Fun games for the kids to play in the pool

There are few things more enjoyable in life than being in the sunshine with your family by the pool, and with the summer holidays rapidly approaching, you might be thinking of ways you can help keep your kids occupied while making the most of the fantastic weather.

Utilising your pool is a great way of getting the kids outdoors, exercising and enjoying the fresh air, but if – fingers crossed – we get enough warm weather, they may run out of ways to enjoy the pool with you. To help your kids enjoy the sunshine this summer, take a look at our list of fantastic games; no additional equipment is necessary, just endless fun!

Marco Polo

A classic game which has been around for decades, this involves one player being designated as “it”, that player then stands in the middle of the pool and closes their eyes. They must then try to locate and tag other players in the pool, they can shout “Marco” and the other players must in return shout “Polo”. This, and the sounds of other players moving in the water, will help the person playing as “it” to locate and tag other players.

You need at least 3 people to play this, the more players you have, the better the game!

Sharks & Minnows

In this game, one player acts as the “shark” and stands in the centre of the pool. The other players are minnows and must stand outside the pool until the shark calls out “Shark Attack!” at which point the minnows must enter the pool and try to navigate their way to the opposite end. Anyone tagged by the shark will become a shark in the next round. The last player remaining as a minnow becomes the singular shark when the game starts over again.

Obviously, this game is best played in a longer pool with more minnows than sharks, but it’s easy to adapt this game if you need to.

Starfish Tag

Another aquatically themed game for all the family, Starfish Tag involves designating someone as “it”. When you’re tagged by this person, you must stop and stand like a starfish, sticking out your arms and legs. You can be saved if another player who is still free swims under your arms or through your legs.

You can increase the difficulty of this game by specifying a higher number of times you have to swim through people’s limbs to release them.

Human Whirlpool

While many games revolve around competition and “tagging” people, this whirlpool game is just a simple, fun thing to try out. Have people stood in a circle, preferably in the centre of the pool, or an area where everyone can stand. From here, everyone should move off forwards, moving around the ring together. This should create a whirlpool effect, which the swimmer can then turn into to get washed away.

This could be turned into a competition to see who can stay stood up against the power of the whirlpool for the longest – just be sure you have strong swimmers or play this game in a shallow part of the pool.

Safety

While it’s important for your kids to enjoy themselves this summer, be sure that when they’re using the pool there is always an adult present – never leave children unattended when using the pool. Similarly, the dangers of running around the wet poolside area should be explained to children in order to keep them safe.

 

If you’re looking for swimming pool design or installation so that your children and family can enjoy fun in the sun every year, look no further than H2O Swimming Pools. Our professional team are always happy to discuss your requirements for your own family pool.