Pool Party 101

[Anonymous]

I am doing a pool party for my DD who is turning 6. Do I need to come up with activities? It's a private pool with not a ton of space so we can't do water balloon fights etc. I was sort of thinking this was just going to be low key.

[Anonymous]

You don't need activities, but you do need to be ready to have many adults in the pool too. Many 6 year olds cannot swim.

[Anonymous]

Nah. Have some beach balls to play with, maybe some inflatable toys. Stay away from hard stuff, like dive sticks.

[Anonymous]

Lol, the pool IS the activity!

[Anonymous]

Agree with 10:23 - we went to a pool party around that age and only a couple of adults came wearing swimwear. I was one of the unlucky few. It was exhausting trying to keep 10-12 kids from drowning since only a couple knew how to swim and nobody had floaties. I ended up resentful that more parents weren't in the pool with their own damn kids.

Hit the dollar store (dollar tree annandale, for example) for $1 pool noodles and give them out as party favors - you can find some cheap pool toys there too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You don't need activities, but you do need to be ready to have many adults in the pool too. Many 6 year olds cannot swim.

OP here. Yes, this is NOT a drop off party!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with 10:23 - we went to a pool party around that age and only a couple of adults came wearing swimwear. I was one of the unlucky few. It was exhausting trying to keep 10-12 kids from drowning since only a couple knew how to swim and nobody had floaties. I ended up resentful that more parents weren't in the pool with their own damn kids.

Hit the dollar store (dollar tree annandale, for example) for $1 pool noodles and give them out as party favors - you can find some cheap pool toys there too.

That's crazy. Who sends their child to a pool party if they can't swim!

[Anonymous]

Make sure everyone takes the right swimsuit home or there will be hell to pay.

[Anonymous]

Get a few inflatable and/or splash balls, a few pool noodles and a pool water cannon (like a water gun, but fills up like a syringe straight from the pool) if permitted by pool rules. Possibly also get one of those "sinking fish" plus net games and/or a small floating net plus basket-splashball; you can set those (+ the water cannon) up in the shallow end to encourage poor swimmers to stay there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure everyone takes the right swimsuit home or there will be hell to pay.

LOL Good one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need activities, but you do need to be ready to have many adults in the pool too. Many 6 year olds cannot swim.

OP here. Yes, this is NOT a drop off party!!!

But do the adults know they are expected to be in the water with their non-swimmers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need activities, but you do need to be ready to have many adults in the pool too. Many 6 year olds cannot swim.

OP here. Yes, this is NOT a drop off party!!!

But do the adults know they are expected to be in the water with their non-swimmers?

Yes. I said in the invite that the pool rules required adults to be in the water with kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need activities, but you do need to be ready to have many adults in the pool too. Many 6 year olds cannot swim.

OP here. Yes, this is NOT a drop off party!!!

But do the adults know they are expected to be in the water with their non-swimmers?

Yes. I said in the invite that the pool rules required adults to be in the water with kids.

Plus- this is August- who wants to go to an outdoor pool and NOT bring a bathing suit?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don't need activities, but you do need to be ready to have many adults in the pool too. Many 6 year olds cannot swim.

OP here. Yes, this is NOT a drop off party!!!

But do the adults know they are expected to be in the water with their non-swimmers?

I'm confused. No matter where you go (except one-on-one swim lessons), if your child can't swim, shouldn't you either (i) be in the pool with him; (ii) put him in a flotation device; or (iii) have a rule that he is to stay in the shallow end?

We're having a pool party at home this weekend, so this worries me if the above are not common sense and have to be spelled out for the adults, even though we will have a lifeguard on duty.

[Anonymous]

We had a pool party and I would say all of the parents went into the pool. It was too crowded.
But, I wouldn't discourage them from going in.

If it happens that only a few parents have swim suits, please mention to the guests to help keep an eye on the kids. Not just go to the side and talk and eat. Some barely know where their kids are while standing with a beer in hand. Yes, they have life guards but alot of times it's easier for you to spot kids you know faster than a life guard.