Splash Or Be Splashed

Have you been wondering why high school seniors have been running around town with squirt guns and floaties this spring? Well, I’m part of the problem — here’s why:

This year seniors got the opportunity to play Splashin’ which is a traditional senior game that students across the country play. The goal is to spray your assigned target with a squirt gun and hope not to get out yourself. To be immune from getting out you can wear goggles or a floatie which essentially protect you, but might make you look ridiculous in public. The game has certain safe zones, like the high school and various sporting complexes around town. The game all takes place on the Splashin’ App where targets are randomly assigned and players can keep track of who has been eliminated and who is still in.

As a co-admin for this year’s Senior Splashin games, I’ve had a front-row seat to every water-soaked ambush, last-minute rule debate, and group chat meltdown. From the very beginning, our goal was to make this year’s Splashin’ bigger, better, and more unforgettable than ever before. Judging by the chaos unfolding daily, I think we’ve succeeded.

We kicked things off with 50 students put into 25 teams, each one randomly assigned a target and armed with nothing but a water weapon and pure determination. What followed were weeks of creativity and chaos: sunrise stakeouts, decoy distractions, buddy betrayals, and some truly elite-level sneakiness.

Of course, it wouldn’t be Senior Splashin’ without a little drama. One of the most memorable moments? Lizzie Cunningham dodged elimination by getting off the softball bus at a totally unexpected location while nine assassins were camped out in the school parking lot waiting for her arrival. Another memorable moment was when Lachlan Sloan drove all the way to Kalispell to eliminate Brooke Harding and Avery Taylor after they got Chick-Fil-A. It was a super unexpected elimination and set the competitive tone early in the game. Moves like that are what make this game so entertaining.

But with chaos comes some obstacles to overcome. Early in the game, we had to make a big rule change after Sophia Matt got eliminated while working her shift at Sweet Bliss. Targeting someone while they’re stuck behind a counter was unfair. So, we made the call to ban eliminations at workplaces. It was one of the first major rule changes of the season, and it helped set the tone for keeping the game competitive and respectful.

This year, every player paid a $5 entry fee to play and all the money went straight into the prize pool. The last team standing will take home the winnings, but we’ve also got more than just bragging rights on the line. We’ll be handing out fun awards at the senior party for feats like Best Elimination Video and Best Floatie Fashion, just to name a few. It’s our way of celebrating the wild creativity and chaos that made this year’s game so unforgettable.

As admins, we’ve had to navigate rule-breaking, alliance-making, and the occasional gray area. We’ve updated rules mid-game, clarified eliminations, and worked hard to keep everything as fair (and fun) as possible. It’s a balancing act, part referee, part event planner, part peacekeeper and of course part player.

But more than anything, being a part of this game reminded me why traditions like this matter. Senior Splashin’ gives us one last chance to laugh, compete, and connect as a class before we all go our separate ways.

So hopefully, that clears things up. And to everyone who played: thanks for being part of what made this year’s Splashin’ one to remember. If you want to learn more about our game check us out on Instagram @phs_seniorsplashin!