bestswimmingpoolgames

Swimming pools and spas are great for relaxing, but if you have young children you may not get much peace and quiet. So, keep them interested, engaged and having fun by playing some of these classic swimming pool games with them. Which is your favourite?

Marco Polo

Pool games don’t come better than Marco Polo. Named after the real life Italian explorer from the 13th century, this game is essentially Blind Man’s Bluff in the swimming pool.

So, how do you play? Well, one person must close their eyes and try to tag everyone else in the pool. To get a clue of where people are, the ‘blind’ player must call out “Marco” to which the other players must respond “Polo”. It’s then simply following the direction of the voices and the first person tagged becomes the new ‘Marco’.

Chicken Fight

This one is for the older kids as it can be a little dangerous. Two pairs battle it out with one player on the other’s shoulders with the aim of knocking the other ‘top’ player off and into the water. This has to be a good, clean fight though. Remember this is fun and you’re not fighting for real.

Sharks and Minnows

Sharks and Minnows is basically a game of tag but in a swimming pool. The game starts off with one shark and multiple minnows who have to cross a length of the pool without getting tagged. If a minnow gets tagged they instantly transform into a shark. The last minnow wins!

Handstand Contests

Handstands on land can be very tricky to pull off, but in a swimming pool they’re much easier. So, if you’re looking for swimming pool games for kids you may want to give this one a go. The rules are simple: everyone does a handstand in the water and the last person to tip over wins. It’s that easy!

Who Can Hold Their Breath the Longest

Of all the pool games this one is probably the easiest; it’s pretty much what it says on the tin. Everyone holds their breath under the water and the person who manages the longest, wins. We don’t know about you, but we could just about manage 30 seconds. However, the world record is an unbelievable 22 minutes! A Danish free diver, Stig Severinsen set the record in 2012.

underwater

Dive for Treasure

This is a brilliant swimming pool game for kids who are looking to develop their diving skills. Simply throw a small, weighted item into the pool and watch it sink down to the bottom. The children then have to dive in and retrieve it. The person to pick it up first wins! You can make this harder by choosing progressively smaller items. A penny or another kind of coin is as hard as it gets!

Dolphin Races

Races to see who can swim a width of the pool the quickest underwater are fun, but they can be even more exciting if you have to swim like a dolphin or mermaid. How do you swim like a dolphin you ask? Well, you kick off the side of the swimming pool and can only swim with your legs kept together at all times. That means your arms and feet have to handle all the hard work instead of your legs. Once the kids have mastered this technique, you can make it harder for them by changing the rules slightly. See who can get the furthest by taking only one big breath and swimming the entire length. Now that’s a challenge! Do you have any fun pool games we haven’t listed in this post? Then send us your suggestions! Tweet us @onlinepoolchems.