Summer Pool Games for Kids, Adults and Large Groups
Fun Pool Games
Summer is here and the pool is our favorite place to be outside. We’ve rounded up the best pool games to play for a fun-filled day and keep boredom at bay. These kid-friendly pool games are ideal for family get-togethers, sibling play or a when there is a large group of kid’s swimming at the pool.
These games promise hours of play for children and include both no props games and some that require simple toys like beachballs or pool noodles. So grab your swimsuit and try out this list of classics, new pool games and fun water games with a twist.
I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that add no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
No Props Pool Games (No Equipment Required)
ABC Pool Game
ABC
Grab a partner and challenge yourself to form each letter of the alphabet with your bodies as you jump into the pool. Each team needs to work together using both players bodies. Additionally, you need unbiased judges to decide who is the winner of each round of letters. Work your way through each letter of the alphabet from A-Z .
Freeze Tag
A fun version of freeze tag where one person is it. The person “it” must tag other swimmers. When a person is tagged, they become frozen in place. To signal to other swimmers that they are frozen, they must stick their arms straight up above their head. Once another player swims between their legs, they become unfrozen.
Categories
First choose one person to be the tagger. The rest of the swimmers line up on the opposite side of the pool. The tagger chooses a category. ie favorite color. The tagger goes underwater so they cannot hear and the rest of the players share their color with one another. The tagger resurfaces and with their back to the other swimmers, will then call out various colors. Each person must cross the pool when their specific color is called as quietly and quickly as possible, trying to not be tagged. If they cross the length of the pool without being tagged they are safe, but if they are tagged they become the new tagger and game continues with a new category. ie sports, ice cream flavors, dinosaurs, animals, cereals.
Toothpaste
The same rules as the game Category (mentioned above) except this game is played in the deep end and the tagger must stand outside the pool. If the tagger turns around and no one is moving they must take a step farther away from the pool edge as a penalty for looking. Once they hear someone moving they jump in while attempting to tag the person.
Pool Drop Trivia
To start each person must find a partner to form a team and face each. While standing at the edge of the pool holding hands, one person must lean back out over the pool, supported by their person. The person leaning must answer the trivia question correctly or they are dropped into the pool. We usually choose an adult to come up with trivia questions.
Pyramid or Shoulder Stack
See how high you can stack people on your backs or if you have a large group of people try to form a pyramid, layering people on each others shoulders.
Hand Stand Competition
Anything can become a competition! See who can form the best handstand, the longest, etc. Change it up and practice front flips, back flips,, holding their breath etc.
Dolphin Trainer
My younger children love this game. As a group we come up with our own list of dolphin tricks and hand signals. Then the trainer will give the signal and all the “dolphins” will swim out and do the trick. Let your children choose dolphin names for themselves. Some tricks could include spins, jumps, wave, leg kicks etc.
Marco Polo
This classic game requires one person to be assigned to be “it”. The tagger, with their eyes closed, calls out “Marco”. The rest of the swimmers respond by yelling “Polo”. The tagger must use their sense of hearing to locate a swimmer and tag them. This person then becomes the next tagger or Marco and play continues.
Synchronized Swim Routine
Grab a partner or a group and create your own choregraphed routine. Practice until you’ve perfected your lifts, jumps and patterns- then add in the music and showcase your routine.
Sharks & Minnows
To begin, select one person to be the shark. The shark stands in the center of the pool while the other players, called the minnows, must line up on one side of the pool’s edge. When the shark says, “swim minnows swim”, the players try to swim across the other side of the pool without being tagged. If the minnows are tagged, they then become sharks. The original shark and newly tagged sharks, once again go to the middle and yell, “swim little minnows swim”. The remaining minnows once again attempt to cross the pool without getting tagged. The play continues until there is only one minnow left and is declared the winner.
Whirl Pool
Pick a direction in the pool and all swimmers must start moving as fast as possible in a circular motion around the pool edges, thus creating a whirlpool. This works best when you have a large group of people, both adults and children, to get the water flowing.
Octopus Tag
To begin one swimmer is the octopus. The other swimmers try to avoid being tagged by the octopus. Once a swimmer is tagged, they must link up by holding hands with the original octopus and continue to tag swimmers. Play continues until all the swimmers are tagged except one - who is declared the winner.
Chicken Fights
Chicken Fight
Partner up with another player. One person has to stack on each other shoulders. The goal is to knock the top player of the other team back.
Cannon Ball Contest
See who can make the biggest splash while cannonballing. Designate some judges to vote on who is the best. Change it up by choosing different jumps. ie pencil dive (least amount of splash) belly flop, twist, toe touch etc.
Minimal Prop Games for the Pool
Spud
Equipment List: A softer ball that floats
SPUD Pool Game
One of my favorite playground games that we’ve adapted for the water is Spud. To begin, assign each person a number. Give the ball to the players, who is “it’. The player will yell, Spud and throw the ball straight up in the air, simultaneously calling out a specific number ie 4. Everyone must scatter, except for player #4, who must rush over to catch the ball. Once they have control of the ball they will yell “STOP!” All players must then freeze in place. Player #4 gets 1 step in the direction they choose and must attempt to throw the ball at a player in hopes to hit them. If the player is hit they become the new “it” person. If player #4 misses, they are it and get to call the next players number.
Ping Pong Pickup
Equipment List: Ping Pong Balls, Sharpie
Did you know that Ping Pong balls float in the pool? Which makes them perfect for pool games. There are many adaptions an ways to play this game, here is one of our favorite cooperative or competitive games. First number the ping pong balls with a permanent marker. Kids must swim out and locate the first number, then collect the ping pong ball, and swim it back to their side of the pool or bucket. Then they tag the next player, who find # 2 , and continuing ton till each number is found. Either the group can work as a collective team trying to beat their best time or make it a competition by creating double the numbers and competitively see who can collect the numbers in order the fastest.
S.E.A.H.O.R.S.E
Equipment Needed: Pool Basketball Hoop & Ball or 2 Pool Noodles Taped Together
Take the popular basketball game of H.O.R.S.E, to the pool. Played with the same rules as HORSE. Each time a player misses the shot, they are assigned a letter. The play continues until one person has spelled S.E.A.H.O.R.S.E and loses the game.
Maze
Create a maze that divers must swim through. Line up several people and have them spread their legs in a v so that the swimmers can swim between their legs, add diving sticks they must obtain in the course and time who is the fastest. Here is a nice assortment of diving hoops, diving sticks etc for the pool.
Beachball Keep It Up
Equipment Needed: Beachball
This next game may need no explanation. Blow up a beachball and as a team challenge yourself to keep the ball in the air without it touching the water. Count together as a team to try to beat your score.
Whack a Mole “Otter”
Whack- an -Otter Pool Game
To begin, choose one player to be “it”. The rest of the players are the otters. Armed with a noodle or beach ball, the “it” person must try to hit the otters. Designate a specific space that the otters can move around in (ie shallow end). The otters heads should be just peeking out of the water. Otters must bob up and down trying to avoid being whacked in the head. The “it” player bops the swimmers (otter) on the head when they surface with the noodle or beachball. The otters can swim around in the water to avoid being hit. Once hit, the otter is then out of the game. The last swimmer remaining is declared the winner.
Noodle Joust
Stack on each other shoulders and have a jousting match with pool noodles.
Essential Toys & Items We Love for the Pool
Turkish Towels
Closing Thoughts
When it’s hot outside, there is no better place to be then the swimming pool. We hope these summer pool games for kids will help you get outdoors more this year with your children and keep boredom at bay. Make memories as a family together outside doesn’t have to be complicated with these fun activities. Follow Discovering Anew for more outdoor activity ideas, camping reviews and Midwest Adventures. Don’t forget to save and pin for later to help kick off your summer bucket list.
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