Lovely guest blog from the fabulous Megan Brown (That Girl Megan) - Megan lives in America so apologies for the first line ... she is obviously basking in the sunshine while we seem to be swimming in some kind of random UK based monsoon! 

Summer has arrived! Now is the perfect time to enjoy your deck, patio or pool area! But, why keep all the fun to yourself this summer? Throw a party and invite your family, friends and neighbors to join in the festivities.

When throwing a summer party, you want to make sure both children and adults have a fun time while creating lasting memories. If your party has a special theme, tailor the food and games to that particular theme to create a unique party event. Here are a few party themes that will be entertaining for adults and children.

Get Growing With a Garden Party

Garden parties are a great way to show off your green thumb while sharing the extra plants you've grown with your friends and neighbors. Whether you're into growing flowers or vegetables, you can create fun craft activities for both adults and kids.

Get the kids digging in the flowerbeds and vegetable garden with kid-friendly shovels and trowels. Have them plant seeds and pick vegetables off the vine. While the kids are playing in the dirt, which is something most kids love, you can have your adult guests create their own flower bouquets, pressed flowers, scented potpourri bags and vegetable baskets. Serve fresh salads, roasted vegetables and fruit smoothies as a wonderful dinner for everyone.

When throwing garden parties, your guests are bound to get a little dirty. Make sure to place fabric covers over your patio furniture cushions and other outdoor furniture to protect your chairs from messy clothes. This will make cleanup a lot easier since all you have to do is take off the covers and toss them into the washing machine.

Have Sand and Surf with a Poolside Beach Party

When you can't get to the beach with your family, bring the beach to your family with a poolside beach party. You can decorate your pool area like a beach setting with tiki torches outlining the pool area, a volleyball net in the yard and beach towels lining the deck rails.

Place a sandbox nearby for the young children to play in while you entertain the older children and adults with beach-related crafts. Decorate flip-flops with colorful beads and ornaments or create shell necklaces. Have the best sand castle creation contest and hold a volleyball tournament.

When stomachs begin to growl, break out the grill and cook hotdogs, hamburgers, and sausages. Serve daiquiris and margaritas - non-alcoholic for the younger guests - to complete the poolside beach theme that’ll have your guests asking when you're throwing the next party.

Always Keep a Party Simple and Safe

No matter what outdoor summer party you're hosting, you want everyone to have a great time. Keep activities and games simple. The more complicated the activity is the more time you'll spend setting it up, giving detailed instructions and cleaning up afterward. This can frustrate guests, especially kids with short attention spans, as well as make things harder for you.

You also want to make the party safe for all your guests. Every child needs to be supervised when they're playing in the pool. Keep the pool area clean and uncluttered so people can't slip and fall into the water. Leave the sand in the sandbox and away from patio pool tiles, where people could potentially slip and fall. If hosting a garden party, place sharp tools out of the reach of small children.

You can be creative when you’re hosting a theme-related party, but you don't need to be elaborate with decorations or activities. Just have fun and focus on your guests having a great time. Serve good food and have a few engaging games so people will be eager to accept your next party invitation.

Megan Brown is a self-admitted internet nerd with love for social media innovation. She works at Slingshot SEO as a social media networker as well as takes on clients freelance for social media strategy and consulting. When not geeking out online, Megan enjoys cheering on her favorite sports teams, shopping for the perfect pair of stilettos to wear out dancing, or spending time with her sidekick, a mischevious yorkie named Alexa. Join the conversation with Megan online on twitter - @thatgirlmegan (and Alexa, @alexatheyorkie), on her personal blog- That Girl Megan or sharing her special brand of sports sass – That Girl on Deck.