20 funny games in the pool that you must try

Are you looking for some new games to try at your next pool party? Need a refresh for classic games like Marco Polo? You are exactly in the right place. Below are 20 fun games in the pool, which you can try as soon as the sun allows!

From volleyball and competitions to team challenges, there is an ideal option for everyone in the following.

1. The atomic vortex

How is it played?

Ask all the players to enter the pool and sit in an Indian line next to the edge of the pool. First ask the players to walk around the edge of the pool, and after 30 seconds of walking, ask them to run at an easy pace, and after the 30 seconds of easy running, ask them to run at speed. By this time, a strong current will have already formed in the pool that will pull them. Ask the players to stop and walk in the opposite direction. It will be almost impossible to move against the current!
Tip: The more players there are, the stronger the vortex will be. It is a very fun game for pool parties.

2. Basketball and volleyball

What do you need?

– A basketball or volleyball
– A fillet or basket

How is it played?

Whether it's one-on-one or team play, games like basketball and volleyball are even more fun when played in the pool. The best part is that the games can be as organized (or disorganized) as you want. Divide into teams and keep score, or simply have fun hitting the ball and throwing in the basket.
Either way, these games will provide everyone with hours of active fun.

3. Belly jumping contest

How is it played?

Each player will do a jump in the pool, showing their biggest, strongest and strangest "belly" (tummy jump). The one who gets the most applause or the most laughs wins!

Tip: Safety must come first! Always be careful when jumping into the pool.

4. Bumper balls

What do you need?

– A beach ball (one for each player)
– A rope or rope

How is it played?

Put a rope on the side of an area of ​​the pool and give each player a beach ball.
When you say "Start", each player will have to use their ball to push other players into the rope. The player who touches the rope is out of the game and will have to leave the pool as well. The last player remaining in the pool wins.

5. Cardboard boat races

What do you need?

- Cardboard boxes
- Scissors
- Tape
- Colored paper
– Markers and stickers

How is it played?

Divide the players into two teams and give them one hour to use the above to build their best and strongest cardboard boats. Encourage teams to be creative and make sure each boat gets a name!
When the time expires, the teams will put their boats in the pool. The boat that stays on the water the most wins!
Tip: Safety comes first! If you play this game with younger children, make sure there is an adult to help them cut the cardboard.

6. Crocodile hunting

What do you need?

– Hula hoops (one for each player)
– Inflatable crocodiles

How is it played?

Inflate the crocodiles and make them float in the pool. Give each player a hula hoop. The objective of the game is to capture the crocodile by grabbing its head or tail with the hoop. When a player traps the reptile, they must climb onto its back and move to the shallower end of the pool.
Whoever completes the mission in the shortest time wins.

7. Pushing the rate

What do you need?

– Rubber ducks (one for each player)

How is it played?

Each player receives a rubber duck and will go to one of the ends of the pool. At "Start", the players must push their duck to the opposite end of the pool, but without using their hands! They can nudge the ducks with their noses, blow at them or hit them with their foreheads – whatever it takes to get the duck moving.
To make the game more challenging, you can allow players to "distract" each other by splashing each other with water or trying to knock down their ducks, but keeping in mind the same rule: no hands!
The first to take his duck to the other end of the pool wins!

8. FISH

How is it played?

To play this game, the first player will complete a task that the others will have to repeat. For example, if the first player stands with his hands in the water, the other players will try, in turn, to do the same thing. If someone cannot complete the task, they will "win" the first letter of the word Fish. The first to complete the entire word "Fish" loses.
In order for the game to be as fair as possible, it would be good to establish a rule according to which players can select a certain task only once, so that someone does not repeat tasks that no one else can do. It is also possible that an objective judge is needed to determine whether or not the players should receive the letter, depending on how they perform the task.

9. Race on the mats

What do you need?

– Mattresses or other inflatable objects for the pool (any type you want, as long as they are big enough for you to sit on).

How is it played?

Ask the players to get on the mats and line up at one end of the pool. Designate an arbitrator.
When the referee calls "Start", the players will have to race to the other end of the pool. Players who fall off the mats lose. The first player to reach the finish line wins!

Tip: This game works best in a long pool and can also be played as a relay team.

10. Follow the leader ("What do I do so everyone does")

How is it played?

Choose one player to be the "leader" and one to be the "observer".
The leader should be in the center of the pool, and the observer outside the pool, in a place where he can see everyone. The rest of the players must line up behind the leader.
When the spotter says "Start", the leader will start swimming. The leader can do whatever he wants: swim with his dog, underwater, on his back, nothing is forbidden. The other players will have to imitate exactly what the leader does, and the observer will follow the action closely, eliminating all players who do not do what the leader does.
The eliminated players must leave the pool, and the winner will be the last player in the group. He will become the leader in the next game.

11. Freeze someone

How is it played?

This game is best played in a shallow area of ​​the pool, where all players can stand with their heads above water.
Choose a player to start the game. That person will have to touch other players, who when they are touched must remain in place with their hands in the air, like an ice cream on a stick, until another player will thaw them by swimming between their legs.
A player cannot be touched while underwater. After a minute or two, someone else will have to be the "follower", and the game will continue until all players have had a chance to follow.

12. Ice cream T-shirt contest

What do you need?

– Two frozen t-shirts. Because it will take a while for the t-shirts to freeze, organize ahead of time and put them in the freezer a day or two before the party!

How is it played?

In this game, the first team to unfreeze a frozen T-shirt wins! Divide the players into two teams and give each team a frozen t-shirt, letting them know they can use any means necessary to thaw the t-shirts: the garden hose, the pool, the hot pavement, and the list goes on.
The game ends when a team member successfully puts on his thawed shirt.

13. The invisible glass

What do you need?

- A 2-liter bottle of juice, empty but with a lid and no label.
For better results, use a bottle with a white or transparent lid, or one that matches the interior of the pool. Empty water bottles are very good.

How is it played?

Fill the 2 liter bottle with water from the pool and close it hermetically. Make two teams of the participating players and ask the teams to move to opposite ends of the pool and stand with their backs to the water.
Throw the bottle into the water. When they hear the bottle falling into the water, the teams can turn around and try to find it. The transparent glass will combine with the water and become almost invisible at the bottom of the pool. The team that finds the bottle wins!

14. Marco Polo

How is it played?

Marco Polo is a simple game that can be played with two or more players. To play, choose a player to "put on". That person must close their eyes or be blindfolded and count to a certain number (set between you!). During the count, the other players scatter in the pool. When the timer ends, the player who placed will try to reach the other players, using only the sound of their voice to find them. He will shout "Marco" and the other players will shout "Polo". When the player who placed succeeds in touching another player, the latter will place, and the game resumes.

15. Foam baton tournament

What do you need?

– Two foam sticks, for the pool
– An inflatable object/mattress for the pool, big enough for two people

How is it played?

Choose two players, place them on their mattress on the chosen inflatable object and push them into the middle of the pool. Each player must have a wand in their hands. The players will fight with the wands until one of them is knocked off the mat. The remaining player is the winner.

16. Bucket with balls

What do you need?

– Ping pong balls (25-30)
– A permanent marker
– Two plastic buckets

Before starting, use the permanent marker and number each ball from 1 to 25 (or 30).

How is it played?

Divide the players into two teams. Give each team a plastic bucket and ask them to go to opposite ends of the pool.
Throw the numbered ping-pong balls into the pool, and at "Start", team members will compete to collect the ping-pong balls and put them in their team's bucket.
Players or teams can only take one ball out of the water at a time. When all the balls have been collected, each team adds up the numbers on their balls. The team with the highest score wins.
To make things more interesting, you can award extra points if sets of consecutive numbers are collected.
The great thing about this game is that it can be customized in a variety of ways. Here is another option to try.
Instead of marking the ping pong balls with numbers, use colored markers to draw a dot on each ball. Or put a small colored dot on each ball in different colors. The teams must collect only the balls with their color.

17. The Octopus

How is it played?

Choose a player to stand and ask him to stand in the middle of the pool.
Ask the other players to line up on one side of the pool and try to swim from one side to the other, while the person who "set" follows them and tries to touch them.
The players who are touched will hold hands with the person who was initially touched. During the next round, all touched players who are holding hands try to touch the swimmers while trying to reach the other end of the pool.
Continue until all players have been touched and then choose another player to stand, to resume the game.

18. Diving for treasures

What do you need?

Various small objects such as coins, diving sticks or anything else that goes to the bottom (avoid sharp objects or glass). You will need two of each item.

How is it played?

Divide the players into two teams. Throw the items into the pool (make sure there are two of each item). At "Start", players will dive under the water to collect one of the objects on the bottom of the pool. Each team must collect one of each object from the bottom of the pool. The first team to collect all the objects wins.

19. Dance competition in the swimming pool

What do you need?

- The music
– Pool lights (optional)
– Props (optional)

How is it played?

It's like having your own reality show! In this game, individual or team competitors will have to perform dance choreographies in the water, synchronized to their favorite songs. The more creative, the better! Use props and waterproof costumes to make the "show" even more elaborate!
Invite family, friends and neighbors to watch the shows and vote for a winner. You can even invent different award categories, such as funniest, most original and so on.

20. The wet t-shirt relay

What do you need?

– Wet T-shirts (one for each team)

How is it played?

Divide the players into two teams. Half of the players will stand at one end of the pool, and the other half at the other end. Choose one player from each team as the "opener" player and give him the wet shirt.
The starting player must put on the shirt, swim along the pool, take off the shirt and hand it to the teammate who is waiting for him at the other end. After that he will put on his t-shirt and cross the pool, and he will also hand over the t-shirt. The first team whose players cross the pool wearing a wet shirt wins.

Source: https://www.swimmingpool.com/blog/pool-games/