Spring is coming, and it’s time to think about a pool party for the kids. Planning a party can be a lot of fun, and it doesn’t have to be an expensive concept. There are a few basic things to arrange, and then you can sit back and watch your children and their friends have fun.
Invitations. Your kids will know who they want to put on their invitation list, and then it will just be a matter of finding appropriate invitations. Find a bright and cheerful invitation pattern that will get the kids excited. If it were a party for parents, you might consider sending E-vites, but children might not have email, and they will really enjoy getting a personally addressed invitation through the mail. Call the parents to gather addresses, and at the same time you can confirm that each child can swim. Here are some great resources with more party planning ideas:
Entertainment.If you’re having a backyard pool party, the major form of entertainment is already there – the pool itself. You might have a number of party games available like “Marco Polo” which most kids are familiar with. There are a number of other games like “Diving For Pennies” that can be fun, but kids can make up their own games and have a great time without the need for parents to intervene. In fact, when I suggested a list of party games to my son, he just rolled his eyes and said “Mom, we just want to have fun.”
Provide for safety. There are inherent risks in having a group of kids around the water, so it will be important to make sure the kids are safe. Slippy surfaces can be a particular risk, so it’s best to replace your old, rotten decking with a new, solid deck to ensure there are no accidents. If you have any paving around your pool, give it a good clean to remove any slippy dirt and algae. If your paving is still slippy even after cleaning, you may need to consider installing riven slabs to provide more grip. Comparing riven v sand stone will help you to find a material designed for use in wet areas, ensuring safety even with bare feet. Set rules like no running and no glass near the pool, and find someone with enough authority to enforce the rules. I followed the lead of one neighborhood mom who had a party, and I hired one of the lifeguards at the community pool for the afternoon. It was amazing to see how well-behaved the kids were – they were all familiar with this person, so he had the weight of authority.
Time of day. This is something to consider. If you live in a cooler climate, and you’re having the party in the spring – afternoon might be the preferred time for a party. If you live in the South, and the party will be in July, evening might be a lot better idea. Just take into account the weather when you set the time for the party.
Entertain the parents. Be sure to set up a shady place for the parents to sit, watch their kids, and visit. Make sure to take care of any introductions, in case some of the parents don’t know each other. Set out a few drinks if you like, or maybe even a few different strains of cannabis (visit this website for more info) if any of the parents would like to partake. Be sure to do this away from the kids, but still have someone who’s watching them as they play!
Provide food. With kids you can almost bet on the popular choices – burgers or pizza. My husband loves to grill, so he took care of cooking burgers, and I just had to provide buns and condiments. It was funny to see how quickly the kids lined up for food – they didn’t realize how much of an appetite they were building playing pool games, until someone called out “Burgers are ready!” If you don’t have a grill, or a husband who likes to cook, just order pizzas to go for the kids. We did that one time, and it was a stampede when the local delivery boy showed up.
Once the planning is out of the way, it can be really entertaining to just watch the kids play in the water. Sit back with a glass of iced tea, watch and smile.
Written by Kaitlin Gardner who started An Apple Per Day to explore her passion for a green living lifestyle, and healthy family living. She and her husband have just moved to rural Pennsylvania, where they enjoy exploring the countryside to discover interesting and out of the way places. She is also learning how to paint watercolors.
Wonderful blog about a pool party. It’s good that you used a mom’s perspective in order to come up with fun yet safe pool party ideas. No use having a pool party if the kids are in danger of getting sunburned or having accidents. Parents are also needed to be entertained so that they won’t leave the children alone as the go some place else to pass the time. Great tips, thanks for sharing!
Good ideas for those who have pools. In our area pools areent so common as it freezes here. I love the idea of an indoor one though 🙂
Everybody’s safety is always my concert at parties especially in pool parties. There should always adults supervising any kid’s activity at parties outdoors.