YLE would like to welcome guest blogger Aimee Lyons. Aimee Lyons is a twenty-something free spirit who loves crafting, painting, building, and anything else that lets her exercise her creative muscles. A born do-it-yourself kind of girl, she started www.DIYDarlin.com to inspire others to embrace their inner creators and tackle projects with confidence. When she isn’t crafting, you might find her vintage shopping or taking her Corgi Champ out exploring in her hometown of Austin, Texas.
Take it Away Aimee…
4 Fun Pool Party Activities to Fit Your Budget
Summertime means no school for the kids and ample opportunities to bask in the warmth of the sun for kids and adults alike. What better way to celebrate the glorious days of summer – while also beating the heat – than with a pool party? Pool parties offer fun games and pool toys for the kids, tasty treats, and iced drinks for everyone. Of course, all those little details quickly add up, and before you know it, you could find yourself over-spending on party planning.
While food and drinks have simple solutions (potlucks are always a safe option), finding fun activities for everyone on a budget can be tricky. Here are a few low-cost activities that are guaranteed to keep your guests and your wallet happy.
Squirt Gun Battles
Yes, obscenely expensive squirt guns are available for purchase at your local Walmart. However, you do not need to shell out half your savings account to fund a squirt gun battle. Dollar stores carry multipacks of small, inexpensive squirt guns that can double as a fun party favor. Pit kids versus adults, families versus each other, or every person for themselves. No one is too old to have a squirt gun fight.
For extra fun, you can supply inexpensive white t-shirts for each guest and fill the squirt guns with food color-dyed water.
Diving for Change
Do you have spare change lying around? Then you have a pool game. For kids, you can create a penny diving competition where the winner gets a tasty treat or fun toy. Depending on the ages of the kids, you may want to have smaller consolation prizes.
This game is easily modified to engage adults as well. Pit the kids against the adults, offering up a prize both can enjoy. Some prize options might be a food item, a larger squirt gun for the upcoming battle, or some other advantage during the other party activities.
Pool Noodle Fun
Pool noodles are one of the cheapest aquatic toys money can buy, but they’re also more versatile than many other flotation devices and toys. Pool noodles can be used for activities like pool noodle jousting, pool noodle chicken, and even pool noodle crafts. Cut some pool noodles up and use foam sheets and straws to create an army of pool noodle sail boats. The possibilities are truly endless. In addition to being useful in many ways during the festivities, pool noodles make for a cheap but fun party favor at the end of the day.
Sharks and Minnows
Sharks and Minnows is a game that requires nothing but a pool and players but may be supplemented with swim aids for kids. Pick one person to be “it.” That person is the shark. From here, there are a few options. The other players are all minnows. The shark swims around to tag them which can mean the player is out, frozen, or takes over as the shark. This game can easily incorporate both kids and adults while costing you absolutely nothing.
Planning an exciting and eventful party does not mean you have to break the bank. In fact, if your guests bring their own pool toys, it might not even cost you anything but the change in your purse. Of course, spending just a little money on things like squirt guns and pool noodles certainly won’t hurt. Provided you do a potluck for food and drink, have guests bring their pool toys, and have access to a pool, you have a low-budget, fun-filled pool party on your hands.
Image via Pixabay by vait_mcright
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