Water Party - Guest Blogger Lisa Kothari

(Ed Note: Lisa Kothari runs a website called Peppers and Pollywogs that specializes in kids' parties and party ideas.  We are thrilled to bring Lisa on as a guest blogger on Toy Whimsy!  She is here to help with all kinds of party ideas and themes for your children's' parties.)

It’s summer!  Given the rising temperatures, an outdoor water party for your child and his friends would be a perfect way to keep everyone cool!

In your invitation, ask your party guests to bring their swimsuits, a change of clothes, flip flops, and a towel.  The entire party time will be taken with the kids swimming and playing together in the pool. Hopefully, you will dive right in and lead some games, or have a few parents who are interested in getting in as well so they can lead games too:

1. Play Marco Polo
2. Hold a rubber duck race. Give each child a rubber duck and have them use their noses to move it to the other side of the pool. First one there wins!
3. Play Shark! Have the birthday kid start off as the shark and tag the fish (the rest of the kids in the pool). As the fish are tagged, they also become sharks. The game is over when the pool is full of sharks!
4. Have a splash contest to see who can make the biggest splash! Make sure to follow pool rules, however!
5. Place floating toys throughout the pool and divide the kids into two teams. Blow a whistle and see which team can gather the most floaters in two minutes.
6. Have the kids swim through rings, i.e. hula hoops

Play Water Balloon Volleyball: You'll need lots of water balloons stored in a bucket full of water and towels for each pair of children. Divide children into two groups. Pair them off and give each pair a beach towel. One side begins by placing a water balloon in the center of their towel. Each child holds onto one or two corners of the towel in their hands. The object is to toss the water balloon over the net with the opposing side catching the balloon in their towel. The volley continues until one side misses and the balloon breaks, giving the other team a point. First team to 15 wins.
Variation: If you do not own a volleyball net, put two pairs of kids a distance apart and have them volley back and forth.
Variation for young children: Instead of beach towels use two large blankets. Divide into teams, and each team member holds a part of the blanket. Toss the balloon back and forth between teams. Not too tough with a bit of teamwork.
Party Tip: Make sure to carefully clean up the balloon remains, as they are a choking hazard for young children.
Party Tip: Make sure to have an adult supervise the pool.

If you don't have a regular pool, you can fill a small plastic pool with bubble solution and water so that small children can wade in the bubbly water and blow massive bubbles!
Give out plastic squirt toys and fill them up so the kids can run around with them squirting water at one another. They can also keep the toy as a party favor.
You can get a fun sprinkler or Slip 'N Slide that the kids can enjoy together.
Besides swimming, make sure to have fun pool party food and drinks on hand:

1. Juice boxes and small water bottles would be good ideas for this party.
2. Make Fish Chow. Combine popcorn, raisins, gummy fish, Goldfish crackers, and chocolate chips. What a yummy snack!
3. Serve different kinds of small sandwiches cut into little fish shapes with a cookie cutter.
4. Order pizza for an easy option for this party too.
5. Cut up fruit and place it on a skewer stick. Serve with yogurt for dipping.

Send the kids home with a taste of summer:

1. Small glass fish bowls filled with blue gelatin and gummy fish
2. Bubbles and Lifesaver candies
3. Pool floatables, such as rubber duckies and noodles
4. Sun glasses, sun visors, and whistles

Enjoy this fun in the sun party this summer!

--Lisa Kothari

Comments

[jeux xbox 360 on September 22, 2009 at 07:00 AM]

That's what I'm talking about!

Awesome.

I don't know when the party will be, though; working weekends for the next few weeks.