balancing beam game across the pool-- ideas?

[judom]

I'd love to have a way so the kids can do chicken-fights across the middle of the pool (mine is 4metres across, fibreglass) I think it'd be heaps of fun. (ie. try to knock the opponent into the pool, with one arm behind their back. Or used those padded staffs).

Have you ever seen this done before, or done it yourself? But what to use as the bridge across the pool?

--a long tube of galvanised steel, such as used for a street sign. ... but if it somehow fell in the pool, it would surely do some serious damage.

-- a long wooden post ... but the edges would be dangerous
-- a long tree tree (100mm or so ... 4" might be thick enough) with bark & branches stripped off of course

-- a slackrope (ie. wide flat-stapping with a ratcheting tensioner, such as you use to tie down loads on a trailer). I like this idea as it woudn't damage the pool ... but i imagine it'd be way too hard for two people to walk across, they'd fall in before the battle even begins. Unless there were a way to stabilize it, perhaps with criss-crossing ropes?

whaddyareckon?

 

[X-PertPool]

a round wooden post? Kinda like the lumber for log cabins. Call a log cabin place and see if they can help you find something like that. Regardless of what you use isn't this inherently dangerous as there is always the chance of falling directly onto the beam or the edge of the pool instead of the water? You'd have to coat everything in foam like American Gladiators, even they sometimes can get hurt.

 

[zea3]

You might try stringing jumbo pool noodles on thick nylon rope tied off on anchors outside the pool. I would have two ropes with noodles side by side and lash them together with zip ties or rope to make a floating balance beam. With a post or a pole I would be concerned about kids hitting their heads when they fall off, especially if you secure the post so it doesn't fall in and damage the pool. A secured post would require helmets to minimize head and neck injuries.

 

[Richard320]

What about thick extruded styrofoam? It's not that white pellet stuff that disintegrates. Comes in 2x8 and 4x8 sheets. Slice it to about 8" wide and glue them up with gorilla glue or something like that which is waterproof, and let the water support it. If someone hits it, no teeth will be lost.

 

[Samantha Sabrina]

I am not too sure about tying a childs hand behind their back when playing around a pool is such a good idea.

I would "Assume" there would be Adult supervision at "All" times when this activity were going on?

One idea might be a large dia PVC pipe capped on both ends with a rope connected to each end so it could be tied off but could still rotate, and then wrap it in some type of heavy foam, kinda like the tube insulation used for water pipes, this would be kinda like log rolling, each child could mount the "Log" from each side and just try to knock the other one off balance by rotating the log.

Nice that you are trying to do something different to entertain your children, smiles.

 

[y_not]

I really like this idea, this is good stuff, OP & everyone else too.
You should thoroughly consider the foam concepts, log, steel.... baaaad idea! Too hard! You don't want fun in the pool resulting in concussions in the hospital. YIKES!

I'd almost think that you'd need to simply test out some of these theories, maybe on a small scale, like MythBusters does. That way you could weed out the bad ideas from the better/good ones, or combinations there of, as these are all fantastic ideas! It's just a matter of the right combination of fun and safety.

Then eventually you'll have to build it and see if the kids like it, then possibly modify or go back to the drawing board if it doesn't work out. IE. They're bonking their heads and it hurts, or it's not stable enough, or just plain too difficult, that sort of thing, to name a few.
Then, once you get it part way there at least, even if you don't hit the nail on the head straight away, you have at least got a starting point, using the kids as a judge for the fun factor, as well as your own intuition and judgement for safety & practicality.

I would definitely make it something that can be pretty easily setup and taken down when not in use. Maybe lock it away so the kids can't use it when you aren't around, for safety reasons that is.

What does your pool look like, how deep is it? Can you possibly post some pictures of the area in question and an overview for ideas of approach, landing, etc...

This would definitely help me to give you ideas, as I'm very visual.

BTW. You don't state your location, is it by chance in the UK?
Cheers Mate!

 

[Blessedwithfivekids]

Please post pictures of what you decide. My kids would love this! Great idea


Sandy

 

[Leebo]

Spray foam should be strong enough to walk on. Take a large PVC pipe and cover it in spray foam. Then add a softer layer of foam over that. The pipe will provide the strength while the foam gives safety.

 

[y_not]

Spray foam should be strong enough to walk on. Take a large PVC pipe and cover it in spray foam. Then add a softer layer of foam over that. The pipe will provide the strength while the foam gives safety.

I would be concerned about the rigidity of the spray foam, I'm no contractor, but it seems to me that it wouldn't hold up without falling apart. IE. Seems powdery and brittle, even under a covering.

Just my 2pence.

 

[judom]

great ideas & input people, thanks! Here are my thoughts currently: I think I am leaning towards creating a floating foam-covered raft, stringing pool-noodles on rope, stretching out on the surface of the water for the kids to walk on. Would lash two or three strands lashed together, so as to make it easier to walk on it.

I think I'll try to make it float on the water, rather than being raised a foot off the surface, so as to minimize the risk of falling off near the edge and hitting head on pool edge or post.

Possible problems:

1. too much swaying side-to-side
(solution: have on or more ropes going crossways, to anchor it horizontally?)

2. too much sinking downwards as weight comes on it

(solution: increase buoyancy, perhaps with several thin, long capped (air-filled) lengths of pvc ... inside the pool noodle core? but then would be no room for the rope which goes through and anchors it to either side... so perhaps as a sub-structure underneath the main pool-noodle top layer)

(solution: use steel cable instead of rope, as it might stretch less)

 

[UnderWaterVanya]

Steel will rust and can cut.

 

[X-PertPool]

What about making like a bounce house kinda thing. sew a bunch of tube shapes out of a tarp material and connect them to a dust vac/blower. If you use enough tubes it should start to get rigid. or you can just rent a bounce house and have them play on that in the middle of the pool. It would be like king of the mountain, plus they bounce house rental place would be happy that all the dried puke has some how been washed off lol

 

[y_not]

....plus the bounce house rental place would be happy that all the dried puke has some how been washed off lol

OK, I really laughed on that one. :lol: Good one bro.
OP, make sure you up your chlorine levels for that one. HAHA

 

[march2012]

great ideas & input people, thanks! Here are my thoughts currently: I think I am leaning towards creating a floating foam-covered raft, stringing pool-noodles on rope, stretching out on the surface of the water for the kids to walk on. Would lash two or three strands lashed together, so as to make it easier to walk on it.

I think I'll try to make it float on the water, rather than being raised a foot off the surface, so as to minimize the risk of falling off near the edge and hitting head on pool edge or post.

Possible problems:

1. too much swaying side-to-side
(solution: have on or more ropes going crossways, to anchor it horizontally?)

2. too much sinking downwards as weight comes on it

(solution: increase buoyancy, perhaps with several thin, long capped (air-filled) lengths of pvc ... inside the pool noodle core? but then would be no room for the rope which goes through and anchors it to either side... so perhaps as a sub-structure underneath the main pool-noodle top layer)

(solution: use steel cable instead of rope, as it might stretch less)

Instead of a beam, create two platforms. People have created pool furniture out of PVC piping so it would be like a pvc piping table weighted at the bottom. This is a great idea, I think we will do this (we have a sport pool).

 

[judom]

a pvc platform!? could it be strong enough to support someone's weight, concentrated in one spot over their feet? You might have to limit it to children only.

I'm not sure why you say two platforms. I can imagine i giant 'saw-horse' structure -- one or two long beams to try and walk along, with a big triangle at either end (strutting out triangle legs should make it harder to tip over, rather than have vertical legs like a table). Probably more triangle-legs ever two or three metres i suppose

Wouldn't you be worried about the PVC scratching up the floor of the pool? I suppose you could attach some sort of rubber matting or noodle-foam all over it, so it doesn't damage the pool.

 

[Suziqzer]

I could see a pvc platform and you could easily put pool noodles on the bottom to protect the pool and the top to protect those playing on it.

The bounce house on the pool... can someone say Safety Hazard?? Yikes!