North State Parent magazine

Diving for Treasure

The oldest pool game has to be diving for an object to see who can get to it first. This is a game kids will play for hours. Kids toss objects that will sink, and then search for them on the bottom of the pool. Today you can purchase toys that are weighted and brightly colored, designed specifically for this game. But why not add a new twist? Hide trinkets or coins sealed in plastic bags fastened to something weighted on the bottom of the pool before the kids get there...then they can have a real treasure hunt. Limit the amount of prizes each child can find to make sure they share, and keep the game to the shallow end of the pool.

Sprinkler Tug of War

Turn up your sprinkler for this fun game. Divide the kids into to two teams. Use a rope or heavy-duty jump rope and have the kids grab hold, one team at each end. Then start the battle! There will be lots of wet, giggly fun as kids try to avoid getting dragged into the sprinkler water. To avoid kids falling on the sprinkler, do not place the sprinkler directly in the path of the tug of war game - set it back from the centerline.

Water Balloon Dive & Toss

For this game you will need to fill small water balloons as full as possible. Place them along one side of the pool on the bottom of the pool. Make sure they are spread out evenly. Divide the kids into two teams. You will need at least four kids for this game. Each team will be divided into divers and catchers. When you say "go," the divers start hunting for the balloons on the bottom, and then toss them to their teammates. The teammates have to catch the balloons in a small bucket or bowl. Whoever has the most at the end wins. You can also play a similar version of this on land. Have the kids toss the balloons back and forth catching them in a bucket and moving further apart each time they throw the balloon.

Marco Polo

What pool party is complete without a good old fashioned game of Marco Polo? One child is "it" and closes his eyes. His goal is to find the other kids in the water without opening his eyes. Everyone's goal is to keep away (they have to stay in the pool). The person who is "it" yells out "Marco" periodically, and the others have to respond with "Polo" as he tries to figure out where everyone is. Whoever he tags becomes "it" next.

Fancy Footwork

Relay races are as much fun at the pool as they are anywhere else. For this relay race, you need two teams of kids and empty plastic drink bottles with lids - one for each child. Divide the kids into two teams. Line them up at the edge of the pool. When you say "go," the first person on each team jumps in the water, places their water bottle on the water and races to the other side. The catch...the racers have to push their bottles with their feet. As soon as they reach the other side, the next team member jumps in and takes a turn. There's lots of toe-tickling fun in this relay race.

Bucket Brigade

A relay race with a few versions. One version has kids filling up a small bucket with water, racing across to a larger bucket, dumping the water into it, and racing back with the small bucket for the next person to fill and go. Whoever has the most water at the end of the race wins. Another version is for the kids to form lines and pass the full bucket down the line, dump the water into the bigger bucket, then send the small bucket back up the line - whichever team fills the big bucket first wins.

Rubber Duck Race

This silly game will have everyone laughing. Have each child get into the pool at the starting line with a rubber duck (or other small floating toy). Everyone should have a toy about the same size and weight. The kids race their ducks across the pool, but cannot touch them - they have to blow the ducks across the water. Anyone who touches their duck has to go back to the starting line. The first one to get their duck to the other side wins.

Water Fun For Little Ones

If you have younger children, you can let them paint with water around the edge of the pool (supervised, of course) or on a sidewalk. All they need is water and large paintbrushes. Another neat idea for younger kids is to fill small water balloons with water and freeze overnight. The next day remove the balloon part and let the kids play with their ice balloons in a small kiddie pool. Place a small toy in the middle of the balloon before freezing and the kids will have fun trying to figure out what is hidden in their balloon.

Belinda J. Mooney can be found wearing togas, growing mold in the fridge and enjoying life with her seven kids.