There’s no better way to cool off this Memorial Day weekend than hanging poolside with your friends and family. Fortunately, you don’t have to drain your wallet to keep your clan entertained in the water. If you are tight on cash, skip the fancy pool toys and try these splashtastic games instead:
Fish, Fish, Whale: This simple yet fun game puts a spin on the classic “Duck, Duck, Goose.” To play, have kids stand in a circle in the shallow end of the pool. Select one person to be “it.” That player then goes around the circle and taps each child on the shoulder and says “fish” or “whale.” The player tagged as the “whale” becomes “it” and continues the game.
Color Call: Select one player to be “it” and have him stand on the side of the pool with his back to the other kids. Have each child think of a color before lining up against one side of the pool. “It” calls out a color he has randomly selected. If the color is one that a player has chosen, he must exit the pool and becomes “it.” Meanwhile, the players whose colors haven’t been called are allowed to swim as fast as they can to the other end of the pool before “it” calls out a new color. The player who reaches the opposite side of the pool first wins the game.
Wacky Relay: Create at least two teams of players and have them race from one side of the pool to the other using unusual strokes or wacky moves such as swimming with their eyes closed or twirling backwards underwater.
London Bridge: This version takes place in shallow water with two children locking hands together and placing them above their heads to create a bridge. Have the rest of the players swim under the bridge as they sing “London Bridge is falling down…” The children who are under the bridge when it “falls” swap places with the kids forming the bridge.