Take your swimming pool to the next level of fun with these great game ideas.
A backyard swimming pool offers hours of fun in the sun during the swimming season. However, if swimming and splashing aren’t enough to keep the kids (and grownups) entertained, take advantage of the best ideas for swimming pool games guaranteed to delight all ages. Some you can purchase through swimming pool retailers and others require very few supplies at all. Check out these fabulous swimming pool games to keep your outdoor hot spot hopping all summer long.
Water Sports
If you love to shoot hoops or smack a volleyball on dry land, you are sure to love the sport in the water as well. Basketball hoops are available to attach to your pool decking or stand alone on the side of the pool for extremely easy setup. You can even find floating hoops to add to the challenge. If hoops aren’t your thing, there is also floating volleyball, tennis, water polo and ping pong. Ring toss and darts can also be played in the water, with special floating games designed just for this purpose. We even found pool archery and golf for the true sports aficionados. And for those who love contact sports, check out the flume ride jousting that is available through many swimming pool stores.
Diving Games
Trying to get your kids more comfortable with underwater play? Try these diving games on for size. Of course, every pool owner needs the basic set of diving rings or sticks, which can turn into a plethora of competitive games with a little imagination. You can also find obstacle course equipment that will encourage kids to dive and swim through hoops. Weighted sharks create even more diving options, with point values listed on each one to make the game even more challenging. No diving toys? Throw a large handful of change into the pool and have everyone dive in after it. The one who ends up with the most money wins.
Easy Games
Everybody who owns a pool has played Marco Polo, but there are other pool games to try on for size. Races are always entertaining, but give yours a special twist by making everyone push a beach ball across the pool with their nose or sit on floaties and paddle across. Another easy game involves an empty two-liter bottle filled with water. Divide swimmers into two teams and place a chair at each end of the pool to serve as goals. Have teams line up on opposite sides of the pool, with backs facing the pool and eyes closed. Throw the bottle into the pool. When the teams hear the splash, they have to try to get to the bottle first and get it into their goal. The catch is that a bottle filled with water is difficult to see in a swimming pool, making this a challenging game indeed.
Spending time poolside is the perfect way to beat the summer heat. Keeping a repertoire of games and activities on hand ensures everyone in your pool has the best time possible.
