Is it just me? Or is anyone else worried that tossing a kid 10 feet off the ground from a stretched out table cloth is going get someone seriously hurt?
Now, nobody who knows me thinks I'm a killjoy. Far from it! Do you know anyone who parties harder? But, still, the last thing anyone wants is for someone to get injured... or worse.
Now, nobody who knows me thinks I'm a killjoy. Far from it! Do you know anyone who parties harder? But, still, the last thing anyone wants is for someone to get injured... or worse.
The tablecloth toss
When the party's in full steam, someone invariably pulls out a table cloth. Many parents have taken to ordering an oversized flag for this very purpose.
Caught in the fervour of celebration, it's hard to think of what can go wrong. But think about it: Falling onto a hard dance floor from a height of 10 feet is going to break bones.
We've seen kids thrown high enough to be in touching distance of the ceiling.
They often land precariously close to the edge.
The catch is rarely controlled.
And just a small amount of slack in the table cloth is going to land a kid on their back, neck, or head on the floor.
Only recently, we heard of a bar mitzvah boy tearing straight through a flag.
Caught in the fervour of celebration, it's hard to think of what can go wrong. But think about it: Falling onto a hard dance floor from a height of 10 feet is going to break bones.
We've seen kids thrown high enough to be in touching distance of the ceiling.
They often land precariously close to the edge.
The catch is rarely controlled.
And just a small amount of slack in the table cloth is going to land a kid on their back, neck, or head on the floor.
Only recently, we heard of a bar mitzvah boy tearing straight through a flag.
The chair lift tip
Okay, okay. We're not about to tell anyone to not do the quintessential chair lift. And, after all, even if you do fall off, you're likely to fall into a throng of fellow revellers.
But here's a pro-tip:
Almost always, someone trying to be helpful rushes up to the back of the chair and shunts it up - presumably out of fear that whoever's sitting on it will fall off backwards. The effect of this is to tip the poor star out of the chair. At the least, it leaves them feeling panicked and holding on for dear life - not much fun!
Tilting them backwards a bit allows them to comfortably sit back and bask in the glory!
So, remember, tell your follow chair-lifters assertively: "Tilt the chair backwards!"
But here's a pro-tip:
Tilt the chair backwards a bit! Not forwards!
Almost always, someone trying to be helpful rushes up to the back of the chair and shunts it up - presumably out of fear that whoever's sitting on it will fall off backwards. The effect of this is to tip the poor star out of the chair. At the least, it leaves them feeling panicked and holding on for dear life - not much fun!
Tilting them backwards a bit allows them to comfortably sit back and bask in the glory!
So, remember, tell your follow chair-lifters assertively: "Tilt the chair backwards!"
The surfing down line of linked hands thingy
Not sure what this one's called. But it's where 2 lines of people link hands, and the kids and hosts literally dive onto their linked hands, to be tossed all the way to the end.
The trouble usually comes from being tossed right off the end!
To mitigate this be that person who stands at the far end, ready to brace whoever's head is going to land on the floor.
The trouble usually comes from being tossed right off the end!
To mitigate this be that person who stands at the far end, ready to brace whoever's head is going to land on the floor.
Anything to report?
Do let us know of any accidents you've seen. Or if you're worried about an accident at your own party.
Check the venue's insurance to see what's covered. And please don't take too many risks.
Check the venue's insurance to see what's covered. And please don't take too many risks.