Need ideas quick! Birthday pool party might rain out

[Vacation Lover]

My 10 year old has his class coming tomorrow night to our neighborhood pool for a pizza & pool party and it's looking like rain. I need to come up with a "Plan B" quick.

We just got new carpet and are about to sell our house, so I'm thinking of setting it up in our garage. I can set up some tables for the pizza and we'll put on some music, but what else?! Can you think of any good party games for about 20 kids in a relatively small space? I do have plenty of prizes for games I'd planned to do at the pool.

 

[fatewineroses]

I know I have games, deep down in my mind..but for the life of me I can't remember any but one right now. And this "game" is the LAST thing that we did, the couple of times we did it...

Treasure Hunt - I made up cards with clues to the next spot. Each child gets two clues in turn. The child who gets the clue reads it out loud to the group and then they all get to figure out where the next clue should be. The LAST clue should be for the Birthday Girl/Boy, who leads the group to the last spot..where I put their gift bags or you could put another fun prize!

 

[MomNeedsVacay]

Maybe a scavenger hunt?

 

[sndfan]

Maybe this will work. For my DS 9's party, it was a Pirates of the Carribbean theme and I drew out the "Islands" that were in the movie...Cannibal Island, Port Royal, etc. and laid them out on the floor. The kids got in a line and took turns throwing a bean bag...if it landed on an island, then they got to get a prize. I had a treasure chest full of "prizes" like fruit snacks, necklaces, ring pops, etc. It was sort of a "fill your own" goody bag. Oh, I forgot...I had purchased those small handled white bags and the kids "decorated" their own with markers first...then they had their bag and filled it.

I also took two pieces of painters tape and put it on the ground...then the kids, still in a line, would be blindfolded and spun around and had to try to walk the plank...very funny. Again, they got a small prize for their goody bags.

Both games worked well in small quarters. Good luck!

 

[hmdavid]

If you have access to a karaoke machine, that would be fun!

 

[kaypee]

Here's a few more ideas.

Push the tables to the sides and do musical chairs.

And a kind of reverse of musical chairs--put the kids in a circle and hand one a "prize." Turn on the music. Hot potato it until someone stops the music. The person holding the prize keeps it. Keep going (I like to have the kids who are out stop the music.)

get a set of stickers with two sheets. Using matching stickers, put one one a small prize, the other on an index card. Hide prizes. hand out cards. You must find the match.
or hide the card or even just the stickers. When they bring the card or sticker, they get the prize that has that sticker on it.

If its warm--(and no lighting) swim anyway. They're going to get wet anyway!!!

Easter Egg hunts are good any time of the year!!

Have you heard of a penny hunt? Hide a couple dollars worth of change in the party area.

Don't decorate the cake. Make cupcakes and have them decorate. This will take lot more time.

Pin the something on the whatever. I often make the big thing (the last was Hello Kitty) and have the kids decorate the thing they are pinning on. (bows in this case.) To take more time, have the kids make the whole game!!!
Divide them in groups of 5 or so. Give them markers and tape and scissors and big paper or poster board. Have them design a party game and then lead the other kids through it. Offer prizes for the best party game!

Don't sweat it. the kids will have fun regardless. Just relax and have fun with them.

I love kids parties. My friends think I'm nuts.

 

[Vacation Lover]

Thanks for the responses and great ideas! The good news is it's not raining so the pool party's on after all. I'm going to save these great ideas, though, and use some when we have another party.

 

[mericletwins]

We had a pool party last weekend. It rained for two days before the party and on and off the day of the party. Water temp. 66 degrees, air temp. 56 degrees, kids in the pool anyway.....priceless.

I had to shake my head. I can't believe that they were swimming, but they were.