Image: iStock
It is no secret that children love playing in the water, and some fun swimming games for kids can add to their euphoria and enjoyment. Swimming pool games not only offer a sense of excitement but also have several health benefits—they help improve children’s endurance and physical fitness while improving their social skills through communication, teamwork, and shared enjoyment. So if you are getting the pool ready and gearing up for a fun summer with your children, then read on as we have put together some of the best games for kids to play in the pool and have a splash.
Key Pointers
- Swimming is a fun exercise that helps keep your child’s heart and lungs healthy.
- Swimming is also an essential life-saving skill.
- Encourage your kids to swim by introducing them to fun swimming pool games such as Tummy Flop Competition, Push the Floatie, and Slide and Splash.
Fun Swimming Pool Games For Kids
Happiness is spending a day in the pool. Unlike other sports, swimming and other water games for kids can be enjoyed both indoors and outdoors. Splashing water all around and playing in the pool can de-stress children and improve their overall wellness. Here are some fun swimming pool games for children:
1. Sharks and minnows
Sure to cause a lot of chaos in the pool, this tag game is an absolute favorite.
How to play:
- Pick one player to be a shark, who has to stand in the center of the pool.
- Remaining players are minnows and have to stand at one side of the pool.
- The challenge here is for the minnows to cross the pool without getting caught by the shark.
- If a minnow gets caught, they become a shark.
- The minnow who crosses without getting caught wins the game.
2. Whirlpool
Image: IStock
A whirlpool does not require conflicting currents all the time. Play this amusing game and cause your very own whirlpools to occur. Remember, bigger the team, the better it is.
How to play:
- Let everyone get into the pool and stand on one edge in a straight line.
- Start walking in one direction, and then begin jogging.
- Then start running around the edge. Continue this for a couple of minutes.
- Repeat the steps in the opposite direction.
- You will notice that the water now looks like a whirlpool.
3. Ball game
Image: Shutterstock
This simple game can be enjoyed by kids of all ages but it requires at least two players.
How to play:
- Players stand at a distance in the swimming pool.
- One player throws the ball and the other has to catch it.
- If the ball falls in the pool, the player loses a point.
- The player with maximum catches wins.
4. Pool volleyball
Image: Shutterstock
This game is a lot of fun and might turn intense if you keep a track of the scores.
How to play:
- Divide the players into two teams.
- Fix a net in the center of the pool.
- Start serving the ball and feel free to jump and dive around, so you don’t miss the ball.
5. Tummy flop competition
Image: IStock
Sounds funny? Hold your abs tight and jump on.
How to play:
- Stand outside the pool, lining up on an edge.
- Jump into the pool and see who makes the biggest splash while landing on the belly.
- However, make sure the children are not pushing each other or jumping all at once.
Quick tip6. Push the floatie
Image: Shutterstock
Pool floaties is a floating gear that comes in vibrant colors, different shapes, and sizes. Pick your favorite and gear up to play.
How to play:
- Let the children get into the pool and sit on top of the floatie.
- The challenge is to move the floatie from one end of the pool to another without getting down into the water.
- If the child falls into the pool, they should start from the beginning.
- Let them use the legs or hands and row the floatie like a boat, and get creative in their approach.
7. Wobble heads
Image: Shutterstock
You will require a pool noodle and a team of enthusiastic kids to play wobble heads.
How to play:
- Choose one player to be the keeper.
- All other players hide inside the water and can come out to breathe.
- When any player pops their head out, the keeper has to pluck them with the pool noodle.
- The player who remains unplucked until the end of the game, wins.
8. Cannon ball
Image: IStock
Splash splash! See who makes the biggest splash.
How to play:
- Let the child stand either on the diving board or one side of the pool.
- Bring their knees closer to the chest, hold the knees and tuck the chin inside.
- Like a cannonball, plunge into the pool making the biggest splash.
- Note that this can be played only if the children are trained in swimming and diving techniques.
9. Water gun fight
Image: IStock
Perfect for those hot days when you want to play with cool, refreshing water. It gets a lot more interesting when the source of filling up the water gun is available in abundance.
How to play:
- Divide the players into two teams. Each player gets one water gun.
- The challenge is for each player to soak their opponents completely while escaping the opponent’s onslaught.
10. Slide and splash
Image: IStock
This game is suitable for very young kids and begins their elementary learning with water. You will need a backyard inflatable water pool, which has a slide too.
How to play:
- Set up the inflatable water pool.
- Introduce the kids slowly to the inflatable pool.
- They can slide or splash in the mini pool.
11. Dolphin race
Image: IStock
To play this game, you will require swimming goggles and nose plugs to ensure protection. In addition, you would need speed and agility to win.
How to play:
- All the players have to line up at one edge of the pool.
- Begin the race and start swimming under the water.
- The first person to reach the other end of the pool, while swimming under the water, wins.
- To make it competitive, children can use paddles to give an exciting kickstart.
Did you know?12. Marcopolo
Image: Shutterstock
This is a fun hide-and-seek game in the swimming pool.
How to play:
- One player is blindfolded and tagged as “It” and their aim is to find the other players.
- When “it” shouts “Marco” the other players must respond by saying ‘’Polo’’.
- If any player gets tagged by “It”, then such player will become “It” in the next round.
13. Windmill
Image: IStock
Similar to Freeze, this game, too, is a lot of fun. You will require more than three participants to play this game and the larger the group, the better it is.
How to play:
- Tag one player to be the windmill.
- When the windmill says move, all other players start moving around the pool.
- When it says stop, everyone should stop and freeze in their places.
- No matter what their position is, they cannot move.
- If any player moves, they become the windmill and the game continues.
14. Tug of war in the water
Image: IStock
An intense but very entertaining game to play in the pool is the tug of war. Get the strong ones in, and start the pull and push.
How to play:
- Divide the players into two equal teams.
- Use either a rope or a pool noodle to play the tug of war. Assign opposite sides to each team and all the players must have a tight grip of the rope.
- Players on either side must pull with coordination and all their effort and bring the opponent team to their own side, to win the game. The team which does this wins.
15. Octopus
Image: IStock
Are you all ready to turn into an octopus? Play on.
How to play:
- One player has to stand in the middle of the pool and tagged as an octopus.
- Other players have to move from one side of the pool to another without getting caught.
- When any player gets tagged they have to join their hands with the octopus and try to catch the other players. All of them look and move like an octopus in the pool.
- Continue playing until just one player is left and the rest are entangled or caught by the octopus.
16. Who jumps the farthest
Image: IStock
Long-legged kids have an advantage in this one. You will require more than one player to play this game.
How to play:
- Stand at one side of the pool
- Every player has to jump at once and see who goes the farthest.
- The player who jumps the farthest wins the contest.
17. Water polo
Image: IStock
It is a team game where you need seven players a side. It can be played as a competitive sport or simply for fun.
How to play:
- It is more like soccer, and here, you have six players per side and one goalie per team.
- Make arrangements for two goalposts in the pool and a ball.
- Players should not touch the pool’s floor.
- The ball is placed in the center, and the two teams attack, trying to grab the ball.
- Players should only hold the ball with one hand (except for the goalie).
- The players hold, pass, and shoot the ball to send it inside the opponent’s goalpost.
- Players should not make body contact; it would be a foul.
- The team with the maximum number of goals in the designated time wins.
Swimming Pool Activities For Kids
Let’s have a look at some swimming activities for children. They are beneficial for the physical and mental growth of the kids.
18. Retrieving coins from the pool
Image: IStock
This is a simple but challenging game, which you can play in teams to make it a lot more fun.
How to play:
- Throw some coins in the swimming pool and set the timer for 1 minute.
- The kids have to get into the pool and start retrieving the coins.
- At the end of one minute, the kid who retrieves the maximum number of coins wins.
Be watchful19. Ping pong race
Image: IStock
This game is not just fun but also teaches kids about colors, counting, and competitive spirit.
How to play:
- Divide the players into two or three teams each.
- Throw around 30 to 50 ping pong balls into the pool.
- Each team has to pick a color of the ball to play.
- Place buckets outside the pool, depending on the number of teams.
- Each team has to collect balls of their respective colors and put them into the bucket. Set a timer.
- The team with the most balls at the end of the time limit wins.
20. Swim through the hula-hoop
Image: IStock
Can you do it? It looks easy but requires a little extra effort and balance.
How to play:
- Place a few hula-hoops in the swimming pool.
- The player has to swim through each of them without disturbing the position of the hula-hoops.
- Set the timer to make it challenging.
21. Water scrabble
Image: IStock
Test your vocabulary by playing a word hunt while freestyle swimming in the pool. Parents can maintain a scoreboard to make it more competitive.
How to play:
- Cut a few sponge packs into small cubes.
- Write all the 26 letters on each of them with a permanent marker.
- Throw the letters into the pool and get the kids in, too.
- Assign one word for each player and set a timer.
- Kids have to collect the letters and form the word.
- Repeat assigning the word for as long as you want to play.
22. Treasure hunt
Image: IStock
An underwater treasure hunt is all you would want to play on a bright sunny day. Ready-set-go.
How to play:
- Throw some random things into the pool and scatter them around.
- Place some clues to find each item.
- The players have to read the clue and hunt the item.
- Players with the most items win the treasure hunt.
23. Target the tube
Image: IStock
This swimming pool game can be played from the inside or even the outside of the pool. You will need a tube and a ball to play. This game will improve your focus and concentration power.
How to play:
- Place the tube in the swimming pool.
- From a distance of at least three feet, throw the ball such that it falls into the tube.
24. Pool kayak
Image: IStock
Here’s an adventurous game to play in the swimming pool. All you need is a kayak and you are set to go.
How to play:
- Set the kayak into the pool.
- Kids have to be seated securely on the kayak and start rowing around the pool.
All these swimming pool activities and games are safe for children of all ages, but it is advisable to follow certain safety rules while playing in the pool.
Safety tips to follow while playing in the pool
Let’s have a look at some safety tips to be followed while playing swimming pool games.
- Before entering the pool, children must take a quick shower to adjust their bodies to the water temperature.
Point to consider- Always have an adult, coach or a lifeguard around to supervise and monitor the movements of the child.
- Check the depth of the pool. Do not allow children to enter the deeper side of the pool, keep them restricted to the shallow waters.
- Sunscreen is a must. Apply it at least 30 minutes before entering the pool and reapply every couple of hours.
- Regardless of your child’s expertise in swimming, make them wear pool floaties or a swimming tube for buoyancy and safety while playing the games.
- Children must wear swimming goggles to keep their eyes protected from the chlorine water.
- To avoid any accidents, advise them not to run around the edges of the pool, as the surface might be slippery. Also, they should not be pushing each other on the edge or inside the pool.
- On hot summer days, keep their bodies hydrated while playing in the pool.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many kids can play swimming games at once?
It depends on the size of the pool and the type of game. If a game requires many children to play as a team at once, the pool needs to be big enough to accommodate many children. If a child participates individually, then a small pool would do.
2. How can I make swimming games more fun for kids who are not strong swimmers?
You can have them play with floats attached to them. Also, you can play games such as ‘water gun fight’ that do not involve a lot of swimming.
3. How can I make sure that all kids get a chance to participate in swimming games?
Children can be made to stand in a queue when playing a game to ensure every child gets a chance. Alternatively, you can have someone keep a notepad ready with all the children’s names and tick the name off after their turn is completed.
4. How can I encourage kids to play swimming games and enjoy the water?
You can have the children sit by the pool and see others play. When they see others having fun, they, too, might want to join and not miss out. If they are too scared of water, you can jump in the pool before them and assure them of your presence there.
5. How can I adapt these swimming games for younger children?
To make swimming games fun and safe for younger kids, keep the rules simple. Use the shallow end of the pool, add floating toys, and play games like toy collection or splashing.
Swimming is an excellent aquatic exercise that not only strengthens the children but also refreshes them. However, doing it regularly may become a task, and children might not seem interested in it. Therefore, it is essential to keep the activity fun by introducing swimming games for kids. These games will allow children to try new swimming skills and learn different strokes, such as butterfly, backstroke, and breaststroke. They will also boost their confidence, and challenge themselves in different ways. Moreover, swimming games played in groups may enhance socialization. So, explore swimming games such as Whirlpool, Volleyball, and Wobble heads. Buy your children new floaties, balls, and swimwear to build on the excitement. Get on with the game but always take safety precautions to stay away from unpleasant experiences.
Infographic: Appropriate Behavior At The Swimming Pool
Being aware of the basic poolside and swimming etiquette can help avoid those nasty glares while accessing a shared pool. Keep this infographic handy to teach your children essential swimming tips to avoid harming themselves or fellow swimmers. Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Illustration: Best Swimming Games For Kids And Safety Tips To Follow
Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team
Check out this awesome video to learn the top 5 pool games for kids! Fun for the whole family, these games will keep your kids entertained all summer long! Time to hit the pool!
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