5 Fun Pool Games to Play with Your Kids This Summer
Now that summer has officially arrived and the school year is over, many parents find themselves looking for ways to keep kids entertained during the season’s long, hot days. Fortunately, if you have a pool, the possibilities for summer fun are endless! From “sharks and minnows” to “Marco Polo,” pool games are a timeless tradition that can make an afternoon of swimming even more fun for the whole family. Here are five fresh ideas for pool games to play with your kids this summer:
- F.I.S.H. For this game, designate one player as the leader, who performs an action of his or her choice—such as doing a handstand underwater or a cannonball into the pool. The other players must then duplicate the action. If someone can’t execute it, they earn a letter in the word “fish,” and the first player to get all four letters loses the game.
- Wishing Well. All you need for this simple game is a handful of small objects that will sink but won’t rust (coins are often used but can be forgotten and could leave stains on the bottom of the pool). Have all the players line up with their backs to the pool and toss the objects into the water. The players are then told to jump into the pool and try to collect as many of the items as possible before they reach the bottom.
- What Time is It, Mr. Fox? One player assumes the role of the sneaky Mr. Fox and stands in the middle of the pool, while the other players stand in the shallow end and ask what time it is. Mr. Fox chooses a number from one to twelve, and that’s how many paces the other players must take towards him or her. When Mr. Fox randomly decides to yell “lunchtime!”, the others must try to get back to where they started before Mr. Fox tags them. The tagged player becomes the new Mr. Fox.
- Invisible Bottle. Wash out a clear, two-liter bottle—ideally one that has a white cap or one the same color as your pool bottom, so the bottle will become nearly invisible once thrown into the pool. Fill it with water, put the cap on, and have the players line up on the side of the deck with their backs facing the pool. When no one is looking, toss the bottle somewhere in the pool. Once the players hear the splash, they can jump in and try to find it.
- Air Ball. All you need is a beach ball for this game, the rules of which are simple. Just have the players try to keep the ball in the air as they jump and splash around in the pool, and see how long they can last without letting the ball hit the water!
These are just a few ideas for pool games that can provide hours of summer fun for you and your family. If you’d like to upgrade your existing pool or are thinking about building a new one, call us today at (860) 623-9886!
