It’s summertime! The kids/grandkids are out of school and it’s time for some fun in the sun. It would be great to have family over for the afternoon, hang out on the porch and enjoy a fun meal.
It’s also a prime opportunity to invite over new friends you made from the community/neighborhood or new family members (such as new son-in-law, or grandson’s girlfriend)! Aside from the good food, it actually benefits everyone! How? Well, you, the host gets to welcome and allow people to come together, which alleviates isolation and depression, symptoms that especially affect seniors. It also allows breaking the ice with newcomers and giving them a sense of belonging. It’s a win-win situation and everyone gets to enjoy some Vitamin D from the sun!
We’ve come up with some ideas on how to enhance your backyard BBQ party for everyone to enjoy, including tips and recipes, read on!
Consider a Themed BBQ
It would be as simple as dressing up and showcasing patriotism for the Fourth of July, but themed parties are always pretty fun. You don’t have to dress up in costumes per se (or you totally could!), but even something simple like, a “Mad for Plaid” theme where everyone needs to wear plaid—having some type of wardrobe coordination would make fun for photo opportunities! It’s also an icebreaker to have almost matching outfits with someone attending.
Music Playlist for Any Occasion
Whether it’s a laid back lounging vibe or a vibrant and lively party, there is always music suitable for each setting. If you have a Google Home or Amazon Echo, you and any guest can make any song requests to be played. Pandora radio and Spotify also allows you to create your own playlists or browse through thousands online to enjoy. Youtube also has some pre-made playlists such as this one.
Offer a Variety of Beverages
Cold beers, lemonade and sangrias are typical essentials at a BBQ party. Some hosts set up a DIY alcohol table where guests can whip up their favorite cocktails. If you want to promote a healthy and natural lifestyle, consider setting up a smoothie bar!
Find an outlet and hookup your blender. Then, place some a variety of fruits (even veggies) in a bowl. Consider printing out some popular smoothie recipes and having them for display so people can pick their favorite and make it! It would be a nice bonding experience when people get to mingle as they make their own tasty treats (especially fun for the kids).
Be sure to stay hydrated and have pitchers of ice water available for everyone to cool down as well.
Prep Station for the Kids
To build upon the previous point of kids getting to make their own treats, consider also setting up at a table a prep station with already sliced ingredients. They could help with marinating meat, assembling skewers etc. Since wooden skewers can be pointy and sharp, have an adult supervise! Check out the last point for some tasty recipes.
Set Up a Care Station
Hanging out by the poolside, sitting on a hammock on the porch, flipping burgers by the grill might all be done under the sun. If there isn’t any shade, we’re all subject to the mercy of nature! It wouldn’t be enjoyable if you go home with multiple mosquito bites or sunburn!
Consider setting up a little table on the way out to the backyard with sun care products and bug spray. For gatherings like a BBQ, there will be more people around, and so utilizing aerosol spray cans would be useful and efficient especially when lots of people are going in and out to the porch.
Just in case, also have your First Aid Kit out for any accidents.
Delicious Recipes to Try Out
Obviously, the main attraction of the BBQ is what you grill! Definitely have your staples of burger patties, sausages corn etc handy, grill master. But if you’re looking to trying some new dishes, we curated some tasty BBQ grill recipes with a variety of protein:
- Juiciest Hamburgers Ever (Ground beef)
- Chili Lime Chicken Kabobs
- Honey Garlic Pork Chops
- Chipotle-crusted Pork Tenderloin
- Grilled Bacon-wrapped Jalapenos
- Honey Ginger Grilled Salmon
- Maui Wowie Shrimp
If anyone is attending is a vegetarian or have dietary restrictions, be sure to have some options available for them. Veggie burgers, marinated tofu, vegetables like mushrooms, peppers etc all would be great and delicious grilled! We handpicked some tasty recipes for the grill:
- Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
- Grilled Garlic Parmesan Zucchini
- Grilled Yellow Squash
- Mexican Corn on a Cob (Elote)
Enjoy, Grill Master!
We hope you all have a great summer and enjoy quality time with family and friends!
Looking for recipes or other lifestyle tips? The Caring Blog has got you covered on everything senior-related!
