Swimming pool season is upon us here in South Florida, and the preschoolers at Mary, Mother of the Light Academy in Tequesta can’t wait to jump in the water! Swimming is an awesome summertime activity because kids and families get to exercise while having fun together! Kids particularly love pool games so we have compiled a list of 7 of our favorite easy swimming pool games for children. Enjoy!

Invisi-bottle:
Grab an empty, clear 2-liter plastic bottle (or even a water bottle). You’ll want to use one with a white cap so it blends in with the bottom of the pool. Remove the label and fill the bottle with water. Line up the players on the pool deck with their backs to the water. Toss the bottle anywhere in the pool. If you have really young children, aim for the shallow-end. Let the ripples subside and then tell the kids they can turn around. When they spot the bottle, they can jump in to retrieve it. It’s harder than it seems as the bottle tends to camouflage with the bottom of the pool!

Duck Races:
Each child gets a rubber ducky (or any pool/bath toy will do). Each duck is lined up at one of the pool. Using their hands, the children must make waves to get their duck to the other side. If you touch your duck, you are disqualified. The child whose duck makes it to the other side of the pool first wins!

Name That Tune:
All children start in the water. One child must think of a song. When they have one in mind, everyone goes underwater and the child hums the song. When everyone comes back up for air, the first kid to guess the song correctly wins!

Noodle Jousting:
Instead of riding noble steeds for this jousting battle, the players line up on inflatable rafts or boogie boards. Then, just like medieval gladiators, they attempt to knock each other from their mount with pool noodles. The winner stays to fight the next brave knight and the loser goes to the back of the line.

Pennies in the Pool:
Line the kids up on the side of the pool. Toss a handful of pennies in the pool. Countdown from three, and let the kids jump in to gather the change. Whoever comes up with the most pennies wins that round. Kids will do this for hours. HOURS. If you’re feeling generous at the end of the game, let them keep the change.

Target Practice:
Place a hoola hoop somewhere in the middle of the pool. Each child is given a ball and must attempt to throw the ball inside the hoola hoop. Anyone who doesn’t make it in the hoop is eliminated. Keep going until there is a winner! Kids can either throw the ball from in the pool or from standing on the side.

Atomic Whirlpool:
If you have a small pool or a Jacuzzi, have all the kids start moving around the edges in a circle. Start moving slowly and get faster and faster until a whirlpool forms. Makes for a great science lesson, too!

There are so many fun pool games out there that we’d never be able to list them all, but those are some of our favorites. It’s fun to make up your own games, too.

We hope you enjoy these pool games year after year. Parents, remember, the pool can be a dangerous place. Always supervise children while they are near the pool, and do not allow running on wet surfaces.