Here in the southern hemisphere we're coming into summer. The temperature is warming, the blossoms have finished, and the leaves are in full force. And particularly in Australia, warm weather means we're coming into barbeque season!

With that in mind, we've come up with some creative ideas for entertaining your guests in the great outdoors.

1. Picnics at the Park

For our family, this was a highlight of last summer. Sunday afternoons would find us packing up the car with the camping chairs, and a picnic basket full of goodies. Nice cheeses, crackers, and a homebaked cake were accompanied by a thermos of tea or a jug of pop. Picnics at the park can be spruced up quite easily and made into a special event for a small gathering or for a large gathering. If you're planning a party, don't forget that balloons and streamers are entirely acceptable at a park. Bring along the frisbee or cricket set, and plan a relaxed afternoon enjoying the great outdoors! Some may want to go for a hike, others may want to stick around the base and play table games.

2. Backyard BBQ Party

There's nothing better than a good outdoor barbeque. Gather your mates around, pull out the citronella candles to keep away the mosquitoes, and enjoy the smells of cooking meat wafting through the neighbourhood. You might even consider watching reruns of the latest AFL match! There are many ways to do a good, authentic BBQ. Use your traditional barbeque unit, or utilize a BBQ spit rotisserie to cook up a lamb or some other roast. If you're really wanting to get unique, consider using a wood fired pizza oven to give the amazing aroma and flavour of wood fired pizzas. The atmosphere of the evening will be great, and your mates will love your unique cooking style.

3. Kids Outdoor Parties

Along with the previous point, get the kids involved and allow them to make their own personalised pizzas! This can be a great activity for a children's birthday party, allowing them to make their own tasty masterpieces. You'll want to have parental supervision of course (who knows how much meat those kids might pile up on their pizza otherwise!).

Another idea would be a pool party. Invite the parents along as well to visit while the kids have a dip in the pool. Make sure there are plenty of party foods and games to keep the children occupied and having a good time. Plan out how you'll deal with all the water. Keeping the food table, spare towels, and games all outdoors saves on having a mess inside to clean up later.

Themed parties are also great fun. Outdoor party games are so much more versatile than indoor ones, as more running games can be incorporated into the party plan. Attach a pinata to a tree for the appropriate time during the party. For other party game ideas, there are plenty of party games books at the local library or consider doing a search on google.

As we come into barbeque season, lets dig out the BBQ spit rotisserie and host some backyard parties. They're so much fun and brings your community of friends together!

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