Along with the lazy days of summer comes pool parties. Among those pool parties are the pool parties for kids. I’m going to go over how to host a kids pool party, along with some pool party games, pool party favors, great foods to serve, DIY crafts, and pool party decor. And because there are many dangers that lie deep in the waters, I’m going to talk about pool safety tips. Since I’ll be covering a lot of pool party ideas in this article, I’ve included some pool party images. Now that you know what I’ll be going over in this article, let’s dive into it and get started.
Fun Games to Play at a Kids Pool Party
Beach Ball Bowling
Line up pool noodles to make a square shape (a couple of noodles on the left, right, and back of the square). Leave the one side of the square shape open. To make sure the pool noodles don’t move each time you play this game, you may want to stick some toothpicks in the noodles to connect them together. Line up some soda bottles at the end of the square shape, which would be at the bottom side. To play the game, simply roll a beach ball and try to knock out as many soda bottles as you can.
Photo Credit: polkadotchair.com
Marco Polo
This is one of the most played and oldest of all pool games. One player is chosen to be “It”. That player closes his or her eyes and tries to find and tag the other players with his or her eyes closed. The player who is “It” shouts “Marco” and the other players must respond by shouting back “Polo.” The person who is “it” tries to find and tag them. If any player is tagged, then that player becomes “It.”
Pool Party Favors
Just like any party, it is important to have favors for the kids that were invited. Favors can be simple, or you can go all out and buy something really nice for each child. The decision is yours. Below I’ll go over some pool party favor ideas you may want to consider giving out.
Towel and Water Bottle
As simple as it is, a towel and a water bottle can be a nice pool party favor for each child. And most importantly, it can be a very useful favor that each child can use over and over again. This also allows you to skip using all of your towels for the children to dry off. Instead tell them to use the ones they were given. Make sure to tie the water bottle and towel together with ribbon, or even just a string.
Photo Credit: Oh Goodie Designs
Fish in a Slime Bag
Do your kids love making slime? Great! You and your kids can enjoy making party favors by making Fish In a Slime Bag. As silly as this name may sound, it can be a fun party favor that kids can take home and remember how fun the day was. To make, start by making slime. There are many different slime recipes on the internet, so decide which one you would like to use (try going with a sparkly recipe!) Make sure the slime is a blue color, so that it looks like water. Then, pour the slime into a plastic bag, and put some cheap toy fish in it. Position the fish so that they look like they’re swimming. Finish the favor by tying the bag shut with a ribbon. If you are looking for a fun activity while all the kids are there, have each kid make their own favor.
Photo Credit: My Frugal Adventures
Safety
A kids pool party may seem very safe, but there is always the chance of injuries, or even children drowning. It is important to establish some rules, and make sure that an adult is always watching the pool. Here are some safety tips to follow so that all children at your pool party stay safe.
- Never leave a child unattended. It may be tempting to leave children alone in the pool, but it is important to stay with them always. Even if your pool isn’t too large or deep, you should keep an eye on them. If you won’t be available, have another adult watch over them.
- Make sure that each child knows how to swim. Before any child swims in the pool, make sure that he or she knows how to swim. If that child doesn’t know how to swim, you could have the child play in a shallow kiddie pool as an alternative, or you could just stay with the child all day. If the child is a toddler, you may want to have some fun on-land activities. There are many different pool party ideas for toddlers, so take your time to choose the right activity.
- Establish some rules. Although a pool party is suppose to be fun and relaxing, it can never hurt to establish some rules. Besides asking each child if he or she can swim, you should also make some rules for the children that can swim. For example, you may make a rule that all children must stay in the shallow end of the pool, or that they must stay away from the drains.
- Have some floats in the water. In case a child were to start drowning, you should have some floats in the water for him or her to grab on to. It can also help an adult pull the child to land. Even if the floats aren’t in the water, you should have some nearby in case they were needed. Besides, floats can also be really fun!
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Great Food to Serve
A party just isn’t the same without delicious food. Especially at a kids pool party. Expect many hungry children to arrive at your pool party. I’m going to list some foods that you may want to serve at the party, but feel free to add to the menu.
Fruit
Fruit is a healthy snack to serve at a kids pool party. Make sure to have a variety of fruit, such as pineapples, blueberries, strawberries, apples, oranges, kiwi, and blackberries. Have a fruit dip available as well. Make sure to have the fruit cut up into little pieces so that the children can grab small amounts of fruit in between swimming.
Vegetable Tray
Once again, this is a very healthy dish. Not all children are going to be fascinated by all the vegetables, but with some dressing and a large variety of vegetables to choose from, there should be no complaints. Make sure to have the vegetable tray displayed in a way so that children can grab some and go, without having to sit down and eat a meal.
Sandwiches
You can never go wrong when serving sandwiches. They are simple to make, and can be a tasty snack for young children. Turkey and cheese are always good ingredients to add, but you may want to get creative and come up with your own recipe.
Taco Bar
A taco bar allows each child to decide what he or she wants and doesn’t want to eat. Make sure to have plenty of options available. Ground meat, tortillas, cheese, beans, rice, salsa, sour cream, and guacamole are always good ingredients to add. Because this is a pool party, you may want to include pool decorations around the taco bar. One decoration idea could be to serve the food in beach pails, and use the pail shovel as the spoon.
Popsicles
A pool party is so much more fun when dessert is served. And what better dessert could there be on a hot day but a cold popsicle?! You can either make your own, or purchase some at a store. You may want to have different flavors available.
Ice Cream
Almost every kid loves ice cream. There are many different ways to serve ice cream. You could serve it in a cone, which is a common way to serve ice cream. Or you could serve ice cream in a bowl, or even serve ice cream sandwiches. However you choose to serve it, you will definitely have many happy children when they see the ice cream.
Lemonade
Lemonade can be very refreshing, especially on a hot summer day. You could serve pink lemonade, strawberry lemonade, or regular yellow lemonade.
Photo Credit: Crissy Crafts
DIY Crafts
Slime
Slime is becoming very popular these days. As you may have noticed, I have included slime as one of the party favors. The reason why slime is becoming so popular is because it is fun to make, and can be used for many different purposes. Similar to playdough, slime can be used for making fun shapes, practicing writing on, and can be decorated with gems and glitter. And, as I stated earlier, you can make the adorable Fish In a Slime Bag as the party favors. Party favor or not, each child should take home whatever he or she made out of slime. You may want to have fun comparing how different each slime turned out.
Paint Rocks
A fun craft for kids is painting rocks. Because this is a pool party, the children may want to stick with pool theme colors and ideas. For example, perhaps the kids want to paint the rocks like seashells, sharks, sea turtles, and mermaids. They may also enjoy playing with their rocks at the pool party, and pretending they really are sea creatures.
Decor
Don’t forget the decor when planning for a kids pool party. There are so many pool party decoration ideas to use for decorating. Make sure to use pool party themes. For example, use decorations that match pool items, such as beach balls or pool noodles. If you will be having a pool themed birthday party, make sure the presents are wrapped in cool colors, such as blue, green, or purple. Below I’ve listed some pool party decoration ideas that you may want to use. Let’s get started.
Beach Ball Garland
Beach balls are one of the main pool items that you will find at a pool or beach. How fun it would be to not only have beach balls in the pool to play with, but also beach balls hanging from the sky over the party. You can use real beach balls, or you can make your own by using paint, styrofoam balls, and string. Start by painting the styrofoam balls red, yellow, and blue. If the balls are not already colored white, you will also need white paint. Then glue the string onto each end of the ball. Continue doing this until each and every ball is painted and are attached together by the string. Hang the garland over the pool, over the food table, indoors, or anywhere else you desire.
Photo Credit: Studio DIY
Mermaid Styled Table
If your young guests love mermaids, they will most definitely love the way this table is decorated. First you will need a glitter tablecloth, preferably colored blue. Place a fishing net down the center of the table. Line up golden colored plastic plates, and forks that match. Decorate the table with seashells, pearls, and any other mermaid themed decorations.
Photo Credit: Bashery
Balloons
Every kid loves balloons, especially when they are at a kids pool party. Tie the balloons down wherever you want. If you are wanting to be extra creative, throw some balloons into the pool. The kids can enjoy throwing the balloons around and playing catch. Make sure to choose bright colors.
Photo Credit: Dukes and Duchesses
Conclusion
Well, there you have it. A world of endless fun both in and out of the pool awaits for your guests. I’ve gone over many different pool party ideas, including different foods to serve, crafts to make, games to play, and ways to decorate for a kids pool party. Remember that safety always comes first, so make sure to always have an adult watch over the children. This article should have given you some ideas and tips to host the best kids pool party ever. Now go enjoy your pool, and most importantly, enjoy summer!
Image Source: Mommy in Los Angeles
