As of Monday, both my daughter and my nephew have broken bones and are in casts (one arm and one foot). My oldest son and youngest daughter have their birthday parties the next 2 Saturdays where we were planning to swim, play with water balloons, play in the sandbox and on our play structure. Now that my daughter and nephew can't do most of those things, I need some last minute ideas of activities we can do that will include them as well. They can't get the casts wet and can't play things like tag since both are new injuries. Here's what I have so far:
Son's party: He is turning 6 and it is a dinosaur theme. I'm planning on having them dig for dinosaur egg fossils in the sandbox and hatch an egg (pop a balloon). Maybe playdoh? Make a fossil somehow with clay or salt dough? Some other sort of craft with a dinosaur theme?
Daughter's party: She is turning 2 with a kitty party. I was going to set out bubbles and playdoh and do water beads in a water table (maybe not now), but I don't have a lot of ideas for her party that don't involve water.
I don't want to do all the same things at both since they are only a week apart, and since I have 3 days to get it together, it can't be too hard to prep for. Please help! I want these poor kids in casts to have fun too and feel included!
Thank you!
Edit: My nephew is in a walking boot, but my daughter's arm cast prevents her from using her left hand (although she is right handed). Believe me, I asked about a waterproof cast, but she needed pins to set the bones and it would be a huge infection risk if they were wet in the cast so the MD said no way.
For a two year old, some balls, ride on toys, etc and you are good to go. Keep it simple! She is two. They just want to run. For sons party have table crafts available. Maybe make t shirts.
For son: maybe a dinosaur pinata?
For daughter: pin the tail on the kitty? Or if it's a Hello Kitty party - pin the bow on the Hello Kitty?
Thinking of indoor games is probably good anyway, in case it rains....
I'm not suggesting you do anything too crazy, but I'm pretty sure they can get their casts wet. Do they have the new kind where there's a layer of white and then a layer of another color? If so, getting them wet isn't going to hurt them. It's just the ick factor of them getting gross.
Bubbles shouldn't be a problem at all. That's not really going to get anyone wet, or just very mildly wet.
I do have a couple of ideas:
1. Pin the tail on the dinosaur - of save it for the 2 year old's party and pin the tail on the kitty
2. Bean Bags
3. Horse Shoes
4. Lawn Darts
5. Hula Hoops - Maybe a contest to see who can keep their hoop spinning the longest? Toss a ball into a hula hoop?
There are lots of "yard" games you can put together that don't require a lot of physical exertion.
Good luck! Casts in the summer are no fun!
you don't say what bones are in casts. that matters. if it is a cast on the arm are they able to use fingers / hands? if it is a leg cast can they walk? I myself with this issue would probably do a party at the movie theater and be done with it lol. would not try to do it with all the activity stuff. do a party where they use the party room , eat a hot dog go watch a movie and done.
For my DD, I got inflatable dinos and let the kids "hunt" them and take one home. I had them all over the yard.
You can also go to standard kid stuff...like let them chalk up your driveway with footprints, and give them bubble wands and stuff like that. Free play is a legit party game.
You can get the cast wet but not soaking wet. Too bad they didn't use fiberglass instead. My cast that was full length on my leg was fiberglass or some fiber that was waterproof. I took showers and poured shampoo down my cast then swished it up and down. The suds came out the holes in some areas....when they took the cast off I didn't have the dead skin cells on my leg. It looked normal.
My friends do all sorts of stuff with their kids when they have casts. My granddaughter even did tumbling with her broken arm. She just had a spotter do her had work. When she would run and do a flip she just didn't use her arm that was in the cast. She did fine. I was worried at first but the owner said she'd be fine and she was.
Cover the arm with an umbrella bag from Walmart. They often have them by the front door when it's raining so you can slip your closed umbrella in one and not get the rainwater everywhere. I always pick up a few when I'm passing that rain stand in the front entry.
As for the foot cast, just put a Walmart sack or 13 gallon trash bag on it and use surgical white tape around the top. The sand and dampness won't get on the cast.
My 6 yr old daughter had a broken wrist earlier this summer. I was able to find her a waterproof cast cover online. It worked great! So well she was able to go to the waterpark for 2 days and participate in everything. The cast stayed dry and she got used to running around with an extra "flipper."
You can get Styrofoam balls from any craft store and have them paint their own dinosaur eggs in any color they want. You can put them at a table and paint away.
For kitty stuff you can paint their faces with whiskers and give them little kitty ear headbands.
Don't forget to have the kids sign casts!!
