Remember when the sole mission of summer was having fun with friends? Listening for the sound of the ice cream truck, making belly-flops in the pool, catching fireflies in a jar, collecting seashells on the shore... Our childhood summers centered around the single mission of entertaining ourselves and our friends.
Just because summer is over, does not mean that the fun cannot continue! Your sunroom provides the perfect backdrop, amid the twinkling stars and night air, to extend the feeling of summer fun right in your own home! Here are some tips to make it a hit!
- Choose a Chatty Game- A game where each player takes individual turns works best, so that players can chat, enjoy snacks, or take breaks when it's not their turn. Mahjong, Bunco, and Yahtzee are great for groups because of their conversational nature and ability to accommodate many players.
- Set the Stage- A folding table, card table, or your patio table and chairs will work great in your sunroom. Get a few yards of dark green felt from your fabric store to lay over the table for an authentic game room look that also minimizes the noise of rolling dice. Buy a pack of Wine Glass Writers and draw up a scoreboard on your sunroom windows. These markers write and erase perfectly on windows and create a fun way for everyone to track their scores. They also work double duty to label your guests' beverages.
- Serve Winning Munchies- Winning needn't mean elaborate, just something to suit many palates. One beautiful platter of cheeses, crackers, meats, nuts, and grapes, will likely accommodate everyone. Or consider a snack that matches your game. For Yahtzee or Bunco, you could rent a popcorn machine, or decorate cupcakes to look like dice. For Mahjong, consider an Asian theme, with sushi or mini egg rolls.
- Create a Themed Beverage- Set up a beverage station in one corner of your sunroom, featuring a game-themed refresher. For Mahjong, a Mai Tai "mocktail", with 1/2 cup Sprite, 1/4 cup pineapple juice, 1/2 cup orange juice and 1 tablespoon grenadine, looks beautiful garnished with cherries and oranges. For Yahtzee or Bunco a Mojito "mocktail" uses sugar cubes to represent dice. In a small shaker, muddle 10-12 mint leaves with 2 teaspoons of sugar, add 1 1/2 ounces of fresh lime juice and shake. Strain into a highball filled with ice and top off with club soda. Drop 2 sugar cube "dice" into the glass. Both of these "mocktails" are easily converted into cocktails, as well.
- Up the Ante- Not every guest will win the game, so up the stakes with a door prize tree. Decorate your sunroom ficus or palm tree with lights, and hang numbered tags from the branches. Have each guest take a tag from the tree, and draw a number (or multiple numbers) at the end of the night to award door prizes to the lucky tag holders.
A game night is an easy way to escape our hectic routines and generate summertime fun. Grab your friends and loved ones for a night of laughter and memories in your beautiful sunroom. Don't be surprised if they ask you to do it again!
Looking for ways to incorporate a sunroom design into your home? See eye-catching designs on Facebook at @Sunroom, on Pinterest @FourSeasonsHP or on Instagram @SunroomsWindows.