Your son won his first tennis match. It’s your tennis fanatic sister’s birthday. You’re celebrating the start of the U.S. Open. Whatever the reason for throwing a party this summer, make it a tennis-themed one! Let MyTennisLessons serve as your party planners with advice on what to cook, what to wear and what to do. With our help, your tennis-themed event is sure to be a smash hit.
Invitations: Create an invitation that sets the tone for your tennis-themed party, like this preppy argyle invitation for a child’s birthday, sporty card for a round-robin tournament or pretty watercolor design for a country club luncheon. Don’t forget to add tennis puns!
Decorations: Whether you want your party to have a casual atmosphere or more elegant style, decor is the key component to making the event a winner. A few ideas to get you started:
Design your own drinkware using glass paint to draw rackets or tennis balls on goblets.
Have yellow flowers arranged in a sphere for a lovely centerpiece.
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Use old trophies to store necessities like napkins and utensils.
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Food: Stick to a color palette with your cuisine — the go-to being yellow and green, of course. Try grilled corn, macaroni and cheese or sautéed green beans.
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For an easy dessert that guests can also take on the go, make tennis ball cake pops using yellow food dye and white icing. See a step-by-step cake pop tutorial here.
Attire: Make it a costume party by asking guests to wear vintage tennis attire. Check out these period pieces for sale on Etsy and Ebay.
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Activities: Depending on your venue, there a variety of games you can do to keep guests active. If you’re going to a tennis club, write up a tournament draw and have some competitive fun. For a backyard event, set up badminton. For younger beginning players, run a game of Simon Says in which you ask them to perform the basics like “ready position” or “follow through.” And kids will also love a tennis ball piñata.
Playlist: Get your head in the game with tunes like:
“Tennis Court,” Lorde
“Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” Pat Benatar
“Philadelphia Freedom,” Elton John (actually about the pro tennis team)
“Billy Jean,” Michael Jackson
“Anyone for Tennis” Cream
“No Return” The Kinks
Guest book: Keep track of who attended by giving guests markers to sign a giant tennis ball.
Party Favors: Give guests a parting gift to keep them talking about your gathering for weeks to come. Cut a circle opening into an old tennis ball and fill it with candy. Add ribbon and name tags for a personalized touch. Instructions here.
