<p>It’s vacation time and that calls for a lot of cool fun meet-ups with friends and family. With the pandemic far from gone, it’s best to spend time at home. </p>.<p>How do you host the coolest party at home? Grab an inflatable pool and head to your terrace or garden, Open Sesame suggests simple ways to make sure your party is the talk of the town.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Peppy numbers</strong></p>.<p>For an entertainment-filled party, all the peppy songs of the season must make it to your playlist. While the viral Bollywood number ‘Abhi toh party shuru hui hai’ is worth revisiting, other hot picks of the season are ‘Butter’ by BTS and ‘Levitating’ by Dua Lipa. </p>.<p>Setting up speakers and a music system near the pool isn’t a bad idea. If it’s a small gathering, even small bluetooth speakers are enough. Adult supervision is a must while setting up the cable connections. It’s important to ensure there are no wires near the water. </p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Quick bites </strong></p>.<p>A party is often synonymous with good food but it doesn’t have to be fancy — even easy salads work. </p>.<p>Cut up your fruits (kiwi, grapes, watermelon or all) in interesting star or tree shapes or with cookie cutters, sprinkle some ‘chaat’ powder or a bit of salt and pepper, and load them into a hollow watermelon, for a fun-looking ‘fruit chaat’ basket. </p>.<p>You can buy corn tortillas and cut them into triangular pieces and fry them, and make nachos at home. Just be sure to drain out the oil by placing them on paper towels and sprinkle some salt. </p>.<p>Nachos can be had with just mayonnaise mixed with some oregano and chili flakes, or a quickly-dished salsa. To make salsa, just throw in some tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, and cilantro into a blender. Blend it well, add some salt, pepper and a few lemon drops. </p>.<p>A sandwich is another easy snack. Take two bread slices, place some lettuce as base, slice and place some tomatoes, onions and bell pepper in between. Use a spoon of mayonnaise or cheese spread, or cheese slices. Grill the sandwich on a griller-toaster or on the pan, slice and serve.</p>.<p>Beverages are a must at parties. A jar of lemonade, or orange or watermelon juice, works well. Add in soda if you like a fizzy twist to it. </p>.<p>Set up or pull aside a table to place these snacks safely. Floating tables or trays can also be used if you want to snack and swim. Place some shells, balloons, and coloured paper on these to make them look festive. </p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Play time</strong></p>.<p>If you own elaborate pool games, then now is the time to bring them out. Create your own sponge target game. All you need is a few toy discs, some vinyl or magnet numbers that you can stick to the discs, and a few sponges. Aim and throw the sponges onto the discs — the higher the numbers on the discs you hit, the higher your score and chances of winning. </p>.<p>How about a float race? There are many floats in alligator, flamingo, tiger, or other interesting animal shapes. Get on them and race through the water. The first one who reaches the other side, the fastest one, or the one with the most laps, is announced the winner. </p>.<p>Play the ball squirt game. Find an average or small-sized inflatable beach ball and some squirt guns or Holi ‘pichkaris’. Start from one end of the pool. One who moves their beach ball to the other side with the squirt gun fastest wins the contest. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Colourful decor</strong></p>.<p>Buntings are easy to make. Get some paper, cut them into a rhombus shape or square shape and fold through the middle. Use thread, old wire, coir, ribbon, or anything that will stretch and is available in plenty. Stick the corners of the paper together, creating a triangle shape, over the wire (should stick on the middle crease of the paper).</p>.<p>Make these using origami paper, chart paper, different wrapping papers, or even old and colourful magazines and newspapers lying around the house.</p>.<p>If you have string lights from Diwali or Christmas lying around, place them on poles or along with the buntings. These can be coiled up or stretched out. Use colourful ones to create different effects. </p>.<p>(<em>Compiled by Tini Sara Anien</em>)</p>
<p>It’s vacation time and that calls for a lot of cool fun meet-ups with friends and family. With the pandemic far from gone, it’s best to spend time at home. </p>.<p>How do you host the coolest party at home? Grab an inflatable pool and head to your terrace or garden, Open Sesame suggests simple ways to make sure your party is the talk of the town.</p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Peppy numbers</strong></p>.<p>For an entertainment-filled party, all the peppy songs of the season must make it to your playlist. While the viral Bollywood number ‘Abhi toh party shuru hui hai’ is worth revisiting, other hot picks of the season are ‘Butter’ by BTS and ‘Levitating’ by Dua Lipa. </p>.<p>Setting up speakers and a music system near the pool isn’t a bad idea. If it’s a small gathering, even small bluetooth speakers are enough. Adult supervision is a must while setting up the cable connections. It’s important to ensure there are no wires near the water. </p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Quick bites </strong></p>.<p>A party is often synonymous with good food but it doesn’t have to be fancy — even easy salads work. </p>.<p>Cut up your fruits (kiwi, grapes, watermelon or all) in interesting star or tree shapes or with cookie cutters, sprinkle some ‘chaat’ powder or a bit of salt and pepper, and load them into a hollow watermelon, for a fun-looking ‘fruit chaat’ basket. </p>.<p>You can buy corn tortillas and cut them into triangular pieces and fry them, and make nachos at home. Just be sure to drain out the oil by placing them on paper towels and sprinkle some salt. </p>.<p>Nachos can be had with just mayonnaise mixed with some oregano and chili flakes, or a quickly-dished salsa. To make salsa, just throw in some tomatoes, onion, garlic, peppers, and cilantro into a blender. Blend it well, add some salt, pepper and a few lemon drops. </p>.<p>A sandwich is another easy snack. Take two bread slices, place some lettuce as base, slice and place some tomatoes, onions and bell pepper in between. Use a spoon of mayonnaise or cheese spread, or cheese slices. Grill the sandwich on a griller-toaster or on the pan, slice and serve.</p>.<p>Beverages are a must at parties. A jar of lemonade, or orange or watermelon juice, works well. Add in soda if you like a fizzy twist to it. </p>.<p>Set up or pull aside a table to place these snacks safely. Floating tables or trays can also be used if you want to snack and swim. Place some shells, balloons, and coloured paper on these to make them look festive. </p>.<p class="CrossHead Rag"><strong>Play time</strong></p>.<p>If you own elaborate pool games, then now is the time to bring them out. Create your own sponge target game. All you need is a few toy discs, some vinyl or magnet numbers that you can stick to the discs, and a few sponges. Aim and throw the sponges onto the discs — the higher the numbers on the discs you hit, the higher your score and chances of winning. </p>.<p>How about a float race? There are many floats in alligator, flamingo, tiger, or other interesting animal shapes. Get on them and race through the water. The first one who reaches the other side, the fastest one, or the one with the most laps, is announced the winner. </p>.<p>Play the ball squirt game. Find an average or small-sized inflatable beach ball and some squirt guns or Holi ‘pichkaris’. Start from one end of the pool. One who moves their beach ball to the other side with the squirt gun fastest wins the contest. </p>.<p class="CrossHead"><strong>Colourful decor</strong></p>.<p>Buntings are easy to make. Get some paper, cut them into a rhombus shape or square shape and fold through the middle. Use thread, old wire, coir, ribbon, or anything that will stretch and is available in plenty. Stick the corners of the paper together, creating a triangle shape, over the wire (should stick on the middle crease of the paper).</p>.<p>Make these using origami paper, chart paper, different wrapping papers, or even old and colourful magazines and newspapers lying around the house.</p>.<p>If you have string lights from Diwali or Christmas lying around, place them on poles or along with the buntings. These can be coiled up or stretched out. Use colourful ones to create different effects. </p>.<p>(<em>Compiled by Tini Sara Anien</em>)</p>