You can serve them baked, fried, and casseroled. Pumpkin and apple pie are expected at such gatherings. To make serving easier, try a couple of slow cookers of chili or stew. You can have a build your own toppings station. You might even consider using your pumpkin bowls for soup, instead of decoration. Anything hearty hits the mark.

Host an autumn themed backyard party and have great fun this fall. Slip on a windbreaker and grab a mug of cider (with cinnamon stick, of course) and start planning now. Whether you plan a football party or a harvest party, you are sure to create memories that your family and friends will carry through the seasons.

Author Bio: Run by Kerry Gibson, All Green Lawn Sprinklers is a lawn care and irrigation specialist in Toronto.