Pinatas; fun until that little kid whacks you with the bat.
Pinata Safety
If you have ever watched "America's Funniest Home Videos," you know about the perils of pinatas. However, there are ways to safely use a pinata without resorting to full body armor.
Instructions
Things you'll need:
- Pinata!
- Candy and/or small toys
- Bat or something similar
- Masking tape
- Small bags for each child
- The first thing to do is to designate a space where the guests should sit while waiting for their turns. The space should be far enough away from the pinata that there is no chance of anyone getting hit. If you are indoors, put a piece of masking tape on the ground to mark the "do not cross" zone. Tell the children that you will call them up when it is their turn.
- Prior to the first person's turn, give each child a small bag with her name on it.
- Explain that you are in charge of the bat, and that everyone will get a turn. When you call the first child for her turn (the birthday child, of course!) hold on to her bag, and give her the bat. Let her get in two good whacks, give her her bag back, and then have her return the bat to you (do not have her pass the bat to another child herself). Once she is seated back in the "safe" area, you can call up the next child, and continue on until everyone gets a turn and/or the pinata breaks.
- Typically, when the pinata breaks, not all of the candy falls out. You should take the pinata, and shake it around in a wide arc, so that the children have lots of space in which to collect their candy. It's no fun if everyone has to fight for candy that's in one small area.
Tips
- Take the age/size/ability of the guests into consideration when calling each child for her turn. If you have an up-and coming Babe Ruth in the crowd, let that child go towards the end, in order to give everyone a turn to hit the pinata.
- Avoid pressuring children to take a turn; some children may prefer to just watch the action instead.
- After the pinata breaks open, keep an eye on the candy collection to make sure that the younger children get their fair share. It's a good idea to have an extra bag of candy on hand, so that you can even things out if need be.
- Consider doing the pinata as the last activity at your party.
- If you'd like to have a pinata at your child's party, but are still concerned about safety, consider purchasing a "pull-string" pinata. These come with several ribbons hanging from the bottom, one of which will open the pinata when it is pulled. You will need to make sure that the children each pull only one ribbon during their turn. They will be tempted to grab a handful of ribbons all at once.
- For a great practical joke for older kids, fill the pinata with fresh vegetables (broccoli, carrot sticks, cauliflower, etc.) Keep an eye on the kid with the bat after it breaks open though! Have a back-up pinata (or at least candy) on hand to prevent a riot. (I can't take credit for that idea, it's from an A.F.V. clip).
- Consider safety concerns when filling your pinata. Avoid treats with peanuts, and small hard candies that young children may choke on.
- If you are having the party outside on a hot day, do not use chocolate candies inside the pinata (picture melted blobs of chocolate plopping out of the pinata, and oozing out of their wrappers). Eeeeew.
Some other great resources: