Air Mattress Pile-up
Inflate an air mattress and see how many kids can stand up straight on it in the water without falling over. For more fun, do not inflate it all the way. You could also give a prize to the person who stays on the longest, etc. If you have a fairly small group, you can have everyone play, and if your group is larger, then use this as an up-front game.
Safety Note: Have adult spotters around the pool. Don't allow pushing. Also, avoid using a small pool, where students have a chance of falling into the side of the pool.
Atomic Whirlpool
Have everybody get in the pool and line up single file along the edge with very little space between them. Have everyone walk for a couple of minutes, then jog another couple of minutes, then "run" around the edge another couple of minutes.
If done right the water will "carry" them around the pool. Finally, tell them to turn around and go the other way. It is almost impossible to go against the current, so it's a lot of fun to watch the students struggle!
Belly Flop Contest
When you've got your group at the pool, and everyone's kind of doing their own thing, nothing brings everyone together quite like a belly flop contest. Get your contestants, find a prize for the winner, and have the audience judge by applause, according to:
Judge on 3 catagories:
1. Form/Creativity
2. Pain
3. Air
Boogie Board Relay
You will need two boogie boards and two ski ropes...oh yeah, and a pool.
Two relay teams race against each other from one end of the pool to the other. While one player kneels on the board, another person standing on the ledge of the pool pulls them the length of the pool. The person that was kneeling on the boogie board and being pulled across the pool first, then trades positions with the "puller." He/she then pulls that person back to the "starting" end of the pool. Two more players from the team repeat the two-legged trip. Continue until the first team finishes.
For safety sake, you may want to have adult leaders positioned around the pool in case of an accident. Also you may want to shorten the overall length of the pool by 5 feet so that the "puller" does not drag the "rider" into the walls at the ends of the pools.
Bumper Boats
Have about 5-6 sturdy tubes (or small, donut shaped flotation devices) – “Bumper Boats” - for as many players as you have in the pool (more for a lake). This is like “Bumper Cars” at a fair or carnival, only in water. Tell students to kick off the sides of the pool and try to knock as many people off their “boat” as possible. Last one floating wins.
Announce the no brainer: no hitting, scratching, pulling hair, biting, decapitating, etc.
Croc Wrestling
Get a big inflatable croc and choose 3 volunteers who will each have 60 seconds, by themselves to do the best show of croc wrestling in the pool. Give points for creativity, death rolls, etc.
Have an MC who can do a "Crocodile Hunter" (Steve Irwin) impersonation. Play safari music.
Game Variation: You can also have students take turns jumping off the diving onto the floating croc, giving them syle points for their "slam" before they even begin the wrestling. It's super funny to see what the students can come up with.
Diving Board PIG
Line up kids behind the diving board. Just like the basketball game "PIG" (or HORSE) the first person says what they are going to try to do. If they do it the next person has to do the same dive, flip, or whatever they did. If they also do it correctly then the next person has to do it as well. As soon as someone messes up they get a letter and then the next person in line calls what they are going to attempt. This continues until all but one person is eliminated by spelling "PIG".
Rule: You can only use the same dive once per game. (Otherwise you will have one person just keep doing the same double flip that no one else can do.)
Pick a judge or vote to decide if they get a letter or not.
Get Dressed
With a small group this game can involve everyone, or it can be just an "up-front" game if you've got a larger group.
My friend and I started this game one day when we had our clothes on over our bathing suits and went in the pool. We have been playing it ever since.
The more players the more fun, but the game will work fine with just 2 people.
Each person needs a shirt, pants, socks, and what ever other clothing you would like to use.
Have all of the players line up, in the pool at one end. Have someone else who is not playing take all of the players' clothes and bring them to the other end of the pool. Have that person get the clothes wet until they sink to the bottom, and then mix up all the clothes and put them in a pile at the bottom of the pool. That person now gets out of the pool or out of the way of the racers and becomes the judge.
The Game:
When the judge says "Get Dressed" the players must race to the other side of the pool, find their shirt in the pile and put it on, then race to the other side. Once they touch the edge they turn around, race back, then find and put on their pants, then race back to the other side. Next come the socks and so on. In essence, the order doesn't really matter.
Note: Shorts are easier so for a twist use jeans or long pants because they are quite difficult to get on. The first person back to where they started and all dressed wins!
Twist: After we do that my friend and I also like to do it the opposite way where you have to swim to the edge take off the clothing then swim back touch the edge and back to take off another piece of clothing.
Jump or Dive
A classic pool game fun for crazy participants but slightly more entertaining for the onlookers.
Must have a pool with a diving board and is large enough for people to dive into.
Whoever wants to play lines up outside the pool.
Going one at a time, the player must get a running start and get a good bounce off the board. Then, at the last second, the leader either yells JUMP or DIVE.
The player must quickly react and make the necessary adjustments. It begins to get hilarious when players start anticipating the call and try to adjust but end up with very painful belly flops.
One way to keep the game moving is to have elimination.
For added fun: Yell JUMP or DIVE just a little too late!
King of the Tube
Pool game where teams compete for best time. Each team selects a champion who can stay on a tube the longest.
One at a time, a champion sits in a tube, and when the timer starts, the opposite teams all try to tip over the champion WITHOUT TOUCHING HIM, only the tube.
Time each champion, see who stays on the longest.
Safety Note: Have adult spotters around the sides of the pool.
Pirates and Sharks
This game works best with a larger group (10+ kids), and requires the following:
- pool mats
- various pool toys or nicknacks
Have the students divide themselves into two groups. When this is done, designate one of the groups as "Sharks", and the remaining groups as "Pirates". The pirate group claims a "ship" (one of the pool mats), and get into the pool and climb aboard. Split up the "treasure" (the various pool toys and nicknacks) between the pirate ships.
After the pirates are all ready to go, let the sharks into the pool.
The game works as follows:
The pirate ships move around the pool (swimmers use their arms, legs to paddle), trying to steal an enemy ship's treasure. While this is happening above water, the Sharks in the water try to pull the pirates into the pool - once a pirate is pulled in they become a shark as well.
There are two ways to win this game. The first is if one pirate ship claims all of the treasure before all of its "crew" is pulled into the pool. That team wins the game. The second way is if every pirate is pulled into the pool and made a shark before one ship can control all of the treasure. In this case, the original sharks (whoever started as a shark at the beginning of the game) wins the game.
Pool Battleship
Players separate into two teams. Then, the competitors must build a large “ship” out of several floats, noodles, and/or tubes, etc. The groups can also build home bases, so that they can take turns getting to the other side - which is easier if you have large teams.
Next, the two teams try to get to the other end of the pool without falling into the water, or being tagged by a member of the other team, while staying on their “ship”. (To make it more interesting, allow the players to use water guns and noodles to attack the other team.)
Pool Bronco Busting
Based on having 4 teams of 4. Use a steady floating tube and tie 3 ropes to it that can reach to the outside of the pool. Have each team choose a rider and then each of the other teams choose 3 people per team to pull the rope and try to “buck” the rider off. The team with the longest time wins. Use a fun plastic helmet for looks & safety.
Pool Change Drop
Dump between $20 & $100 in change (depending on the number of students & your budget!) in a pool. At the whistle everyone jumps in and goes crazy trying to collect as much as possible.
You can do so many variations of this with tokens, toys, items worth more points, etc.
Variation: Instead of coins, put about 25 goldfish into the pool and have students catch them with their hands. Give prizes for the most caught, first caught, or for each one caught. It's a blast watching kids try to catch the fish, but it is possible.
Pool Tag Survivor
One person is "it." They call out either "dolphin," "froggy," or "submarine."
Dolphin has to swim on top of the water.
Froggy has to swim in the middle.
Submarine has to swim at the bottom of the pool.
"It" has to close their eyes and try to tag the others. When a player gets to the other end, they yell, "Survived!" If they get tagged they are it. The more people the better.
Pool Toothpick
Should only be played in a pool with a deep end. Everyone is lined up around the outside of the deep end of the pool. "It" dives to the deepest area of the pool and lets go of a toothpick. "It" surfaces as quickly as possible, and splashes a lot as he/she gets out of the pool and takes place along edge of pool with others.
The objective is to be the first one to jump in and grab the toothpick, which will slowly be rising to the surface. First one to successfully get the toothpick 3 times gets some type of simple prize.
Some things that help the game go better:
Yell "TOOTHPICK!" before jumping in.
Let the toothpick get as close to the top as possible, because if you jump too early, the water moves before you can reach the toothpick.
Try not to let any part of your body touch the water ahead of your hand/arm as you reach for the toothpick. "Snatching" the toothpick can be quite fun.
If you jump in and miss, you cannot make another attempt at the toothpick until you are out of the water, although you may splash as much as you want on your way out!
Absolutely no diving, pushing, shoving, or pulling someone else in the pool.
Safety Note: Although some contact is inevitable, remind students again to avoid diving on top of each other.
This game may sound a little dangerous, but in 15 years we've never had any injuries.
Pool Tractor Tire Pile-Up
Get a tractor tire tube (the bigger the better) and see how many people you can get on the tire at one time.
Safety Note: Make sure that the tire stays in the middle of the deep end of the pool and have adult sponsors around the sides of the pool. You don't want anyone busting their head on the bottom or sides.
Pool Waterskiing
That's right! You can water ski in a pool! Only an Olympic sized pool!
Just have a strong staff guy bracing himself and holding a water ski rope in the back of a truck just outside the pool area. When the skier yells, "Hit it!," the truck takes off and skis the person 3/4 the way across the pool before the person in the truck lets go of the rope (for safety).
Safety Note: Have people with inner tubes or blow up rafts on the side of the pool for safety! We strongly recommend testing this out with a couple of staff first to see how far to pull before letting go!
Cool to watch. You can score it how you like. The best way is for judges to hold up numbers between 1 and 10.
Poolside Steal the Bacon
Just like Steal the Bacon with its many variations, but in the pool.
Two teams can either be in the water or standing on the opposite sides of the pool (if you have a deep enough deep end that allows for safe diving in).
The "Bacon" can be anything (ball, rag, raft, be creative here) and can be floating on the water, sunk to the bottom, or even in the process of sinking.
Poor Man's Beachball Volleyball
Outdoor, Big Room, or Pool. Use staff as the net (all lined up across the court with hands in the air) and play normal volleyball with a beachball. Allow as many hits per side as needed and allow as many players as needed (your whole group, in other words).
River Crossing (Pool)
ONLY DO THIS if you have a pool wide enough that someone falling in CAN’T hit the edge! Play this with guys in the pool and girls on the side. Guys stand back to back as girls try to walk across their shoulders - holding guys outstretched arms for balance - to the opposite side of the pool without falling in.
If there are not enough guys to cross the pool, they have to slowly move from back to front of line in pool to form a "moving" bridge. You can play two teams against each other or one group which is required to get all the girls to cross safely to complete game.
Safety Note: Have adults near edges of pool for safety as well.
The Point: Use this activity prior to a discussion with the guys about being gentlemen.
Sponge Pass
Outdoor or Indoor (need more towels if indoor). Simple but fun, especially on a hot day! You divide your group in rows. In front of each row place a bucket with water and a sponge. At the back place an empty bucket to collect water. When time starts running the person in the front dips the sponge and passes it to the back and the last person squeezes the water into the bucket. The row that manages to collect the most water wins.
Spongebob Squarefort
Great game for kids. Set two rectangular inflatable pools 6-10 feet apart from each other with the long sides facing each other. Get a bunch of small cheap yellow sponges and cut them in half or fourths.
Fill the pools with water and divide the sponges between each pool. Use a whistle to indicate start and stop times. Divide into two teams and place each team behind their pools (or in them). On the whistle, everyone picks up and throws the sponges into the opposing team's pool. When the whistle blows again, the team with the fewest sponges in their pool wins.
Variations:
Place a starting line 15-20 feet away from each team's pool. On the whistle, each team runs to their pool, reaches in and starts throwing sponges into the other team's pool. When the whistle blows again, the first whole team back across the line wins (this keeps kids out of the pools when trying to count all
of the sponges).
Place some of the youth leaders in a smaller pool in between the two pools. The first team to get all of their sponges into the smaller pool wins.
Line both teams up and pass wet sponges from one end to the other (or in a smaller group pass it "Hot Potato" style in a circle).
Trash Bag Rafts
Give each group a certain number of the largest trash can bags you can find and some tape/rope etc. See who can build the strongest raft and then race across the width of the pool.
Underwater Handstand Tag
Play as a group in waist-deep water. One player is "it." They chase after the other players, attempting to tag them. Whoever is tagged becomes "it."
The players avoid being tagged either by evading the player whoever’s "it" or by doing an underwater handstand. As long as a player is doing a handstand she can't be tagged "it." Have at least one leader on each side of the pool for safety.
Water Ball
You can play this game like Dodge Ball or have wars using boxes as forts. Get a bunch of pool water balls (the kind that are super absorbent or use water balloons. Water balls save time and can be used over. Fill buckets with water and give each team a bunch of balls or one ball each. Keep them far enough apart that it won't hurt and tell them no head shots. When a player is hit, they are out.
Variations: You can also use this setting for a great game of Capture the Flag.
Water Ballet
Give each team of 4-8 people a certain amount of time to perform a water ballet that involves EVERY team member. Play classical music through a boom box, if possible.
Water Hoop
Get two hoops, one on each side of the pool and play a game of basketball. Make a 5 second possession rule (ie: no one can have the ball for more than 5 seconds at a time).
Water Polo
Same as Water Hoop but with goals instead of hoops.
Waterbottle Underwater
A small group of kids stand in the shallow end of the pool, and is each given 1 bottle of water. They then have to take off the cap and stick the top of the bottle in their mouths. When you say GO, they go underwater and try to drink the whole bottle of water. The first person to drink their water and go to the surface wins!
Added by Brittany S.
Also see Poolside Steal the Bacon (Click Here).
Watermelon Polo
Water Polo with a small watermelon (or small greased watermelon).
Added by Jon Perrin, Plano, TX
See See Water Polo, also on Swimming Pool page, and Melon Fest on Upfront page.
Wet Sweatshirt Relay
Supply two teams with a large or extra large sweatshirt. Half of each team will go to the opposite end of the pool. At the whistle the first person of each team must put on the sweatshirt (over their bathing suit of course) and swim to the other side where their teammates are. Then they have to remove the sweatshirt and give it to the next person on their team. Teammates can help remove and put on the sweatshirt. First team who gets their whole team on the opposite side they started from wins.
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