Anonymous wrote:

This is PP... At 5-years-old, we had a backyard party with squirt guns and a hose and sprinkler & water balloons. Had beer for parents. We have a small backyard. Kids had a blast!!

My DD has a July birthday - and we did this party (with an inflatable pool too) for 3 years running (bdays 3, 4, & 5). DD still looks at the pictures and says how much fun it was.

We bought this inflatable pool (http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_004W001887487000P?sid=KDx01192011x000001&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=30-179485832-2). We had a sprinkler. We had squirt guns as party favors. We also bought a cheap party tent at Giant that we used to create some additional shade in the backyard. Decorated outside with lots of balloons (helium-filled) and let kids take one home.

We did this in the late morning combined with low-key fruit/bagels/yogurts brunch with iced coffee/tea for adults. Followed by ice cream cake.

We have a small backyard too.

FUN!!!!

This is PP... At 5-years-old, we had a backyard party with squirt guns and a hose and sprinkler & water balloons. Had beer for parents. We have a small backyard. Kids had a blast!!

My DD has a July birthday - and we did this party (with an inflatable pool too) for 3 years running (bdays 3, 4, & 5). DD still looks at the pictures and says how much fun it was.

We bought this inflatable pool (http://www.kmart.com/shc/s/p_10151_10104_004W001887487000P?sid=KDx01192011x000001&srccode=cii_17588969&cpncode=30-179485832-2). We had a sprinkler. We had squirt guns as party favors. We also bought a cheap party tent at Giant that we used to create some additional shade in the backyard. Decorated outside with lots of balloons (helium-filled) and let kids take one home.

We did this in the late morning combined with low-key fruit/bagels/yogurts brunch with iced coffee/tea for adults. Followed by ice cream cake.

We have a small backyard too.

Anonymous wrote:Please dont make me spend 2 hours in my bathing suit with all the other preschool parents.

If this was a friend party, id be ok with it.

+1 Would probably send DH with DD. The kids would LOVE it though. . . .

We did this on a Sunday morning -- 11-1, if I remember correctly -- when our community pool was nearly empty. Kids stayed in shallow end and we paid for a lifeguard to watch just our group (maybe 10 kids max). I left it up to the parents to decide if they wanted to stay -- most did not as I had explained in the invitation that we'd have a lifeguard. Kids came and swam for an hour, then pizza and cake, then some went back into the water and others played on the pool deck. Our kids all have summer birthdays and the problem with afternoon pool parties is the potential for thunderstorms -- thus necessitating a Plan B.

As long as the parents are ok with their child swimming and they know how strong (or weak) of a swimmer they are, then they need to make the call. Maybe have a few games on the pool deck that kids can play if they're not good swimmers or are taking a break? I've been to LOTS of pool parties and they were a blast! That being said, parents cannot use this time as a free babysitter. They'll have to stay and help supervise otherwise their child can't stay.

I don't think you're crazy at all, OP. We live in a neighborhood with a community pool that also has a kiddie pool.
Last year we had his birthday party there (and he was only 2). So here's how we did it. We reserved the indoor party room in the pool area. Adults were coming anyway given the age group. We invited all the children in his parent/toddler playgroup, plus a friend from the neighborhood. We put on the invitation reminders about swim diapers and plastic pants, and the requirement for adults to supervise their kids in the pool. We spent the $ for an extra lifeguard. People arrived at the party in their clothes. We had MusiKids do some fun stuff with the kids to start. We had a number of our adult friends (some with older children) come by early and during the party as well, and people were free to come and go from the party downstairs to the pool and back. Changing rooms/bathrooms were available both upstairs at the party and downstairs next to the pool. After music, cake and food, most of the kids and adults changed into bathing suits and spent the rest of the afternoon in the pools. A lot of chatting and play. Fortunately it was a gorgeous, warm late spring afternoon. It was really fun. If you have the indoor facility available, use it. It gets you past the "2 hours in a bathing suit" scenario -- believe me, that was a scary prospect for me! And do invite the whole class.

Yes, I would go. Please invite us. Sounds like fun. Actually one little boy from my dd's preschool did this, but didn't invite the whole class. We ended up at the pool at the same time, and I wasn't very happy about it. So yes, please invite the whole class.

I skipped these when my kids were 4 and 5.

That's a lot of kids and adults--will you be able to reserve the pool so you have it to yourself? Otherwise, it might get really crowded. I love pool parties, but a smaller group might be better.

Anonymous wrote:Did it last year for my 5 yr old. Invite was addressed to child and 1 adult guest. Adults stayed with their children. I can't imagine any parent feeling secure enough to drop off at a pool party at that age.

This is what we did at that age as well. It worked with enough adult supervision (1:1); otherwise it is a no-go.

Anonymous wrote:Please dont make me spend 2 hours in my bathing suit with all the other preschool parents.

If this was a friend party, id be ok with it.

I was thinking about the bathing suit aspect too! Even with that dread, I'd still go to your party.

Anonymous wrote:In general, my entire life with young children (my kids are a bit older now so we dont "do" birthday parties anymore thank god), I was so perplexed by people who had birthday parties for their kids that required my attendance. Sometimes I would go, sometimes not-depending on how awful the time spent was.

What makes anyone think that your childs birthday is so important that you feel the need to take up MY weekend? Unless we are friends, I am not going to your kid's birthday party, whether its at a pool or not. I think kids birthday parties should be hosted by people who intend to supervise the kids attending. And at a location that allows for that.

But I am sure if you decide to have it at a pool you'll get some kids to come and everything will be fine. Do what you want, its your kids party right? If people dont want to come, so be it...right?

OP, one benefit of having a pool party is that this PP won't be gracing you with her presence.