Hi a couple of my neighbors and I are planning a block party and we're looking for ideas. Does anyone have any ideas of how we can get the teenagers involved? Any good kids games? Also, how would you handle people who do not pay, but attend anyway or send their kids out to participate? Any help would be great.
Check with your village - do you have to register your block party? After that, go to the fire department, they will usually send out a hook-and-ladder for the occasion if it's the only block party or the first request of the day. Fun for the kids to climb on and cheap for you. Blow-up slide are very fun but have to be monitored and run about $300 - $400 the last time I checked. Bean Bag Competition - $5 per person...first,, second and third prize. Potato sac races - check with local (smaller) grocery store on how to obtain them. Dad and mom dress up game or adult dress up - a pile of clothes per each team. Teammates face each other from 25-50 feet away. Someone yells "go" and one teammate puts on all the clothes, runs to the other teammate - they "undress"...that person puts on clothes and runs to the opposite side and "removes them. Fastest team wins. Teens can do an hour of small kid's games (i.e.bozo buckets, ring toss - water balloon toss can be for all ages. ) Later, they can have a scavenger hunt (Personal message me if you want a good list for a scavenger hunt) Also, we've played a great version of "musical chairs" at a recent party - the older kids loved it! (tweens and teens) -If you lost your seat for the round, you had two choices - either "accept" the whipped cream paper plate, in the face, to STAY in the game or "give" someone the whipped cream in the face who is staying in the game and your turn is done. Amazingly - many opted to "give it away and drop out of competition. Cool prize for last person.
As far as people paying - wrist bands are good but....quite frankly, hard to monitor and after, the block party, you still have to live next to these people. I would still do the bands and pass along the idea that people will be "banded" but it, sadly, still won't stop neighbors from sneaking in, especially if their homes are on the block and they have chosen not to join in the fun. Have a great time!
(edit) Sorry...just an add-on....regarding children accompanied by adults....good point! I hosted a yearly "FAMILY" fun event for a few hours on one night, and every year, children would attend without parents. Sadly, this became a huge problem and I stopped having the event. I would, at the very least, have parents sign up for an hour or two to monitor some of the bigger events, if you have a blow-up slide or jumpies, for example. Also, a food and drink monitor - kids get bored and start spraying pops or dumping waters on each other's heads if they are hot. I've had block parties and they are fun...good planning keeps them fun for the hosting families, too!
the suggestions about the blow up bouncy thing is great. also, the bag game. that is a great thing for all ages. we have some friends who have been having an annual picnic and bag tournament for 5 years now. they even get some trophies!
you could get a few sets of bags and run a neighborhood tournament! our friends set up the brackets, then we all chose numbers randomly as to be paired for the event. you could break it down by ages. also, volleyball, good old fashion three legged races! water balloons, egg toss etc. those things are really fun!
have people sign up and have a check list the day of the party. If people didn't pay, ask them for the money when they show up. also, in the invitation, say that children must be accompanied by an adult.
sounds like you will have a good time.
Hi. I'm planning one, too. We're doing a scavenger hunt, capture the flag, visit from the fire truck, bike/wagon parade and a water balloon/water gun fight. We also have a neighbor who has a big blow up slip n slide that we can use. For teens you can do a more high tech scavenger hunt by having them take digital pics of various things (ie. pic of 2 team members next to a red car, etc) try to come up with things that they can be creative.
As for payment -- it's hard to police because you have to live next to these people. At one block party I attended shortly after moving to the neighborhood (and hence had not paid since I wasn't living there when the request went out) they put out a jar with a note on it saying what the agreed upon cost was and requesting that anyone who had not paid, pitch in then. That way no one had to go around and ask anyone for money and if there was anyone who really wanted to be there but couldn't afford the full amount, they could pitch in what they had.