A pool party is one of the best, easiest summer birthday parties to throw. From invitations to favors, planning a pool party is a breeze. Here are some great ideas for planning the perfect pool party.
Invitations:
You can use invitations that reflect your theme or make your own invitations using card stock paper, which is more cost effective than buying invitations, especially when money is tight. Make your own invitations by cutting flip-flops, board shorts or tropical flowers out of the stock. A suggested invitation slogan is, “Dive Right in for a Fun Party!” If you will be hand delivering the invitations, attach your invitations to small beach balls or maybe sample sized bottles of sun block.
Decorating:
You don’t need to do a lot of decorating for a pool party. Balloons, streamers and beach balls will do or you can get more elaborate and go with a tropical luau theme. You can also create a centerpiece using Ken and Barbie in swimsuits and tie balloons to their hands to add the final touch.
Games and activities for kids:
• Rubber duck race
Using only their noses, players must nudge a rubber duck from one end of the pool to the other.
• Fun floating
Toss a variety of floating objects such as floats, foam noodle pieces, bath toys and rubber ducks into the pool. Set a timer and have the two teams see who can gather the most items before the timer goes off.
• Ice cube race
Split the children into pairs. One person from each pair will be in the pool where they have to gather ice cubes with their feet; no hands may be used. They must pass the ice cubes with their feet to their teammate outside the pool.
• Flip flop fantastic
Hide one flip-flop from each pair somewhere around the yard. Hand each child a flip-flop and tell them they must find the matching flip-flop. They get to take that pair of flip-flops home with them.
• Limbo
How low can people go? Have two people hold the ends of a broomstick or another long stick. As the people pass under the stick, it is lowered. If you touch the stick while going under you are out of the game.
• Relay race
You will need two of each of the following: XL board shorts, pairs of sunglasses, straw hats, beach bags and beach chairs. Divide the children into two teams and have each team line up in a row. Place each chair a reasonable running distance from the starting lines for each team then fill each beach bag with the set of beach items; each team gets one bag. Each player must put on all of the items in the bag, run to the chair, come back from the chair, take off all the items and give everything to the next player who has to do the same thing. This continues until everybody has had a turn.
• Bobbing for flip-flops
Fill up a large tub with water and place flip-flops in the water that are marked with the numbers 1, 2 or 3. Put together three corresponding prize bags, labeled 1, 2 and 3 and have them filled with inexpensive items. Two players at a time place their hands behind their backs and grab a flip-flop with their teeth. Prizes are awarded based on the number on the flip-flop that they pulled from the water.
Party favors:
You can have them decorate flip-flops with silk flowers and beads as a fun gift to take home. You can also place items such as small beach balls, squirt guns, fun sunscreen and a few sweet treats in a plastic sand pail. You can also fill a plastic poolside cup with lip sun block, bright candy and plastic, shaped ice cubes that they can reuse throughout the summer.
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