The Best Pool Games for Your Next Pool Party!
Don’t you miss the good ol’ days when you could just push someone into a pool without having to worry about their cell phone? We sure do. Pool parties just aren’t the same anymore!
That’s why we’ve come up with 15 of the best swimming pool games for parties. With this list, you don’t even have to throw someone fully clothed into the pool to have a good time! Take a look at all the games below!
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Below, we have pool float party games and swimming games for adults and children alike. We’re sure you’ll find something to float your boat!
For your convenience, we’ve divided the pool games into two categories: small groups and large groups.
Table of Contents
Pool Games for Two or More Players
1. Noodle Joust
Items Needed: 2 pool noodles and 2 kickboards/floats
Number of Players: 2 or more
How to Play: Each player sits on a kickboard or float and tries to knock the other player off their kickboard and into the water using their pool noodle. Whoever knocks the other player into the water wins! If this is too easy, try kneeling or standing on the kickboard!
2. Tea Party
Items Needed: goggles
Number of Players: 2 or more
How to Play: Kids love this game! The point is to have a “tea party” or “picnic” at the bottom of the shallow end. Players will begin the party by choosing what they will do first. For example, they can choose to spread out a blanket to sit on. Then, players will take a deep breath, go underwater, and pretend to spread a blanket on the bottom of the pool before coming up for air. Other ideas include setting up the blanket with plates and cups or placing food on the plates. Play continues until they finally get to enjoy their “tea” or “picnic.” Players will take a deep breath, go underwater, and try to sit “criss-cross applesauce” on their “blanket.” They will pretend to drink “tea” and blow bubbles out of their mouths. This game usually results in lots of giggles!
3. Corners
Items Needed: goggles
Number of Players: 2
How to Play: This game is best played in the deep end of the pool. Find a corner of the pool and choose which player will swim first. The other player will face towards the corner of the pool and spread their arms and legs out (like a star). They will hold onto the sides of the pool with their hands, and their feet will be against the walls of the pool underwater. For the first challenge, the swimmer will begin in the corner of the pool, swim under the other player’s legs, and come up for air behind them. They will then swim back under their legs to the corner again.
The object of the game is to not touch any parts of the other player’s body while swimming. If the swimmer bumps or touches any part of the other player’s body, they switch places. If the player successfully completes the challenge without touching, they will move on to a more difficult challenge. The game gets progressively more difficult as the players come up with more challenges, like swimming through the side of their arms and legs, swimming in a circle around the player, or swimming under and back without coming up for air in the middle.
4. Classic Cannonball Contest
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: At least 2, but it’s more fun with lots of people!
How to Play: Have a classic cannonball contest, but make sure to do it in the deep end! Take turns jumping off the diving board or the side of the pool. The person who makes the biggest splash is the winner!
5. Dishwasher
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: 3
How to Play: This is a dunking game, so make sure all players are okay with dunking before playing! First, one person is chosen to be “it.” He/she walks away for a moment while the other two players quietly agree upon a color. When a color is chosen, the person who is “it” comes back to the group. The other players hold the “it” player between them, with their head held on one side and their legs held with their other arms.
The “it” player then tries to guess the color the other two players chose. If the player gets it wrong, the other two players tip the “it” player backward and dunks their head briefly in the water. The color guessing continues until they guess correctly. When this happens, the other two players completely tip the “it” player backward and let go, so the “it” player does a backward somersault in the water. Switch turns and play again!
6. Follow the Leader
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: 2 or more players
How to Play: This game is simple and is played just like it sounds. Take turns being the leader. The leader will do something in the pool, and the other players have to take turns imitating the action. Switch leaders after each player gets a turn to do the first person’s action. This game is especially fun on a diving board! You could even have a person judge the actions or dives to see who did the best.
7. Treasure Hunt
Items Needed: Goggles, Treasure (many items that can sink)
Number of Players: 2 or more players
How to Play: It’s time to dive for treasure! Someone throws the “treasure” into the pool, and when they say, “Go!” all players dive into the pool to gather up as much “treasure” as they can. They can place what they find on the side of the pool and dive for more until all the “treasure” has been found. Whoever finds the most “treasure” wins!
8. Invisible Bottle
Items Needed: empty clear 2-liter soda bottle
Number of Players: At least 2 players
How to Play: Fill up the clear soda bottle with pool water and put the cap back on. While the players’ backs are turned, one non-player will throw the bottle into the pool. When the non-player says, “Go!” the rest of the players will turn around and jump into the pool and try to find the bottle. The clear water bottle will blend in perfectly with the pool water making this a lot more challenging than it seems! The person who finds the soda bottle wins!
Pool Games for Bigger Groups
9. Mr. Shark, what time is it?
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: At least 4 players, but also good for large groups
How to Play: One person is chosen to be Mr. Shark. Mr. Shark stands at one end of the pool and faces all the other fish (or players) he plans to eat for dinner. The fish yell, “Mr. Shark, what time is it?” Mr. Shark can respond with 1 o’clock, 2 o’clock, 3 o’clock, etc. The number Mr. Shark says is the number of steps the fish will take toward Mr. Shark. Keep playing until the fish begin to get very close to Mr. Shark. At that point, when the fish ask, “Mr. Shark, what time is it?” Mr. Shark will respond with, “Dinner time!” All the fish will try to swim back to the other side, and Mr. Shark will try to tag someone. If Mr. Shark tags a fish, that player will become the new Mr. Shark.
10. Air Ball
Items Needed: beach ball
Number of Players: At least 4 people, but the more, the merrier!
How to Play: This game is played just like Keepy Uppy with a balloon (any Bluey fans here?). The object of the game is to keep the ball from touching the water by passing it to one another through a “setting” motion like in volleyball. The round ends when the ball touches the water. Do you want to make it even more challenging? Turn this simple game into a pool float party game by having to keep the ball up while sitting on separate tubes and floats!
11. Sharks and Minnows
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: At least 10 players (works well with large groups)
How to Play: One of the most classic pool games for parties, Sharks and Minnows is definitely a favorite! One player is chosen to be the shark, and the rest of the players will be minnows. The shark and minnows will stand at opposite ends of the pool. The shark will then say, “Fishies, Fishies, come out and play!” The minnows will begin to make their way to the other end of the pool before the shark tags them. If a minnow gets tagged, that player becomes a shark, which makes the game more difficult as it goes on. Keep playing until one minnow remains. The last minnow remaining wins and is now the first shark for a new round.
12. Classic Chicken Fight
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: 4 players (2 players per team). More 2-player teams can play in a tournament.
How to Play: Each team chooses who will be on top and who will be on the bottom. The person on the bottom must be in shallow enough water to be able to touch the pool floor with their feet and still have their head and shoulders out of the water. Once a player from each team has a teammate on their shoulders, the two top players begin upright wrestling. The object of the game is to knock the other top player off their teammate’s shoulders and into the pool. Whoever falls off first loses that round. The next team of two plays against the champs of the last round.
13. Jaws
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: At least 10 players (works well with large groups)
How to Play: This game is basically a water version of the game “tag.” But this tag game is not just for kids—Jaws is a perfect option for swimming games for adults, too! A person is chosen to be “Jaws,” and the other players have to try to avoid getting “bitten” or tagged. If tagged, that person is now “Jaws.”
14. Popsicle Tag
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: At least 10 players (works well with large groups)
How to Play: This is a variation on the game of “freeze tag.” Unless all players are able to tread water easily in the deep end, this game is best played in the shallow end of the pool. The person chosen to be “it” tries to tag others. If someone is tagged, they have to freeze (like a popsicle) and stand in one spot with their legs apart. To get “unfrozen,” another player has to swim under the “frozen” player’s legs. The round ends when the “it” player freezes everyone (or they are too tired to keep being “it”).
15. Atomic Whirlpool
Items Needed: None
Number of Players: a large group of people
How to Play: The object of this game is to make a large whirlpool, then turn around to see if you can go against the current! All players get in a single-file line behind the leader. The leader walks toward the end person and makes a circle. Everyone begins running as fast as they can in a circle. Once a good whirlpool current gets going, the leader then yells, “Turn!” All players will turn around and try to run against the current they made. This is sure to bring lots of laughs as everyone realizes how difficult it is to run against the current!
If you’re looking for more ways to keep cool this summer, check out our list of 75 of the Best Backyard Water Activities or try this Water Sports Date with Friends. We also recommend checking out this list of Modest Swimwear for Women—we know you’ll just love it!
We hope this list of swimmingly fun pool games helps make your next pool party a SPLASH!
