Everyone loves their swimming pool and while some of them are so decked out it’s like having your own personal waterpark in your backyard, some aren’t.
Does that mean you should have less fun? Definitely Not!
Here are some fun swimming pool games that are sure to be a hit!
Marco Polo
This is a swimming pool classic that requires nothing more than a group of people (you can play it with two people but generally, the more the merrier).
Like tag, one person will be “it” and the rest of the group will try to get away. The catch? The person who is “it” has to close their eyes. But don’t worry, they have one tool in their belt – every time the “it” person says “MARCO” everyone else must respond with “POLO” helping the tagger find the other swimmers.
Just remember that the “it” person can’t see so the game should be played in shallow water or with some sort of float.
Colors
This was a swimming pool essential when I was a kid and is best played with good swimmers or in the shallow end.
Again, you need two or more players. The person who is “it” has to get out of the pool and stand at the end of the pool, facing away from it. The other players get in the pool, swim to the same end that the “it” person is standing at and touch the wall with their hand. Each of these players secretly chooses a colour.
The “it” person then guesses different colours. If one of the swimmers hears their colour, they have to swim as fast as they can to the other side of the pool, while the other players stay in place. The “it” person has to jump in and chase them before they get to the other end of the pool. If they get caught, they are “it”. If they make it to the other end safely, the round continues until someone gets caught.
When we played, if your colour got called, we would swim as quietly as we could, so that the “it” person wouldn’t know we had left their end of the pool!
It is also a good idea to clarify what colours are allowed, otherwise some clever player will decide their colour is glaucous or eburnean.
Invisi-Bottle
This bottle can be played with one or more players. All you need is a plastic bottle with a clear or white lid (or the colour should match your pools colour). Fill the bottle with pool water and then everyone closes their eyes as it gets thrown in the pool.
Once the bottle hits the pool (if you did it right, there should be a splash), everyone counts to ten then jumps in and tries to find it. And, believe me, it is harder than you think.
This game is best played with good swimmers or in a shallow pool with people who are okay with dunking their head under water.
Treasure Hunt
This game is similar to invisi-bottle but it must be played with money.
Okay. Okay. Anything will work so long as it sinks, but who doesn’t like money?
Next step – get everyone to close their eyes and someone tosses the money in. Once the money has settled, yell “GO” and everyone has to jump in the pool and try to find it. The person, who finds the most, wins.
We suggest that you make sure everyone playing can swim and is okay with diving underwater. If there are some poor swimmers in the group, who still like to hold their breath underwater, the shallow end will work just fine. Unless of course the coin tosser throws the coin so that it lands on that ramp to the deep end. Then it is bye, bye money.
Freeze-Tag
Don't worry, your pool does have to be freezing to play this game. Any tempurature will do!
Someone is “it” and they have to tag the other players. If a player is tagged they have to freeze in place. The swimming pool twist? If you are underwater, you can’t be tagged and you can un-freeze anybody who has been frozen.
Did you find some play time inspiration? We hope so!
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