As we plunge into the holiday season, you may be looking for ways to entertain at your next holiday party or dinner. For a unique, Florida-centric idea, why not host your holiday get together by the pool?

Food, friends and a (preferably) heated pool are all you need to kick off a memorable holiday party. Below, we are looking at five ways to take your holiday pool party to the next level.

Offer something for everyone

If you’re hosting a party around the pool, you can bet that some of your guests will want to dive right in—while others will be perfectly content lounging on the patio and chatting with friends. At your holiday pool party, provide something to do for every type of guest. This may mean bringing food and drinks for the adults and pool toys for the kids—whatever it takes to please all your partygoers!

Set the mood with seasonal music

No holiday party would be complete without some seasonal music. Use your outdoor speaker system to play classic holiday favorites throughout the day or night. With a waterproof speaker, you can bring the music even closer to your friends in the pool!

Place decorations around and inside the pool

When it comes to holiday decorating, don’t forget your pool and patio! For your upcoming holiday party, you will want to be sure that your guests are greeted by festive displays of lights and holiday décor. You can achieve the seasonal look in a variety of ways. Try wrapping string lights around palm trees or using red and green floating lights on the actual surface of your pool.

Keep your guests warm

While most Florida pools are enjoyable year round, your guests may still need some warming-up to stay comfortable throughout your party. Be sure to supply your guests with warm towels if they are swimming. You can also serve warm holiday drinks like hot cocoa to keep everyone warm and in good spirits. This is also a great time to use your patio fire pit, if you have one!

Send guests home with pool-themed party favors

If you traditionally send your party guests home with party favors, why not make this event’s favors pool-themed? Beach ball cookies, flip flops or baskets filled with pool toys for the kids are all easy but meaningful gifts to send your guests off with. For a seasonal twist, you can package your favors in holiday wrapping.

Hosting a pool party at any time of the year is a great way to get friends and family together and enjoy lots of fun, laughs and memories—and during the holiday season, that’s especially important! We hope that these tips can help you throw a festive holiday get together your loved ones will remember for years to come. And of course, from all of us here at Extreme Pools, happy holidays!