Kids parties for adults
Remember the killer birthday parties you used to frequent as a kid? The ones with pass the parcel, party pies and endless fairy bread? Do you have a few kids of your own and are jealous of how fun their birthday parties look? Our first suggestion is to invite your grown-up pals around for a kid’s party for adults. Just picture the 1990s-esque delights that could be on offer – chocolate crackles, Women’s Weekly cakes, honey joys, cheerios, face painting and Marco Polo. Throw in a few grown-up elements (boozy caramel mini shakes, jelly shots, cheeky party games, adult pinatas) and you’ve got a whole lot of fun on your hands. You can probably forget about the children’s entertainers (no clowns!), but you can make all the big kids envious with a jumping castle. Don’t forget to send guests home with a party bag – it’s always the element that we enjoyed the most.
Image: Cookies or Biscuits

Sunday Best
Okay, we’ve been throwing the term ‘soiree’ around a lot already, but we’re only going to recommend you throw a literal soiree this once. If you’ve been itching to don your finer threads but haven’t a reason, here’s your chance to make one. A ‘Sunday Best’ soiree will obviously come with a dress code (how strict you are depends entirely on you), but with fancy dress comes fancy themed party accoutrements. For a bash like this, it’s all about finger food, cocktails and refined decor. Recruit a helper or two and whip up the likes of broccoli and potato croquettes, homemade finger buns, sausage cheddar balls, stuffed mushrooms and vegetable sushi. As for cocktails, keep it simple with a few options that can be made in bulk in self-serve jugs. Our picks would be spiked pink lemonade, blackberry gin or pineapple rosé sangria (or go all out by ordering a pop-up bar from Gathering Events). Finally, jazz up your yard with croquet sets, boules or horseshoes and get ready to schmooze and mingle in style.

Bohemian garden party
Unlike this Sunday Best soiree, this garden party is purposefully and tastefully shambolic, combining equal parts picnic and contented Sunday gathering. The key here is comfort and ease, so stock up on picnic rugs, blankets and cushions to layer your outdoor space. A shaded canopy is also a good idea to keep the rays off your cheeks and you can add to the charm factor tenfold by crafting some fabric garlands (wrapped around fairy lights for added magic when the sun starts to set) and some tassel balloons. As for food and drink, guests can bring their own contributions (like any old picnic) with a central potluck food station on hand for peckish partiers. Bulk sangria never goes astray and neither does a few punch options. The likes vodka mint lemonade jugs and strawberry and blood orange rum punch will go down a treat, trust us.

Hawaiian luau
Sure, you might want to save this one for summer, but if your friends get an invite to a tiki-themed luau in October or November they aren’t going to complain. Encourage your guests to indulge in their deep-seated penchant for vibrant Hawaiian attire, whip up a few DIY leis to present to guests upon arrival and get cracking on some tropical cocktails. For drinks, the fruitier the better – pina coladas, mai tais and blue Hawaii’s are some classic recipes you should master, but also consider adding the likes of mojito, Planter’s Punch and the Tropical Itch. You should also try your hand at constructing a makeshift tiki bar to let your guests get in on the mixology action. As for nibbles, make it zesty by going with some grilled shrimp skewers but be sure to mix things up with some roast pork rolls (don’t stress if you don’t have room for a Hawaiian imu or underground steam oven), rum-glazed spare ribs and fresh salads.
Image: Simply Scratch

Mad Hatter’s Tea Party
This last one is a great excuse to get a bit silly and indulge your inner eccentric. Turn the traditional tea party or garden gathering into a memorable bash by taking a few pages from Alice in Wonderland. Set up a long table, decorate it with mismatched teapots, cups and saucers, collect some mismatched chairs, hang some colourful paper lanterns, stop the clocks at tea time and get creative. Naturally your guests will want to match the theme – feel free to dictate terms as you see fit. Silly hats only, wild and wacky, and as colourful as possible are all great outfit suggestions. As for food, well, a tea party isn’t complete without lavishly decorated cakes, cupcakes, biscuits, sweets and more. If you’ve got a knack for baked goods, this is your time to shine. Also, a few crazy party games wouldn’t go amiss. Musical chairs, anyone?