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Pool Game Ideas

Thong Toss

Objective: Toss the thong to hit a floating target
Categories: Individuls, Swimming Pool
Game type: Active.
Players: 6 or more players.
Needed: Thongs, Target
Rules: This game requires a floating target. These are usually colored.  Determine a tossing line from behind which you will toss the thongs. Anyone who crosses the line is out. Winner is the person who hits the target or closest  to target. You can choose to allow the target to float freely and randomly, or else you can replace the target to the same general area after each toss.

Penny Hunt

Objective: Throw pennies into the pool and dive for them for prizes.
Categories: Groups, Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players.
Needed: Swimming pool, Pennies, Prizes
Rules: Throw a large amount of pennies (depending on the number of kids) into a good size pool. Cover about a third of the pennies with white out and send the children in to dive for them. If a child find a penny with white out, that child gets a prize. Great for all ages! Shallow for the youngest and deeper for the older kids.

Wading Race

Objective: Race across the pool in chest-deep water. Who is the most aero-dynamic?
Categories: Groups, Outdoors, Kids, Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players.
Needed: Swimming pool
Rules: Line up on one side of the pool. The leader says "go!" and the players wade like zombies through chest-high water across the pool and back to see who has the best combination of an aerodynamic body, foot-grip on the tiles, and strength. First one back to the starting line wins. No swimming allowed!

Australia Day

Objective: Swim to the other end of the pool and back without being tagged.
Categories: Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 4 or more players
Needed: Pool
Rules: One person is the "it." They stand in the middle of the pool. The other players start at the shallow end of the pool and try to swim to the other end of the pool without being tagged. When you reach the other end say "Australia Day." Then swim back without being tagged and say  
"Australia Day." If you are the last one to be tagged, then you are the winner.

Long Jump

Objective: A game like limbo for a swimming pool, except players have to jump further and further out into the pool.
Categories: Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players.
Needed: Pool noodle (should be something soft)
Rules: Everyone starts in a line behind/beside the diving board, and one person must be the judge. The judge has to start in the deep end holding the fun noodle about a foot away from the diving board, and each player has to jump past it, and after everyone has had one turn, move the fun noodle out another foot. You're out if you touch the fun noodle while trying to jump over it. The furthest jumper wins. It's like limbo, but you have to go over the ''pole''.

Balloon Toss

Objective: A swimming/water game for hot days using water balloons.
Categories: Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players.
Needed: Swimming pool, Water balloons
Rules: Have the kids wait in a designated area in the water and  pair them up in teams of two. One child in the water and their partner stands out of the water at the edge of the pool.  Partner one tosses water water balloons to partner 2 to catch. After throwing a couple, tell them that they don't get anymore unless they sing a song (try nursery rhymes). Every time  the partner in the pool catches a wtaer balloon without it bursting, the partner in the pool takes a step back and Partner one throws another water balloon. If a water balloon bursts then that team is out. Continue this until one team is left.

Ice Cube Race

Objective: Get the ice cubes out of the pool using only your feet!
Categories: Groups, Relay Race, Outdoors, Kids, Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 6 or more players.
Needed: Small wading pool and ice cubes
Rules: Divide into two teams (or more if you have a lot of players. Choose one team to go first. Have someone watch the clock for 60 seconds. Have team 1 get into the pool. They can stand or sit. Say go! and throw 20 large ice cubes in and see who can take the most ice cubes out using only their feet in the designated time period. Then have the other teams try. The team who got the most out is the winner! The memebers of the winning team then go onto play each other to see who is the individual overall winner.

Forty Strokes

Objective: A swimming game where you can't imitate you friends strokes.
Categories: Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players.
Needed: Swimming pool
Rules: Determine a swimming course. Players line up at one end of the swimming course. The first player swims across the course in a manner of his or her own choosing. The second player then swims across the course in a manner that is different from the first player. Each player takes a turn swimming across the course without copying any of the prior strokes or methods used to traverse the area. Any innovative propulsion activity is acceptable.

Cork Scramble

Objective: A swimming game where you scramble to collect floating objects.
Categories: Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players.
Needed: Swimming pool Lots of floating objects
Rules: This is a game that is fun for all ages. Similar to "Treasure Hunt", it is played on top of the water utilizing floating objects. Limit the number of players according to the size of your pool. Use corks, ping pong balls, etc. Try to make them relatively the same size. While in the pool, players turn their backs while the non-player places numerous floating objects into the water. At the start command, players collect as many objects as possible until they can hold no more. The player with the most objects wins.

Bucket Toss

Objective: Toss a ball into five buckets of water in order to win.
Categories: Outdoors, Kids, Swimming Pool
Game type: Active. A lot of movement may be required.
Players: 2 or more players.
Needed: 5 buckets One small ball Water
Rules: Line up 5 buckets with water in them (first bucket close and the fifth bucket would be farthest). Mark a start line about ten feet away (or closer for pre-schoolers). Each player stands at the start line and tosses a small ball into the buckets of water starting with the closest. The ball must land in the buckets in numerical order (first bucket, second bucket etc.) If a ball lands in a bucket out of numerical order then the child's turn is over. The child who tosses the ball into the buckets in order wins!