Summer here is short, so we make sure to make the most of it! That means lots of time spent outdoors playing sports, going for family walks, bike rides, scooter rides and of course TONS of time in the pool. Swimming is an activity that all of our kids love, but when we are in the pool day after day, just splashing around doesn’t cut it. Before we know it, the kids are getting on each other’s nerves and bugging each other, which makes us want to pull our hair out! We have become quite creative in the pool games department, so we are sharing 6 easy pool games to play this summer.
Before the Easy pool games begin
While every game has rules, so does every parent! We are all about fun and games, but we know that while everyone is laughing and having fun in the pool, the fun stops when someone gets a sunburn. Our kids know that they can’t get into the pool without a thorough application of from head to toe. They each apply a golf-ball sized portion of lotion or get a solid ‘spray and rub’ 15 minutes prior to heading outside. This gives them just enough time to choose their games and get all the items needed to play! I breathe a sigh of relief knowing they’re protected before they leave the house, so we only have to worry about having fun when we get outside!
X’s and O’s
When I saw this at a local store, I knew I couldn’t leave it behind. We are constantly playing x’s and o’s around here. Whether we are at a restaurant, travelling or hanging at home, x’s and o’s always saves the day. We have the magnetic travel board and it has been amazing so I knew that this tic tac toe pool game would be a winner! This is a super easy pool game! When it’s just the two kids, they can play against each other and if we have more people we play on teams. To make it more challenging, we set a place in the pool that you need to throw the X or O from so you have less control of where it lands. This game is a must have!
Frisbee Ball
While a frisbee is a great pool toy on its own, “Frisbee Ball” is a game that keeps the kids entertained! What you’ll need:
- A few frisbees (3)
- Sharpie
- Lightweight waterproof balls
Take your frisbee and flip it over. On the inside of the frisbee, write a number with a sharpie thick enough for the kids to see from a distance. Keep it simple and use small numbers, 1, 2 & 3, or use multiples of 5 to help your kids practice their skip counting and adding by 5’s. Just because it’s summer, it doesn’t mean we can’t practice math! For older kids, use bigger numbers like 15, 30 & 45. Highest point value wins!
Silly ball
One thing we know for sure is that the kids LOVE to be silly. On top of being silly, there is nothing better than being encouraged to be silly and your parents joining in on the fun! We love playing this game with the kids! Blow up a beach ball and with a sharpie, write silly things that the player will have to do. Have the players stand in a circle. When someone catches the ball, they need to do the activity that their right thumb is touching. They continue to do the “silly thing” for 30 seconds and then they can join the ball toss again. Example of silly activities include:
- Run on the spot
- Bob up and down in the water
- Sing twinkle twinkle little star
- Mimic everyone
- Swim in circles around everyone
- Say the ABC’s backwards
Diving Games
For young kids, getting all the way down to the bottom of the pool is no easy task, so this is something we celebrate when they can! The kids have the best time diving for rings, golf balls, coins and whatever else we can think of that floats! Diving sticks or and diving items are an absolute must for any pool this summer! To keep them extra engaged, we call out a name and a colour when we throw the diving toy. This also keeps the younger kids in the game so that the faster swimmers don’t swoop in and get all the toys before they can!
Hoola Hoop Toss
Hoola hoops are good all year long! From using them for their original purpose to using them in the basement for indoor games, they get a lot of use in our house! The summer is no different. When they aren’t being used on the front lawn, we are using them in the pool for a game of hoola hoop toss! There are a few ways to play.
- One player can hold the hoop up above their head while the other shoots a beach ball through it. See how many you can get in a row before changing places.
- Place the hoola hoops into the pool. Try getting out and jumping into the hoola hoop.
- Each player gets 5 balls. See how many you can throw into your floating hoop. The person with the most balls in, wins!
Golf Ball Word Game
This game is so much fun and kids of all ages love it! For this, you need plastic gold balls and of course, a sharpie! For this game, each ball gets a word…we like to put silly words on them…it’s all about having fun after all! Throw all of the balls into the pool and have all the kids stand on the edge. After you count to three, the kids jump in and they have to swim to get golf balls. Tell them each how many balls to collect based on how many kids and balls you have. Then, once they have their balls, they have to swim back to the wall and make a sentence using their funny words. The kids will be howling with laughter as they string together their funny sentences!
Staying protected
Pool weather means that the sun is out and the UV rays are shining down. It’s easy for the kids to think that they are protected when they are in the pool, but the sun actually reflects on the water and hits the kids right in the face! As we mentioned, before planning our pool games, we make sure that everyone is protected from the sun! Addi’s skin is so sensitive, and she has reacted to many things that we have put on her skin over the years. Banana Boat Simply Protect Sensitive is what we trust on her skin. I love that they have one specifically for faces as well as that is where she is the most sensitive. In addition to sunscreen, she wears a UV protected baseball hat so keep her scalp protected too!
For Jonah, our sports maniac, we know that he will spend just as much time running around playing sports as he will in the pool on any given day. So, Banana Boat Ultra Sport was made for him! In both a sunscreen spray and sunscreen lotion, I know that he will be covered and protected when we reapply at least every 2 hours throughout the day, and when he gets out of the pool.
What’s your favorite pool game?
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Banana Boat Sunscreen. All opinions are my own.
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