Fun, Safe Pool Games

While summer break is almost over, summer heat will no doubt be around for a couple more months, and that means a lot more swim time for the family! If you enjoy going to the pool, we’ve got some great ideas to keep the kids entertained, while keeping them safe. Here are some swimming pool games that are fun and safe for the whole family.

Sharks and Minnows

This game is a lot like water tag, but the players are allowed to get in and out of the water. Whoever is deemed the shark, also referred to as “it”, tries to tag the minnows, the other players. If a minnow is tagged, they become the shark.

If the players get out of the pool and the shark, without seeing, can sense it, the shark can call out that minnows are out of the water. If correct, the shark wins. If incorrect, the game resets and the shark remains the shark for another round. Players can only stay out of the water for five seconds, however. Getting in and out of the water can be more difficult than just staying in.

Red Rover Water Sport

The traditional red rover game, but in the water. Players try to get from one side of the pool to the other without getting tagged by one player, deemed “it”. When “it” tags a player, the player then joins “it” in the middle of the pool. They can both tag players. The game continues until there’s only one player left trying to cross the pool.

Scavenger Hunt

This is a great pool game for good swimmers. If your kids can’t dive down and swim back to the top safely, please don’t play this game. If, however, you have good swimmers, this game is really fun. To play, you’ll need pool rings, dive toys, etc., divided into two groups. Toss them throughout the pool. Divide up into two teams. On the count of three, have two swimmers—one from each team—dive in the pool to collect one item each. The first team to collect all of their items first wins!