School is out and families are excited about the unstructured summer schedule. How are you planning to enjoy the long days of summer this year? If you have a backyard pool, then it’s a great place to make memories with people that you love. Here are a few of the best swimming pool games – that kids and adults will enjoy!

Top Swimming Pool Games for Kids

Not only will kids have fun playing these games, but some of these ideas can also be enjoyed by adults. People of all ages can participate in one way or another to keep the group entertained and share quality time with loved ones.

1. Underwater Telephone

One person comes up with a message they want to share. Then, they go underwater at the same time as the next person down the line. The first person says the words loudly underwater. When they come back to the surface, the guesser moves to the next person down the line to repeat this process. At the end, the original person and the last person in line share their message to see how much it has changed as it passed from one person to the next.

2. Swimming Pool Obstacle Course

These swimming pool games can be structured with many different activities and setups. The idea is to create an obstacle course that people need to navigate. You can divide the group into two teams and hold a race. Or, have participants go through the obstacle course individually with a timer running to see who is the fastest. Make the course as simple or exciting as you would like. Always include fun props such as hula hoops, pool noodles, pool floats, and more.

An example might look like this:

• On the grass, spin around with the hula hoop 10 times
• Go down the slide
• Swim the length of the pool and touch the other side
• Do a handstand underwater
• Touch your big toe on the side of the pool
• Climb out of the water
• Do 5 burpees
• Do 5 jumping tacks
• Dive back into the water (with style!)

3. Synchronized Swimming

Pick a fun song and invite the group to come up with a synchronized swimming routine. These swimming pool games can keep kids occupied for hours as they are coming up with new moves for the routine, then practicing it together.

You might split the group into different teams, then have a performance later in the day when everyone is gathering to eat dinner.

Make sure you have a waterproof speaker so the synchronized swimming group can listen to their song during the practices. There are many movements that can be included in the routines, including jumping, spinning, swimming, twirling, dancing, and more. Don’t forget to finish it up with a grand finale!

4. Diving for Prizes

Throw dive toys into the water, then count down for the kids to jump in and grab the dive toys. One option is to have a contest with 2 or 3 participants racing to see who can gather the most toys. Or, have each participant go individually and set a timer to see who can gather them all up the fastest.

If you have a competitive group, then they will each want to go multiple times in order to beat each other’s time. Make it even more competitive by having a few fun prizes that they are working to win.

5. Mini Olympics

Why not hold a small Olympics competition with different swimming games as the various rounds of the festivities? You might hold a diving competition, a swimming sprint, a longer swimming race, synchronized swimming, and more.

Add variety with different competitions within each category. For example, in the diving section you might have people diving off the side of the pool and off the diving board, as well as a grand finale with a cannonball splash contest at the end.

6. Sharks and Minnows

A fun variation of “cops and robbers,” sharks and minnows is a team game where you are trying to catch each other. In the beginning, there is one shark and the rest of the people in the pool are minnows. All of the minnows start on once side of the pool, and the shark is in the middle. The shark yells “go” and all of the minnows must cross to the other side of the pool without getting caught.

If a minnow is tagged by the shark, then they also become a shark. So, on the next round, there are multiple sharks in the middle to catch the minnows. The last standing minnow is the person who wins the game – and they are the first shark for the next game.

7. Raft Construction and Racing

Combine arts and crafts with pool games by inviting everyone to make small rafts out of materials available on a table next to the pool. Everyone has a certain amount of time to construct their rafts, including homemade sails that can move the rafts once they are in the water.

Then, when everyone has their rafts ready to go, it’s time for the race! Put the rafts in the water to see how far they will go. Also, time the rafts to see which ones stay afloat for the longest period of time before sinking.

8. Old Fashioned Water Fight

The swimming pool is the perfect place to arm everyone and have a rowdy water fight. Not only can participants splash water on each other, but everyone should have water guns in hand to make it more entertaining.

Another way to add variety to the water fight is by giving people pool noodles to use as “swords.” Since the noodles are soft, they can be used to joust other people without worrying about injuring someone who is hit by the pool noodle.

Custom Swimming Pool Installation

If you want to enjoy these swimming pool games, as well as quiet, relating moments in the backyard, then it might be a great time to invest in a swimming pool for your home. For more information and a personalized swimming pool plan, reach out to Mid City Custom Pools for a consultation.