Need Help W/back-up Plan If It Rains the Day of the Party

May I make a suggestion for the Pool Party, if it does occur. My sis just went to a PP for 25 6 yr olds. One of the parents assummed since her child could swim she was fine to leave him in the water to go inside and get a drink...he got knocked off a raft, lost his air and sunk. Luckily, after an unknown amount of time, another mom saw him at the bottom, jumped in and saved his life. No one knows how long he was down there, it could not have been too long as the child was still conscious and able to breath when the pulled him up.

As an Instructor with Infant Swimming Resource, I have some safety tips for you and your party. Don't trust parents to watch their own kids...while they should, you can't guarantee it. There are two things you can do to make it safer.

1) Hire someone to act as pool monitor. There single purpose should be to watch the pool; they are not to get on the phone, engage in conversations, or leave the pool. They are to watch at all times

2) Get a whistle and a timer. Let each parent take a turn watching the entire pool (at other times, they should still be responsible for their child). On the whistle, place an instruction tag (verbally tell them too, and if someone does not want to take a turn, don't insist). For 15 minutes that parent's job is to watch the entire pool. No eating, conversations, cell phone, or bathroom breaks. When the timer goes off at the 15 minute mark, assign the next parent.

If you would like additional water safety tips, please visit www.infantswim.com

By doing this, you will be adding an additional layer of protection to all the children at the party.

Happy Birthday
P.

I am not sure where you are located but there is a pretty cool place in westchase called Pump It Up. They have blow up slides and mazes that are pretty cool. I am not sure how it all works because I have only been invited, I have never planned a party there. I would call and see what they say. Good Luck!!!

This is too funny. I am also having a pool (splash park) birthday party for my 3 year old this Saturday and am a little worried about the weather also! Unfortunately, I am not having it at my house, so I don't have the luxury of just bringing things indoors. It is at Seven Oaks in Wesley Chapel. I am trying to relax because I am in agreeance with another poster that if it is just sprinkling out, the kids are going to get wet anyways! However, if it is thundering or lightening, that will be a different story. I will have to check back in on your responses over the next couple of days:). Good luck and hoping we have nice weather Saturday!!!

If it's a pool party the kids will all be wet any way - if it rains and it isn't lightning - who cares - wet is wet! I guarrantee the kids won't mind. If your lanai is large enough the parents will have plenty of shelter - if not, you can put up a couple of canapies - or have a rental company come and put up a party tent for everyone else to hang out in. All of this is contingent on no lightning of course! Even if it is sunny - people would appreciate the shade. If you don't have tables and chairs - you can have people bring some (I uually rely on my dad for about 4 chairs and then I usually have enough to cover) or you can even rent them from the same company that brings the tent - tables and chairs are not expensive - and you can buy plastic (water proof) table clothes at the Dollar tree for $1 each.

The back up plan of McDonald's or Chick Fil A are good plan Bs - they usually don't need much advance notice - and you can give everyone the rain plain ahead of time.
Good luck! Have fun - the kids will one way of another.

I'm not much of a planner either! My first thought would be any local pizza place, doesn't have to be kid oriented. Bring your own games and extra goodies for them to take home. McDonalds or chic-fil-a would be great too. Four year old kids will entertain themselves no matter where you have it!

Depending on your housing situation,
you might consider doing it anyway,
indoors
Water isnt necessary though...
it's the environment of the beach/pool...

You might have game to see who
can pin the flag on the top of the sandcastle
(like pin the tail on the donkey);
another game could be ""getting ready"
for/at the beach:
beach buckets are at the other end of the room,
filled with sunglasses
a wee fabric (gilligan-style) hat,
a towel rolled up
a shovel (and if you want, other toy).

They sashay (because we never kick up "sand" at the beach
or run around a pool.)
to the buckets and have to
put on the sunglasses
put on their hat
and lay the towel out somewhere in the room,
while being polite to their friends
(the other patrons of "the beach/pool")
They get themeselves together.
Each one is finished when they
are seated on their towel
(sunglasses and hat, on)
with the (sandmold/shovel inside) bucket.
(they all choose different methods)
I havent done this, but it would be fun to watch and,
more importantly, I would be fun for them.

If you cant afford the towel,
just add their own they bring...
fold it beneath the bucket they head for.

My kids grew up in Vermont
and the grade school classes
would always plan a trip to the local swimming hole.
In 12 years, I remember 4 of them happening.
The rest were carried out as beach parties in the classrooms due to rain.

There is another thing I do
when I plan outdoor parties
( I just had my 25 hs reunion in a park yesterday):
I pray and focus on the weather I WANT ocurring).
It usually works out.

You could all go to Chuck E Cheese.... it's public and doesn't require a reservation. If you plan to have one of the long tables reserved for your group you might have to pay, but it would be fun with or without. I say go with the flow and dont stress!

I realize this may not be in time for your party but we made sock puppets for my step daughter's fourth birthday when the original picnic at the park plan got rained out. I bought socks from the dollar store and a bunch of pipe cleaners, googly eyes and what not from Michael's. The kids figured out where they wanted things and I glued them in place with the hot glue gun.