Kids get summer vacations that make every adult jealous. The reasons for this may be outdated, but most kids still get close to three months away from the classroom every summer.
Children now may not be as bored as they were before the internet came along, but that doesn’t mean they should sit on their butts all day, surfing the web or playing Fortnite. Children still need time to go outside and get away from a digital screen. One great way to ensure they’ll go outside is to throw a party. Here are three tips for throwing the best possible summer party for your kids.
Keep everyone cool
Not every place has devastatingly hot summers, but people can still get overheated fast. High temperatures and high humidity make heat exhaustion more likely. If you’re running around playing a sport like tag or catch, you’re also upping the chances of passing out from the heat.
Kids may not like to drink water, but you need to do everything possible to keep them hydrated. Water is best, but juice or sports drinks will also work in a pinch. Keep drinks in a cooler outside and make sure it’s visible to everyone. Encouraging people to go take a drink at will works better than just offering them water every few minutes.
Kids love a pool party, but what if you don’t have a pool? You can still have a ton of fun without calling a pooling contractor. Look up water slides for rent if you want to liven things up and keep everybody’s body temperature from getting too high. There’s something freeing about shooting down an inflatable water slide. Depending on the type you get, the adults may also be able to join in as well.
Avoid conflicts with other events
Summer is the best time to have a party because of all the free time that kids have. Unfortunately, it also means there’s a ton of conflicts because families are doing things like going to Disney World or going camping in Montana. If you have a kid with a summer birthday, let them know that it may be hard to get people to RSVP. That doesn’t mean no one likes them; it just means there’s a lot going on.
If you can, try to ask around and see if there’s one week or month in particular that everyone in your neighborhood is planning a vacation. If June is popular, try pushing your party back to July. And make sure to check your own schedule as well. You don’t want to have a party the same day that home renovations are schedule to start. If you need to hire a roofing contractor in Maine, make sure they’ll be working either a few days before or a few days after your event, just to be safe.
Plan the food carefully
You may not be able to account for every food allergy or dietary restriction, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ask around when you send out invites. If your child’s best friend is deathly allergic to peanuts, then that means you shouldn’t hand out peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. You hopefully already know that, but it can be easy to lose sight of important stuff when you’re trying to pull off a party.
In general, a kid with a food allergy should be accommodated over a kid with parents who don’t eat meat. That doesn’t mean you should wave a hot dog in front of the second kid’s face or anything. Be considerate to your guests and serve meat-free side dishes. If you want to throw some bean burgers on the grill, that’s a nice gesture. Do what you can to be inclusive without feeling like you need to accommodate a dozen different diets.