Totally Awesome Swimming Pool Games For Kids

Kids love swimming pool games! Check out this list of totally awesome games to play in the pool. Some of them are classics and some are brand new.

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It’s getting hot (and we live in Florida) so… know what that means?

POOL TIME INSTEAD OF BATH TIME.

There, I said it.

My shameful internet confession. Jk, I’m not embarrassed I think it’s genius. So without further ado here are some fun pool games for the kiddos.

Because, of course: kids start fighting after too many days in a row in the pool. Unless you invite a friend over!

Sharks and Minnows

This game is super fun and played best in a pool with 5 or more people. To start, one person chooses to be the shark. The shark stands in the middle of the pool and yells “fishy, fishy, come and play.”

After that, the minnows begin to swim closer to the shark until they all yell “shark attack”. At that time, she shark tries to tag a minnow before he/she swims back to the edge of the pool.

If you are tagged, you become the shark and the game continues.

Marco Polo

A swimming pool game classic, Marco Polo is played with anywhere from 3-10 people (or more). First, one swimmer is chosen to be “it.”

Next, they close their eyes and count to ten. Then, everyone else swims away quietly. The person who is “it” calls out “Marco” and everyone else responds with “Polo.”

With their eyes closed, the person tries to tag whomever they can. If you are tagged, you become “it” and the game continues.

Count the Change

This game can be played with any number of players, but is best played in a private pool.

Take a handful of change of various denominations. To begin, toss it into the bottom of the pool. Swimmers dive down and collect the money, making stacks on the side of the pool as they go.

Lastly, whomever collects the largest amount wins.

Mother Duck

This swimming pool game is great for pool parties or to have handy on your swimming days. All you need to play is a bunch of ping-pong balls.

To start, toss the balls into the pool and evenly distribute them in the water. Then assign each kid an edge of the pool designated to their “eggs”.

The object is to move as many balls as they can to their edge without touching them. They can make waves, blow, splash, or whatever else they can to move the balls without using their hands.

When the balls touch their edge, they can pick them up and set them on the side. The player with the most at the end wins.

Guess & GO!

Guess & go is a fun game of stealthiness and guessing. To begin, one person is “it”. He/she stands with their back to the pool about 4-5 feet away from the edge. Everyone else lines up next to the edge.

The person who is “it” picks a category such as colors/animals/school subjects/planets/fruit. They name that category and everyone else silently chooses one item from that category.

Next, the person who is “it” begins calling out items. If their item is called out, they try to very quietly get down into the water and swim across the pool. Once they reach the other side, they are safe.

If the “it” person hears them, he or she jumps in after them and tries to tag them.

If someone gets tags, they become it.

Pool Obstacle Course

 This swimming pool game can be set up various ways. I recommend letting each kid take a turn individually and using a timer to keep up with the best times. Here are a few ideas of what to include in your obstacle course:

• Dive down to snatch a sinkable pool toy from the bottom of the pool.
• Swim through water sport rings
• Jump over a noodle
• Climb onto a float and paddle across pool
• Make a shot with a ball into a floating net or tube

Go Fishing

An awesome swimming pool game for younger kids and toddlers. This game includes a net and colorful fishes for kids to catch.

You can make it easy by setting all the fish in a designated area, or challenge older children by spreading them around the pool.

Get the pieces for this game here.

The Nonsense Game

This hilarious game needs at least three players to play. The object is to pay attention to what the person who is “it” is saying and move away from them as quick as possible.

To start, all players begin in the middle of the pool. The person “it” says a random sentence. Next, everyone else must take turns saying another random sentence that has nothing to do with the statement before them.

If they accidentally say something related, they must swim as fast as they can away. The person “it” tires to tag them before they reach the edge.

If they are tagged, they become “it” and the game starts over.

Four Corners

If you grew up in the 80’s, I’m sure you’ve played this game at a skating rink at some point.

First of all, assign each corner of the pool a color or number (make sure the kids know what to call each corner.) Then, a person chosen stands in the middle of the pool, closes their eyes, and counts to a random number in their head.

Meanwhile, everyone else swims in a circle around the edges (this is also a really great workout). When the person in the middle yells stop, everyone must swim to their closest corner.

With eyes shut, the “it” person calls out a corner. Everyone in that corner is out, and the game continues.

Pool Tea Party

This game is best played on the shallow side of the pool. It’s also best if all players have on a pair of goggles or a mask.

The object is to sit at the bottom of the pool (criss-cross-applesauce) and pretend to sip tea with each other. It’s really funny to see the bubbles that everyone makes at the bottom.

To mix it up, try to have a conversation. Once back on the surface, try to guess what each person was trying to say.

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