We often talk about the importance of swimming lessons and water safety, especially given the amount of water that surrounds us – beaches, dams, lakes and pools – it’s vital to know how to get yourself out of trouble if needed.
But what about the joy of being able to swim, having the confidence and ability to play games in the water with your siblings, parents or friends. Nothing compares to that!
Now that summer is here, and the warmer weather has arrived, it’s no surprise that many people will be jumping into the pool to cool off. That feeling of splashing into the water will bring laughs and loads of entertainment, but If you want to prolong the fun and find some games for competent swimming kids (and even the adults), here are a few that are guaranteed to entertain.
The Good Ol’ Beach Ball
The obvious choice and one of the all-time favourites is to grab a beach ball. Use it to throw between people, or incorporate it into games such as volleyball (with or without a net), dodge ball, or a beach ball race where you have to push the ball from one side of the pool to the other, without using any part of your arms.
Marco Polo
The great game of tag/tiggy, with the main difference being that the person who is “it” has to close their eyes. The “it” person calls out “Marco”, and everyone else answers “Polo”, and only using sound and their great swimming skills, they have to find and tag the other people in the pool, and whoever gets tagged is “it” for the next round.
Whirlpool
Depending on the size and shape of the pool (circles work best), you can create a whirlpool by all walking in the same direction around the edge of the pool. This one works best if there are lots of people in the pool. Eventually, the water will keep moving by itself, and if you try to walk against the whirlpool, the force of the water will push you back. See who can stay standing and who gets taken along for the ride.
Diving for objects
Using objects designed specifically for pools such as “treasure chests” or weighted rings, or even just coins or other items that will sink, you can have loads of fun diving to the bottom of the pool to collect them. Wearing goggles for this one, particularly if it’s a chlorinated pool, will keep those precious little eyes less irritated.
What’s the time, Mr Wolf?
This game is often played out of the water but is also fun in the pool. One person will be the wolf and stand at one edge of the pool with their back to the other players, who stand in a line at the opposite edge. The players say ‘what’s the time, Mr Wolf?’, the wolf turns towards them and replies with a time (eg. “3 o’clock”), then turns back around, and the players move closer towards Mr Wolf. When the players are close enough, Mr Wolf can respond to the question with “dinner time!”, and the players need to rush back to the other edge of the pool before Mr Wolf catches them. Whoever gets tagged first becomes Mr Wolf for the next round.
Whichever games you play, always remember to supervise children in and around the pool, and make sure they’re wearing waterproof sunscreen, so that you can keep having non-stop fun around water.