Time to spice up your Memorial Day weekend! These are not your run-of-the-mill pool games… no “chicken” or Marco Polo here! Your kids will be impressed by your creativity (you don’t have to tell them you found these games on the internet)!
All you need is a couple of pool floats, boogie boards, a pool noodle, an empty 2-liter bottle and… maybe a watermelon.
1. PILE UP
What You Need: An inflatable pool air mattress.
How to Play: Inflate a pool air mattress and see how many kids can pile on to it without falling off. For more fun, under inflate the air mattress to make it less stable.
2. BOOGIE BOARD RELAY
What You Need: Two boogie boards and two pool noodles.
How To Play: Divide everyone into two relay teams and send each to their own end of the pool. One player at a time kneels on a boogie board and holds one end of a pool noodle, while a partner from their team drags them across the swimming pool to the other end, and returns them to the starting point. The first team to have each of their players complete their round trip, wins!
3. JUMP THE NOODLE
What You Need: A pool noodle and someone that can tread water well.
How to Play: Position your leader (that can tread water well) in the deep end of the pool. Have them hold the noodle a predetermined distance from the end of the diving board or pool wall. Have each player attempt to jump over the noodle. After each round, progressively position the noodle further away. Once a player misses jumping over the noodle, they are out. The last person standing is the winner!
4. BOTTLE QUEST
What You Need: A CLEAR plastic 2-liter bottle, emptied, washed and with the labels removed, and two outdoor chairs.
How To Play: Fill the bottle up completely with pool water, and put the cap on tightly. Divide everyone into two teams and send them to opposite ends of the pool. Place one outdoor chair at each end of the pool to act as a goal.
Have the teams line up along the pool wall, and face away from the center of the pool with their eyes closed. As soon as a parent tosses the bottle into the center of the pool, everyone can turn around, open their eyes, and try to find the bottle.
The object is to get the bottle to the other team’s chair. Getting the bottle successfully into a chair is worth 1 point. After a point is scored, start over by having the teams line up along the pool wall again. The first team to 3 points, wins!
It’s harder than it seems as the bottle camouflages to the bottom.
5. WATERMELON BALL
What You Need: Vaseline & a Watermelon
How to Play: If you haven’t played this, or watched it, you’re missing out on a simple pleasure in life. Lather up a watermelon with Vaseline and throw it in the pool. The first people to get it out is the winner.
The game always gets bogged-down in a twist of arms, a pile of people, and typically the watermelon slips out and someone quickly rushes it to the edge of the pool or shoreline for the win.
6. POOL BATTLESHIP
What You Need: Assorted pool floats, noodles, tubes, boogie boards, etc.
How to Play: Separate players into two teams and send them to opposite ends of the pool. Each team builds a large “ship” out of the assorted pool floats, noodles, etc. that are available. Each team tries to get to the other side of the pool without falling into the water or being tagged by a member of the opposite team. Add water guns and lots of splashes to amp up the fun!
Happy Memorial Day weekend everyone! Be Safe!
