Wild & Wacky Water Games
Grab your suit and get wet!
Summertime in Kansas City means pool time for most of us. And whether you own your own pool or visit the local pool, it's always fun to play in the water. Having several ideas on hand for games the kids can play in the water can keep them from getting bored. Don't have a pool? That's ok--some of these fun games are easily played with a sprinkler. So dig out those swimsuits and goggles and head for the water.
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 in the pool. Kids toss objects that will sink and then search for them on the bottom of the pool. Why not hide trinkets or coins, sealed in plastic bags and fastened to something weighted on the bottom of the pool before the kids get there? Then they can have a real treasure hunt.
Sprinkler Tug of War
Turn on your sprinkler full blast for this fun game. Divide the kids into two teams. Use a rope or heavy duty jump rope and have the kids grab hold, one team on 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.
Water Balloon Dive & Toss
Fill small water balloons as full as possible and place them on one side of the pool’s bottom. Divide the kids into two teams--divers and catchers. When you say “Go!” the divers start looking for the balloons on the bottom. They then toss them over to their teammates who catch them in a small bucket. Whoever has the most at the end wins. To play this on land, have the kids toss the balloons back and forth catching them in a bucket and moving farther 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 closes his eyes and is "it." His goal is to find the kids in the water without opening his eyes. Their goal is to keep away. The “it” person 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 sports drink bottles with lids - one for each child. Line the teams up at the edge of the pool. When you say ”Go!” the first person jumps in the water, places his bottle in the water and races with it to the other side. The catch? Kids have to push their bottles with their feet! Lots of toe tickling fun in this relay race.
Bucket Brigade
This relay race has many versions. One version has kids fill up a small bucket with water, race across to a larger bucket, dump the water and race back with the bucket for the next person to go. Whoever has the most water at the end wins. For really interesting fun, have the kids stand in line with their backs toward the goal. The first child fills the bucket then passes it up and over his head to the next child in line - without turning around or looking at his teammate behind him. The last child has to dump the water into the larger bucket backwards too.
Rubber Duck Race
This silly game will have everyone laughing. Have each child get into the pool at the starting line with a rubber ducky or other small floating toy. Everyone should have something about the same size and weight. They then have to race their ducks across the pool but they can not touch the duck. They have to blow their rubber ducks across the water. Who will be the first to get their duck to the other side? If they touch the duck, it’s back to the starting line.
More Water Fun
These are just a few of the many games you can play around the pool. If you have younger children you can let them paint with water around the edge of the pool or on a sidewalk. All you 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 kids will have fun trying to figure out what is hidden in the balloon.