Top Swimming Pool Games for Kids: Fun Ideas and Activities
Spending time poolside is fun and relaxing for all ages. You can resort to swimming pool games to spice up the entire experience. Here’s an overview of the best pool games for kids that the whole family will love!
Contents:
12 Pool Games for Kids
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You might enjoy an entire day of relaxing at the poolside. Children will require certain activities that will keep them engaged. And that’s where our swimming pool game suggestions come into play. Some activities will require the ball, others are suitable for large parties. However, we are sure anyone can find a game that fits their preference.
Check out our list and pick your favorites below!
Games for Toddlers
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Most swimming pool games with toddlers require active adult participation. The good news is you can make these activities both educational and fun. Here are the top suggestions!
1. Dancing and Singing in the Water
The entire idea is to relax your child in the water and ensure they have fun. Think about some popular kids’ songs, especially those that have movement. You can also improvise some simple dance moves. It’s an excellent activity for the first time when the kid is in the water. They will move their hands and legs, which contributes to feeling more comfortable in the new environment.
2. Blow Items Across the Water
If you have some ping pong balls or light items, here’s another activity that needs to be done to improve the kids’ comfort in the water. The idea is to throw in floating items that your kid can blow with their breath. As they blow, the object will move but also splash the kid’s face. That can be helpful to ensure that the child isn’t scared when the water reaches their face. They will get used to that being a normal occurrence in the water.
3. Falling in the Water
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Once again, this is a game that focuses on making things more comfortable for toddlers in the water. Begin by positioning in the water and remain standing. Your kid should be next to the pool, sitting on the edge. Once they are ready, tell them to let go and drop into the water. You should wait there to grab them in your arms. Once they are comfortable enough, you can allow them to try to enter on their own.
4. Hold Breath with a Toy
Here’s an excellent way to teach your kid how they should stop their breathing underwater. You can take their favorite toy (make sure it’s water-friendly) and put it in the pool. Now, ask the kid to submerge the toy but hold their breath first. They should keep the toy underwater as long as they are holding their breath. Once it’s time to exhale, tell them to pull the toy out. It will better teach the kids how long it takes to dive out and understand the concept of being underwater.
Read also: How to Teach Your Child to Swim Quickly and Without Fear?
For Older Kids and Teens
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At this point, your kid should already be comfortable in the water. That’s why your main focus when searching for games to play in the pool is fun. Here are some activities that can fit different ages!
1. Casting a Net to Catch the Treasure
Although it will require some preparation, it belongs to very fun pool games for kids. You will need some items that will count as treasure. Those could be toys, balls, and any other floating objects. Each participant needs a net that will be used to cast and collect the treasure. The game can be single and multi-player.
The objective is easy—players should cast the net and aim to collect as many items as possible. You can decide the details of the rules. If the kid is small, let them roam around the pool collecting the toys. For older kids, there could be a line they can’t cross for casting the net or another rule that complicates things a bit.
2. Monkey in the Middle
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If you need a party game for a crowd of three to eight or more, Monkey in the Middle is a great choice. The game requires a ball, although you can also use an object like a sponge or anything you see fit.
All players should position themselves in a circle, with one person in the middle. Participants will pass the ball between themselves, while the person in the middle will be tasked with jumping and stealing it. You decide if players can catch the ball and then pass it to another participant or you will pass like in volleyball.
3. Marco Polo
The pool version of the popular tag game is suitable for any party size. The participants can vary from two to ten or more, and there’s no need for any equipment. You decide who will be Marco and that person will close their eyes and count to ten (or 20, depending on your rules). During those seconds, others have to position themselves anywhere in the pool.
Once the seeker counts to the target number, they shout Marco. The rest shout Polo and the seeker starts searching for others with closed eyes. The person that they manage to find becomes Marco in the next round.
4. Swimming Pool Race
You can organize individual or relay races in the pool. However, it’s necessary that the pool is large enough that it takes at least several seconds to swim from one to the other side. If there are enough participants for relays, divide them into teams and decide what the “relay” object will be. You can mix and match different swimming types and decide on how many laps the race will last.
Races are ideal if you are hosting a birthday party with a large crowd. If you go with individual races, you can even organize tournaments or score points. Measuring time could add another competitive dimension to the entire experience.
Related: The Best Water Games for Kids.
5. Noodle Joust
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Here’s another exciting game that will require preparing suitable equipment. The things you’ll need include a couple of floats or rafts. It’s best for them to be different, such as pizza or flamingo. The other piece of equipment includes a couple of swimming pool noodles.
The rules are simple—you position each player on a floating toy in the pool. Their task is to use noodles to try to knock over the opponent in 1vs1 battles. Make sure to underline the importance of fair play—it’s only possible to use noodles and not any other methods to throw the other kid into the water. Also, it’s important to understand the game can get a bit rough, so we suggest ensuring you play it with kids who don’t mind dropping into the water.
6. Minnows and Sharks
Here’s another cool classic game adapted into a pool activity. In case you don’t know, the rules involve choosing a single shark, while the rest of the participants are minnows. The shark is at the center of the pool, while fishes should align on one of its sides.
The task for the minnows is to find their way to the other side. The shark can tag anyone and convert them into a shark for the next round. The last person standing is the winner and becomes a lonely shark that will hunt in the next game. And here’s the cool thing—you can also adapt this game to play it on the beach.
7. Treasure Hunt for Allowance
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Our next suggestion is a game that will require the participating children to know how to dive. It’s also an excellent way to test and improve their diving skills. As a bonus benefit, kids can use this to count money and better understand its value.
The preparation involves gathering some coins. Toss them into the pool and allow them to sink to the bottom. Now, the task for the children is to dive and collect the money. If there are multiple divers, they can take turns if you want to avoid any collisions. You can spice up this game by adding coins of different values. The task for the winner is to get to the highest sum, so you aren’t observing solely the number of coins.
8. Noodle Surfing
Here’s one of the simplest and best summer pool activities that can never get boring. It requires pool noodles again, but if you have them, they’ll prove versatile since they are suitable for different games.
As for noodle surfing, it’s self-explanatory. Children have the task of climbing on the noodle and staying on it as long as possible without falling into the water. If you want to complicate things, the task can be to balance on a single foot. There’s an important safety consideration to stay in the middle of the pool and avoid risking hitting the head at the edge!
Pool Rules for Safety—Basic Things You Should Know
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Being safe is the new cool, and that’s the primary thing to explain to your children. Whether you are in a backyard or a public pool, it’s important to understand the importance of safety. We suggest establishing some ground rules. Before you head to the pool, talk to your kids and emphasize the following:
- Never run when you are close to the pool. The surface around the pool is slippery and hard. If the child slips while running, they could get injured. You can tell the kid that having an injury means they can’t return to the pool for a while, which could damage the fun.
- Always secure adult supervision. Your task is to ensure that at least one responsible person is monitoring children at all times. It’s vital that your child understand why an adult is necessary. Try to explain to them that they will need you if an accident happens.
- Diving is only possible with great caution. Pool depths vary, especially for those placed in the backyard. The general recommendation is that pools should be at least eight feet deep for diving. Another important guidance is that jumping into the water should always be feet first.
- Never eat or drink in the pool. This is for two reasons—health and sanitation. Eating or drinking in the pool can be a choking hazard. If the food falls into the pool, it’s unsanitary and difficult to clean. Make sure to underline that children also shouldn’t chew gum in the pool since there’s a risk of choking.
- Apply the rules of nice behavior. That means children shouldn’t push each other into the pool. Rough play is strictly banned to avoid accidents.
- Understand the pool equipment. Your child might want to know how the pool works, including covers, drains, filters, etc. Explain everything to them while underlining that they shouldn’t play around with the equipment.
Keep your child safe during all outdoor activities, not just at the pool. Download the Findmykids app to track your child’s location in real time and ensure they’re safe, whether they’re at the park, a friend’s house, or the pool. Peace of mind is just a tap away!
What Are Your Favorite Pool Games?
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The ideal pool game is the one that best fits the participants’ age. If your kid is a toddler, some engaging activities could include dropping into the water and blowing items across the water surface. For older children and teens, Monkey in the Middle, classic volleyball, and Marco Polo could be entertaining.
What are your favorite swimming pool games? Have you tried any of those from our list or do you have new suggestions? Please feel free to share your feedback in the comments and exchange opinions with other parents!
FAQs
How do you make a boring pool fun?
You can play various types of games, which are suitable for both adults and children. Depending on the age of participants, you could try anything from dancing and singing to a treasure hunt.
How to make pool time fun?
The easiest way to make time spent at the pool fun is to play games. If there are other people with you, multiplayer games like Marco Polo or Popsicle are a great choice. It’s even possible to play alone—for example, task yourself with times to swim a certain distance. Alternatively, children can use balls or toys to play in the pool.
How to play Popsicle in the pool?
You don’t need any gear for this game, but it requires at least three players. One person is the seeker or “it.” They try to touch and “tag” other participants in the pool. If they manage to touch someone, they must freeze (they become a popsicle). It’s only another “free” player who can release them by touching them or swimming between their legs underwater.
What are the 4 swimming activities?
Four swimming activities refer to stroke types, and they include butterfly, breaststroke, backstroke, and freestyle. You can make it into a game to practice different types with your children.
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