It’s summer!  Given the rising temperatures, an outdoor water party for your nieces and nephews and their friends would be a perfect way to keep everyone cool!

The entire party time will be taken with the kids swimming and playing together in the pool. Hopefully, you will dive right in and lead some games, or have a few of the kids’ parents lead games too:

Play Marco Polo

Hold a rubber duck race. Give each child a rubber duck and have them use their noses to move it to the other side of the pool. First one there wins!

Play Shark! Have the birthday kid - or any child if it's just a fun summer party - start off as the shark and tag the fish (the rest of the kids in the pool). As the fish are tagged, they also become sharks. The game is over when the pool is full of sharks!

Have a splash contest! See who can make the biggest splash! Make sure to follow poll rules, however!

Race! Place floating toys throughout the pool and divide the kids into two teams. Blow a whistle and see which team can gather the most floaters in two minutes.

Rings! Have the kids swim through rings, i.e. hula hoops

Play Water Balloon Volleyball:  You'll need lots of water balloons stored in a bucket full of water and towels for each pair of children. Divide children into two groups. Pair them off and give each pair a beach towel. One side begins by placing a water balloon in the center of their towel. Each child holds onto one or two corners of the towel in their hands. The object is to toss the water balloon over the net with the opposing side catching the balloon in their towel. The volley continues until one side misses and the balloon breaks, giving the other team a point. First team to 15 wins.

Variation: If you do not own a volleyball net, put two pairs of kids a distance apart and have them volley back and forth.

Variation for young children: Instead of beach towels, use two large blankets. Divide into teams, and each team member holds a part of the blanket. Toss the balloon back and forth between teams. Not too tough with a bit of teamwork.

Party tips!

Make sure to carefully clean up the balloon remains, as they are a choking hazard for young children.

Make sure to have an adult supervise the pool.

If you don't have a regular pool, you can fill a small plastic pool with bubble solution and water so that small children can wade in the bubbly water and blow massive bubbles!

Give out plastic squirt toys and fill them up so the kids can run around with them squirting water at one another. They can also keep the toy as a party favor.

You can get a fun sprinkler or Slip 'N Slide that the kids can enjoy together.

Besides swimming, make sure to have fun pool party food and drinks on hand:

1.    Juice boxes and small water bottles would be good ideas for this party.

2.    Make Fish Chow. Combine popcorn, raisins, gummy fish, Goldfish crackers, and chocolate chips. What a yummy snack!

3.    Serve different kinds of small sandwiches cut into little fish shapes with a cookie cutter.

4.    Order pizza for an easy option for this party too.

5.    Cut up fruit and place it on a skewer stick. Serve with yogurt for dipping.

Send your nieces and nephews and their friends home with a taste of summer:

Small glass fish bowls filled with blue gelatin and gummy fish

Bubbles and Lifesaver candies

Pool floatables, such as rubber duckies and noodles

Sun glasses, sun visors, and whistles

Enjoy this fun in the sun party this summer!