It is spring time, that means sunshine, outdoor play and pool parties! Hopefully for a chunk of the U.S. we will start to defrost and get some much needed vitamin D.
Here is a guest blog post from Kaitlin Gardner at AnApplePerDay on some great tips about planning a pool party for kids.
How to Plan a Pool Party for Kids
The great thing about planning a party for the kids at the family pool – entertainment is already checked off the “to do” list. The pool is a wonderful resource for having fun, and kids always love to gather together to play in the water. So the planning is mostly about considering other details.
Here are items to check off:
The invitation process. Have your child make up a list of friends he would like to invite. Check with the parents to confirm mailing addresses. At this time, you can diplomatically confirm that the child can swim. While evites are great for parents, consider mailing out invitations. For a child, it’s a treat just to get the invitation in the mail. Address the invitation to both the child and the parents, so they can mark the date and time. Your child might want to take the invitations and pass them out at school, but likely some would get lost along the way, so consider using mail as the safe way to make sure everyone knows about the party.
Water safety. An important factor to think about when planning a pool party – the safety issue will need to be addressed. You can’t just expect any adults in attendance to look after kids in the water. This is too important an item to leave to chance. As the hostess, you’ll have to take care of this concern, so decide between you and your husband who is the “designated watcher.” That person will only be watching the kids, not checking the cell phone or flipping burgers on the grill. To make this go more smoothly, consider hiring one of the lifeguards from the local pool – the kids are used to obeying them around water. It will assure that you provide a safe environment.
Food and refreshments. You’ll have a lot of hungry kids from playing in the water, so make sure there’s plenty of food. It doesn’t have to be quiche or something fancy – kids love burgers, so just fire up the back yard grill. Have chips and drinks on hand. It might be a good idea to designate a time for the meal, so everyone eats together, and the kids stay out of the pool for a while.
Daytime or evening? If you’re having the party in early spring, where it’s likely to be chilly in the evening, an afternoon pool party might be preferable. If it’s the middle of the summer, think about an evening party. Then you won’t have to worry about sunburns, providing shade, and everyone trying to sneak into the house to escape the heat for a bit. Put up additional lights around the back yard, and an evening party will be a lot of fun.
Pool games. Have some toys available – Frisbees and things like that, for the kids to play with. But kids love to make up their own games in the water, so likely all you’ll have to do is prompt them if their activity flags for a moment. Sometimes, just yelling out “Marco” will bring the chorus of “Polo,” and the kids will be off to another round of play. Here are some great resources with ideas for pool fun, and some great planning tips:
- http://blog.intheswim.com/how-to-plan-a-cool-pool-party/
- http://www.evite.com/content/ideas/pool-party
Playing host to parents. When you send out the invitations, make it clear that the parents are welcome to stay and visit. Some of the parents might not know each other, so handle the introductions. This part is being a good hostess, just like you would at a party in your home. A home pool party is all about providing the environment where your child and his friends can have a fun – but safe – time in the water. Once you have set everything up, just enjoy the smiles as the kids laugh and splash in the water. 
Kaitlin Gardner writes for AnApplePerDay.com. She currently lives in Pennsylvania and is married to her best friend. In her spare time, she loves to go hiking and enjoy nature. She has just started her first book about living an eco-friendly, healthy, natural lifestyle.
