21 Swimming Pool Games to Play This Summer

Alexandra F.:  For a simple yet always fun swimming pool game, just throw a handful of coins into the pool and have the kids dive to get them. Let them keep the coins as a prize or gather them all to throw in again.

Alexandra F.:  This variation on swimming pool tag is especially fun to play with a lot of people. One person starts off as the Octopus, and tries to tag all the other players as they swim across the pool. When a player is tagged, that player and the Octopus have to hold hands, and work together to keep trying to tag other players. Anyone who is tagged joins the Octopus chain, and everyone must be holding hands in order to tag other players.

Safety tip: swimming becomes difficult when too many players are holding hands, so you may want to allow for multiple Octopus chains of fewer players each.

Alexandra F.:  We learned the land lubbers version of this game from one of our favorite kids cartoons, Bluey, and it adapts perfectly as a pool activity. One player is the Shark, standing facing away from the other players at a distance. When the other players call out, "What's the time, Mr. Shark?" the Shark responds with whatever time he wants - 1 o'clock! 5 o'clock! 12 o'clock! Players move forward the number of spaces the Shark calls out. At some point, the Shark responds, "Dinner time!" and turns around to try and tag another player to become the new Shark.

Alexandra F.:  This is a great pool game to play with lots of people, so consider breaking it out at your next pool party! At the start of the game, one person is the Shark and everyone else are Minnows. Sharks and Minnows start out at opposite ends of the pool. When the Shark calls out, "fishies, fishies come out and play!" the Minnows begin to swim across the pool. Then the Shark calls out, "shark attack!" and begins trying to tag the Minnows before they make it to the other end of the pool. Anyone who gets tagged becomes a Shark, making the game increasingly challenging for the remaining players.

Alexandra F.:  In this swimming pool game version of "Freeze Tag," the player who is "it" tries to tag all the other players, who freeze in place with their hands in the air (like a popsicle) whenever they are tagged. Unlike the kid-favorite yard game, however, players can only "unfreeze" other players by swimming under their legs.

Pro tip: this game is best played in the shallow end of the pool, to keep all popsicles over the water when they are frozen!

Alexandra F.:  This is a fun pool game for kids who like a little competition, though it does require using permanent maker on a bunch of ping pong balls (or similar small objects you can throw in the pool). Number as many ping pong balls as possible, starting with 1 and going up to as many as you have - 25 to 30 works well. Divide players into two teams, give each a container for collecting the balls, then toss the balls into the pool and have players collect as many of them as they can. Add up the numbers on the balls to see who wins!

Pro tip: you can introduce a bunch of variations on this game for fun, including only allowing players to collect a single ball at a time, or assigning teams to collect only certain balls (like odds/evens).

Alexandra F.:  Divide players into two teams, and give each team a t-shirt soaked with water. Players for each team take turns racing across the pool, and tagging in their teammate to continue the race. For this relay, however, teammates don't pass a baton - they pass the wet t-shirt, which each player has to put all the way on before they can begin swimming!

Alexandra F.:  This pool game is a spin on traditional charades, with players acting out an animal, dance move, pose or other easy clue for other players to guess. The challenge? You have to act out your entire clue in the second or two you are in the air as you jump into the pool!

Alexandra F.:  Fill a clear, unmarked 2-liter bottle or water bottle with pool water and close the cap. Have players wait outside the pool with their eyes closed, then throw the bottle into the pool. Once they hear the splash, players can jump in to try and find the bottle, which will blend in with the bottom of the pool.

Alexandra F.:  This pool game is a variation on tag, where the player who is "it" stands outside the pool (facing away from it) and chooses a category - colors, animals, states, Harry Potter characters, etc. All other players remain in the pool, lined up along the same as side as the player who is "it," and make a selection from the chosen category. When the player who is "it" calls out their selection, players try and swim to the other end of the pool before getting tagged.

Alexandra F.:  Here's an easy pool game - see who can swim to the other end of the pool first, swimming only at the bottom of the pool like a submarine. If you're playing solo, use a timer to keep track of and try to beat your own times.

Alexandra F.:  An arcade favorite turned pool game! Have one player stand outside the pool near the middle, while all other players line up inside one end of the pool. The players in the pool start crossing the pool, bobbing their head in and out of the water. When they pass by the player outside the pool, she tries to "whack" them with a pool noodle! Whoever gets "whacked" first becomes the Whack-a-Mole for the next round.

Alexandra F.:  Teams of two compete to see who can wrestle the other player off of his partner's shoulders in this classic competitive pool game for kids and adults!

Tip: consider setting some ground rules about the types of moves that are - and are not! - allowed, such as making heads and hair off limits during the wrestling match. For safety, be sure to always stay away from the edge of the pool so no one falls against it.

Alexandra F.:  This game is equally fun in and out of the pool! Whereas the minute-to-win-it game we play out of the water typically involved keeping a balloon (or two or three) up in the air as long as possible, a beach ball will probably work best for this pool game version.

Alexandra F.:  This toddler-favorite activity adapts well as a swimming pool game. Whoever is "it" stays on one end of the pool while the other players line up on the opposite side. When "it" calls out "green light," players move as quickly as they can across the pool. When he calls out "red light," they have to stop and either stand or doggie paddle in place. Whoever reaches the end of the pool first, wins.