The summer holidays are here! So, it’s inevitable that you’ll be getting together with your favourite people.

The warm sunshine, laid back holiday moods and general cheerfulness in the air entices us to have impromptu braais or even play host to larger, pre-planned events – because, how else are we going to see all those people in such a short space of time, right?

When planning a larger-scale party, it’s hard to keep everyone entertained simultaneously. For instance, what’s exciting for the little ones might be too childish for teens or of no interest to adults. So, how can you make your summer together a better experience?

Well, as professional braai-ers and party starters, there are a few tricks that we use to keep everyone happy. So, consider these suggestions:

Bust out the Baker Box

The Megamaster Baker Box is a nifty little tool that fits onto your gas braai and acts as a pizza oven. Get everyone involved in prepping the ingredients for pizzas, then, each person takes a turn in designing their own creation. Set up stations to include rolling out pizza dough, cheese toppers and of course, the official scraper who uses their mad skills to lift the delicate morsel off the table and into the Baker Box. Once it’s cooked, your slicer can cut and serve the pizza as a starter for everyone to have a taste. Whether it’s got capers, anchovies, bacon or all of the above, you can sample an array of flavours easily.

Hey Mr. DJ - 900 seconds

Ideal for adult-only parties or even with teenagers present, this activity is something you must stipulate beforehand, so that your guests can be prepared.

Each guest must bring their favourite music on a flash-drive, that equates to 900seconds (15 minutes). Setup your laptop or music system and let the timer tick down! Sure, you might cringe at what your moody teenager will put on, but it’s only 15 minutes of your life and who knows, you could discover your new favourite band.
By doing this, you’re not only opening yourself up to new musicians and bands but it can also be conversation starter, especially for people who are not familiar with everyone else – together – made better, right?

DIY Kebabs

Just like the baker box, you can start an assembly line for kebabs, with a wide selection of freshly cut veg and proteins at the ready to be skewered. Kids can pick and choose what vegetables and proteins they use and what order they go in. With an array of dipping sauces, brought by willing guests, each kebab can be grilled to perfection and who knows, you could find yourself tasting something unique. Certainly an ideal way for starters and desserts (marshmallows anyone?)

Garden Games

So, we don’t all have access to a pool, but there are other ways to entertain everyone. Badminton, swing-ball, volleyball and boules are just some of the exciting games that you can pick up in-store at a reasonable price, equating to hours of fun!
Put teens and parents against each other or pair up with new guests as a way to break the ice. Consider basing the whole braai around this event as a tournament. Each player puts in a certain amount and you play several round-robins, until there is only one winner who takes the pot.
You can even make a little trophy to award the winner.