Pool Party Games

We've put together a list of the coolest pool party games for kids! If you want to add fun and excitement to your swimming pool whether its a birthday party or time with family and friends we've got some games your children are going to love and the best part is they don't cost very much if anything at all.

The swimming pool is a fun place for both children and adults but give children some time and creativity and they will come up with some pretty unique games.  These games can be as simple as diving for quarters or just swimming laps trying to beat your friend or your personal best time. 

If you have children you know they love games and adding a swimming pool to the mix just makes them that much better.  These games are a great idea for entertaining any size of group and most don't need any additional pool toys.  All that's needed is a group looking for excitement in the pool with a bit of creativity and an appetite for fun.

We are going to start with the most popular pool party games that have been around forever or it seems that way.  We've included how to play each game but the rules can always be modified for even more enjoyment and don't be surprised if you spend hours enjoying them!

Pool Party Games for Kids

This list of games are ideal for children ages 4-12 with the exception if you are an adult with a great sense for fun!  What better excuse to play some of these games that you might be surprised how much fun they are playing them with your children. 

Marco Polo  3+ Children

Marco? Polo! is a fun game played by three or more people where one player starts out as the designated caller. This person has to close their eyes and try to tag the other swimmers. The person who is tagged becomes the new caller and it goes on from there. 

The caller attempts to locate the other players by calling out "Marco" and the other players have to respond with "Polo". This can be done as often as the caller wants to until they tag someone. The other players are allowed to exit the pool - but not too far away. If the caller calls "Fish out of water" and anyone is out of the pool they become the next caller. If there is more than one person out of the water the caller gets to decide who is it.

Sharks and Minnows  3+ Children

Sharks and minnows is played in the deep end of the pool so children should be comfortable swimming.

The game starts with one player in the deep end is designated as the "shark". All other players start on the shallow end pool deck. The object is to swim to the deep end and touch the deck without getting caught by the shark. The game starts by the shark calling to the minnows to swim to towards the deep end "Fishies, fishies swim to me!". If the shark manages to tag a minnow before reaching the deep end deck they become a shark to help tag the other minnows.

If the minnows don't enter the pool the shark can swim to the shallow end and tag the deck - and anyone not in the pool yet is it! The game is played until all the minnows are tagged - at that point the first person tagged becomes the shark for the next round.

Beach Ball Race  2+ Children

Beach ball race is on the pool party games list thats fun for children of all ages. You will need two beach balls and a couple willing participants. You can always add beach balls if you have more children that want to play!

It starts with both children at one end of the pool and when the caller says "Start" the participants push the beach ball to the other end of the pool using only their noses. The child to reach the other end of the pool first wins! An option for this is to run a relay if you have a group and is ideal for birthday parties. 

Balloon Toss  4+ Children

You will need two towels and an endless supply of balloons - well not quite but this game can get intense and is a lot of fun. You divide teams into pairs and give each a towel to use to launch the water balloons. Each child holds the end of the towel tight and after a balloon is placed in the middle - they launch it. The teams of two should stand about 10 feet apart depending on age and ability. The object is to catch as many balloons as you can and whoever catches the most wins. 

Cannonball Pool Jump  2+ Children

All participants line up on the edge of the pool ready to do their best cannonball. Assign two judges or parents to act as judges. Points are allocated for size of splash or whatever you want to - feel free to be creative with this one. At the end the points are added up to determine the cannonball champion!

Dolphins in the Water  4+ Children

Dolphins in the water is one of those pool party games that require some creativity - and it can be a lot of fun. It can be held as a race and the more the merrier! Children and paired into teams of two. One child is only allowed to use their arms to swim and the other is only allowed to use their legs. The child designed to use their legs holds on to the other child's waist. It's important that the person in front doesn't kick to avoid injury. Start at one end of the pool and have races to the other end and see who can get there first!

Coin Dive  1+ Child

Coin dive is a classic game that can be played solo or as a race with multiple children. It's a great way to build underwater swimming skills while having fun. Coins can be used or any object that sinks or is safe to throw into a pool. After the coins are thrown into the pool the object is to collect them as fast as possible. If there are multiple children you can designate the person who collects the most coins as the winner. 

We hope you find this list of pool party games fun and enjoyable for your next get together or child's birthday party! If you have any game ideas you want to add so other pool owners can enjoy we'd love to hear from you. 

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