Pool Games

Pool Basketball
Summer is probably your child’s favorite time of year. And who could blame her? Being out of school leaves time for tons of warm weather activities, like swimming and basketball! But if you’ve ever had a hard time deciding which one to do, try this activity and get the best of both worlds! It’s simple: use a water balloon in place of a basketball, a hula hoop in place of a basketball hoop, and a water balloon as a ball. You’re ready for a fun and refreshing day in the sun! It’s a great game to play as a family and is perfect for all ages.

What You Need:
Water balloons (or a small beach ball)
2 hula hoops
Swimming pool
What You Do:
Set one hula hoop at each end of the pool. They’ll probably float around a bit, but that’s okay because it will make the game more challenging and exciting!

Use one balloon as the ball. Keep a few balloons in a bucket so you have an extra in case one pops.

Divide the players into two teams, and have each team face off between the hula hoops. Toss the water balloon into the middle of the pool and let the games begin!

Each team tries to score points by shooting the balloon into the hoop on the opposite end of the pool; every goal is worth one point.

The first team to reach ten points wins!

Pool Obstacle Course
What’s a fun way to challenge your kids to have fun and be fit? A pool obstacle course, of course! Here’s a guide to help you and your kids create an innovative course with ordinary pool toys and household objects. You can use just about anything to design your course, from hula hoops to beach balls to rafts. So get creative with your design and build an exciting course for all ages!

What You Need:
Hula hoops
Rafts
Pool noodles
Other pool items like baskets or buckets, water balloons, dive-and-relay sticks, beach balls, etc.
Stopwatch (optional)
What You Do:
Start by creating your obstacle course! Set up two identical obstacle courses in and around the pool. Leave enough room between the obstacles for children to navigate safely. (If the pool is not large enough for two courses, set up one course and have the kids time themselves instead.)

Be sure to vary the number and difficulty of the obstacles based on the ages and the skill levels of the swimmers.

Some examples of pool obstacles and activities are below:
Dive through, jump through, or swim up and through a hula hoop
Ride noodles or rafts from one point to another
Collect items like dive-and-relay sticks from the bottom of the pool
Throw beach balls into a bucket or basket from a distance
Try to hit a target with water balloons
Swim in a particular style (i.e. front stroke, breast stroke, back stroke, doggie paddle) from one point to another
Toss rings onto a noodle
Perform a cannonball

Now play the game. Divide the players into two teams. If there was no room for two courses, use a stopwatch to time each team individually.

Have each player take a turn navigating the obstacle course. The next player in the team can start the course only when the one before him is finished with it.

The team whose players finish the obstacle course first—or in the shortest time—is the winner!
Variation: The leader can have children play this game individually as well. In this case, time each player as he travels through the obstacle course. A player can go multiple times with the goal being to improve upon his own best time.

Chain Tag
Check out this fun pool game that will keep the kids occupied on those hot days at the pool. Not only does it encourage group communication, it’ll also encourage teamwork and help them develop important communication skills. This unique group game is sure to be a hit and will get everyone laughing this summer.

What You Need:
2 floating pool ropes
As many friends as you can get
Pool
What You Do:
Have your child and her friends section off a portion of the middle of the pool using the floating pool ropes (alternatively, they could improvise markers on the ground outside the pool).

Then, have your child and her friends decide who will be “it.”

The child that is “it” must tread water in the center of the sectioned off portion of the pool.

Next, have the remaining children line themselves around the perimeter of the sectioned off portion of the pool.

When you call go, the child that is “it” must swim around, trying to tag as many people as possible.

Every person that the child who’s “it” tags must link arms with him or her and form a chain.

The “it” chain must then work together to tag other players.

The last person to be tagged is the winner of the game.

For the next round, the child that was first tagged to become part of the “it” chain must start off as the player who’s “it.”
Have fun playing chain tag!