Time for a Teen Backyard Pool Party!
Time for a Teen Backyard Pool Party! That might be a statement that strikes fear into the heart of even the bravest mom!! My kids love to have their friends over and instead of them all hanging out in the pool doing the same old thing and then heading into the house to spend hours playing video games, I decided it’s time to grab the bull by the horns and make these kids have loads of fun….even if it kills them! Just kidding…..it won’t kill them but at first they will probably act like it will. Given a little time though and they’ll be hooting and hollering like they were little 6-year-olds. I’ve got lots of games planned and then a very unusual teen meal to fill their huge appetites (the guys anyway) after I’ve done my best to wear them out. Hopefully, they will sleep till noon….oh wait. They do that anyway. Never mind.
Teen Party Games
Devise a point system for all the games you will be playing to figure out your individual winners at the end of the games. You’ll see why later.
*Like a Mummy – *Be sure to play this game first before anyone gets wet from the pool or other games. Divide everyone into teams – 3 to a team or whatever works for the number of kids you have. Each team chooses who will be the “mummy” and who will be the wrappers. Give 2 rolls of toilet paper to each team and then it’s ready, set, go to see which team can use up both rolls by wrapping their mummy the quickest.
*Water Relay – *We’ve all played some form of this game. Divide into two teams. Each team gets two buckets: one filled to the top with water at the start and the other empty at the finish. The object of the game is to transfer all the water from the start bucket to the finish bucket. Each team is given a sponge and each player fills the sponge with water from the start bucket, runs to the finish bucket, squeezes out the water and runs back to hand the sponge to the next player. Whichever team transports all the water to the finish bucket first is the winning team.
*Water Balloon Toss – *You’ve played this one, too! Everyone divides up into teams of two and everyone is given one water balloon. All teams toss the water balloon to each other at the same time. Any balloon that breaks eliminates that team. After all the successful tosses, everyone takes one step back and you toss, again. Play until all but one team remains. They are the winners!
*Newspaper Walk – *Divide into two teams. Have a start and a finish line. The object of this game is that each player has to walk from the start to the finish and then run back. The tricky part involves the newspaper. Each team is given three sheets of newspaper. As each team member makes their way to the finish he/she must lay down a sheet of newspaper and step on it, then the next and so on. No steps may be taken off the newspaper and no new sheets will be given if a sheet is torn. Once reaching the finish the player grabs all the sheets of newspaper, runs to tag the next person and they go. All team members must go. If the newspaper is shredded or destroyed too much a sheet may be eliminated if there is not enough room to stand on it so players must be careful! The first team to complete the relay wins.
*Red Wagon Slalom – *Stand colorful foam pool noodles in gallon buckets weighted with sand (or soil or stones) and set up in a zigzag pattern. Fill a wagon with small water balloons. Players must pull the wagon around the outside of each bucket without spilling any balloons.
I’m sure by now some of those water balloons have managed to hit some of the players….completely by accident I’m sure so it’s time to get in the pool for everyone to enjoy a rousing game of ring toss with our cool newGiant Ring Toss game which comes complete with a scoring system printed right on it. You can either divide into teams or let each teen give the toss a try.
By now, the points should be tallied up and you can determine the winner. The top two winners will be the masters of individual pool float/squirt guns on our new Galaxy Fighter Super Squirter set. Yes, I know this looks like it’s for smaller kids but I can just see the teen boys really getting into this so I decided to get it.
Time for Food!!
I believe that is one of a chosen few statements that warms the heart of a teenage boy. We won’t go into what the others are…..
I saw this recipe for Meatloaf Cupcakes and knew that the boys especially would love these. I will make some with ground beef and some with ground turkey so the girls have a few options. The recipe is on the Six Sisters’ Stuff website and can be found by clicking here.
I’ll have the usual veggie tray, chips and snacks (fill in your favorites here) and an ice-filled kiddie pool/cooler stocked with the kids favorite drinks – sodas, Powerades, water bottles, etc. Nope, no Monsters, Rock Star or Red Bulls. Just can’t go there…don’t have the strength.
Dessert will be special. In addition to the usual popsicles that we always have on hand, I plan to make Chocolate Lasagna. See what a nice mom I am to slave away over a special dessert? Actually, at this point in the party, this chocolate deliciousness is made more for mama (but shhhh-that’s our secret). I’ll be needing a major chocolate intake by this time in the party so what sounds better than Chocolate Lasagna? Click here for the recipe found on centercutcook.com.
If you’re still standing by this point in the party, congratulations!! You have survived and your name may now be entered into the illustrious hallows of “Moms Who Survived Teenager Parties”. Well done….well done. Don’t worry; your kids will thank you for all your hard work on this amazing party you threw for them….they’ll thank you in about 8.4 years to be exact.
But you know what? * It’s worth it….*