30 Splash-Worthy Pool Games Kids & Teens Will Be Obsessed With

Beat the heat and make a splash with these fun pool games for kids and teens! Whether it’s a backyard swimming pool, a summer pool party, or just a sunny afternoon, these games turn ordinary pool time into moments you’ll all remember.

My boys absolutely love getting everyone involved. They beg us to play and manage to turn even the simplest water games into epic adventures.

These easy swimming pool games aren’t just about staying cool. They’re about creating memories, sharing laughter, and adding something extra to your summer days together.

Play these games:

• At a summer pool party
• During family swim time
• With neighbors and friends
• For a fun summer bucket list activity

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Fun Pool Games For Kids

These pool games are easy to set up, require little to no supplies, and are perfect for younger swimmers.

1. Marco Polo

Supplies: None

How to play:

1. One player is designated as Marco.
2. Marco keeps his/her eyes closed and calls out “Marco”.
3. The other players respond with calling out “Polo”.
4. Marco listens and tries to tag players based on their responses.
5. When a player is tagged, they become the new Marco.

2. Popsicle Tag

Supplies: None

How to play:

1. Start with one person as “it,” and have him or her tag the other players who are swimming in the shallow end of the pool.
2. When tagged, a player must stand frozen like a popsicle until another un-tagged player can thaw him out by swimming underwater between his legs.
3. Change the “it” person every few minutes.

3. Treasure Dive

Supplies: Diving toys or coins

How to play:

1. Scatter the pool toys or coins throughout the pool.
2. Players take turns diving into the pool to retrieve one treasure at a time.
3. Points can be awarded for how many objects are brought back per person. If coins are used, players can keep their treasure!

4. Water Telephone

Supplies: None

How to play:

1. Choose one person to relay the telephone game message (usually one or two words).
2. Then the “guesser” goes underwater with the messenger and tries to guess what they’re saying.
3. Kids who don’t swim in deep water can participate in this pool game by dipping their faces in to hear the message.

5. Duck Swim

Supplies: Rubber ducks

How to play:

1. Each player has a rubber ducky.
2. At “GO!” players race to push their ducky to the other side of the pool first. They can push with their noses, blow on it, and make waves. But they cannot touch it with their hands or body!
3. The winner is the player who gets his ducky to touch the opposite wall first.

6. Pool Noodle Jump Rope

Supplies: Pool noodles

How to play: Hold a pool noodle underwater and try to jump over it like a jump rope. Count how many jumps you can do in one minute.

Also, check out more Easy and Fun Minute To Win It Games>>

7. Airball

Supplies: Beach ball

How to play:

1. The goal of this game is to keep the ball from touching the water. You can pass it to other players or go around in a circle.
2. Count out loud how many times the ball is caught.
3. When the ball touches the water, the round is over and you can try again to beat your score.

8. Shark Attack

Supplies: None

How to play: One player is the shark and stays in the middle. Other players try to swim across without getting tagged. If tagged, they become sharks too!

9. Red Light, Green Light: Pool Edition

Supplies: None

How to play: One player calls “green light” to let swimmers move forward and “red light” to make them freeze. First to reach the caller wins.

10. Pool Ring Toss

Supplies: Dive rings

How to play: Toss dive rings into the pool and have kids try to swim and grab them before they sink.

11. It! (Category Pool Game)

Supplies: None

How to play:

1. The person who is “It” sits on the edge with his/her back to the pool while the others gather at the opposite end of the water.
2. When “it” calls out a category, each player silently thinks up an answer. (For example, flavors of ice cream).
3. “It” will slowly shout out answers.
4. When a player’s answer is shouted, he/she must swim to “Its” side and try to touch the wall without being detected.
5. If “it” hears swimming, he/she can turn around and dive into the pool to tag a player. However, if he/she turns around and everyone still has a hand on the side, then “it” must take a step further from the edge and start again.
6. A swimmer who gets caught becomes “it.”

Related: Summer Scattergories Game- Coming Soon

12. Follow The Leader (Pool Edition)

Supplies: None

How to play: One player leads silly swimming moves and tricks. Everyone must copy!

13. Underwater Statue

Supplies: None

How to play: Players go underwater and hold still like statues. Last one to move wins.

14. Cannonball Contest

Supplies: None

How to play: Who can make the biggest splash? Judge for size, style, or creativity.

15. F-I-S-H

Supplies: None

How to play: This game is like H-O-R-S-E but in the pool!

1. The first player performs a stunt or challenge in the water (e.g., a handstand, somersault, or splash jump).
2. Each other player attempts to copy the stunt.
3. Anyone who fails to complete it earns a letter in the word F-I-S-H.
4. Once a player spells F-I-S-H, they’re out.

Rules to keep it fair:

• Each stunt can only be chosen once.
• Consider having a judge to decide if the stunt was successfully completed.

16. Swimming Pool Water Balloon Blitz

*Fun for all ages!

Supplies: Large water balloons, net (optional)

How to play:

1. Divide players into two teams and give each team an equal number of water balloons on their side of the net or poo
2. On “Go,” players try to toss or move as many water balloons as they can to the other team’s side.
3. When time runs out, count the balloons on each team’s side.
4. The team with the most balloons on their side loses.
5. Play multiple rounds to see who comes out on top!

Related:

Pool Games For Older Kids & Teens

These pool games are a little more competitive, active, and perfect for older kids and teens.

17. Five Hundred

Supplies: Nerf football

How to play:

1. One person stands at one end of the pool with a soft Nerf football. The rest of the group stands together at the opposite end.
2. The person with the football faces away from the group.
3. The thrower tosses the ball backward over their head toward the group. At the same time, they call out a point value between 100 and 500.
4. Any player who catches the ball earns the points called out.
5. The thrower can call “dead or alive” with the point value. This means points count even if the ball hits the water before being caught.
6. Keep track of each player’s points as they catch the ball.
7. The first player to reach 500 points wins the round. The winner becomes the next thrower.

18. Soaked T-Shirt Relay

Supplies: One t-shirt per team

How to play:

1. Players line up on one side of the pool.
2. The first player from each team puts on an oversized, soaking-wet T-shirt and swims to the other side of the pool and back.
3. They then remove the shirt and hand it to the next player, who must put it on and swim. (This is a LOT harder than it sounds).
4. Keep the relay going until one team wins.

Related: Summer Games for Teens- Coming Soon!

19. Pool Survivor Tag

Supplies: None

How to play:

1. Choose one player to be “it.”
2. The chosen player then yells out “dolphin,” “froggy,” or “submarine.” Dolphins swim on top of the water, froggies swim in the middle, and submarines swim at the bottom of the pool.
3. Whoever is “it” must close their eyes and try to tag the other players.
4. When a player reaches the other end of the pool, they yell out “Survived!”
5. Players who get tagged decide which one is “it” next.

20. Diving Olympics

Supplies: None

How to play: Players compete for best dive, biggest splash, funniest jump, or most creative trick.

21. Water Balloon Toss (Pool Edition)

Supplies: Water balloons

How to play: Stand in the pool and toss a balloon back and forth, stepping farther apart each time. The last team with an unbroken balloon wins.

Make this game even harder by playing in the deep end of the pool. Don’t let your balloons drop or break!

22. Pool Volleyball

Supplies: Beach ball or volleyball, Net (optional)

How to play: Play volleyball in the pool using a beach ball. The first team to a set number of points wins.

23. Noodle Joust

Supplies: Pool noodles

How to play: Players sit on floaties (or shoulders) and try to knock each other off using pool noodles.

24. Floatie Race

Supplies: Pool Floats

How to play: Race across the pool on your float. Falling off (or getting knocked off) means starting over!

25. Ping Pong Pool Race

Supplies: 25-30 numbered ping pong balls, two plastic buckets

How to play:

1. Divide players into two teams and give each a bucket on opposite sides of the pool.
2. Toss numbered (or different colored) ping pong balls into the pool.
3. On “Go,” players race to collect balls and place them in their team’s bucket. Only one ball can be collected at a time.
4. When all balls are gone, add up the numbers. The team with the highest score wins.

If you don’t want to number the ping-pong balls, use different-colored balls and assign each color a number.

26. Octopus

Supplies: None

How to play:

1. Choose one player to be “it” and have them stand in the middle of the pool.
2. All other players line up along one side. When you say “Go,” they try to swim across to the other side without getting tagged.
3. If a player is tagged, they join hands with “it” to form the octopus.
4. In each new round, the growing chain works together to tag more swimmers as they cross.
5. Continue until everyone has been caught, then pick a new “it” and play again.

27. Watermelon Push Relay

Supplies: One watermelon per team or player

How to play: Players race to push a watermelon from one end of the pool to the other. The first player (or team) to reach the opposite side wins.

Add your own twist with fun rules like:

• No touching the pool floor
• No using hands to move the watermelon
• Play relay-style and pass it to teammates

28. Glow-In-The-Dark Pool Hunt

Supplies: Glow sticks

How to play:

1. Drop glow sticks in the pool.
2. Players race to collect as many as they can before the timer runs out.
3. Add a “team vs. team” twist for bigger groups.

29. Inflatable Obstacle Course

Supplies: Inflatables, pool noodles, ropes, etc…

How to play: Line up pool floats, noodles, and rafts to create a mini obstacle course. Players must navigate across without falling in. Time each player for extra competitiveness, or run relay-style in teams.

30. Floating Trivia Challenge

Supplies: Pool noodles or floats, Teen trivia questions

How to play:

1. Players sit on pool floats or hold onto noodles.
2. Ask fun trivia questions.
3. Wrong answers mean doing a silly water challenge (like a cannonball or splash).
4. Keep going until one player remains undefeated!

What’s Next?

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