https://bluehaven.com.au/inspiration/When the summer heat sets in, there’s nothing better than having the option to head outside for a swim in your backyard pool. In most parts of Australia, the climate is good enough to enjoy pool time almost year-round. Children relish it, and even adults find themselves secretly indulging in pool fun more than they’d care to admit! 

So, with good weather and fun family times ahead, we’d like to offer some engaging tips beyond pool design. These tips are designed to help you and your family get the most out of your pool with a series of pool games that everybody can enjoy. Without further delay, let’s dive into some summer family fun!

 

Pool Volleyball

Water volleyball is always a good option if your pool is big enough to accommodate a few rowdy people jumping around and hitting balls back and forth. The only setback is that there’s a small initial cost required to begin. You’ll need to purchase a net to go across the middle of the pool, and it’s best to play with a water-friendly ball. Fortunately, budget versions of both the net and ball are available from various stores, so it doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. 

Playing the game is easy because it’s no different than regular volleyball; just wetter! The pool is your court, and opposing teams try to hit the ball over the net without letting it touch the water. The aim is to make the ball land on the water in your opponent’s half of the court. Simple and heaps of fun for the whole family!

 

Inflatable Pool Toy Jousting

People of all ages can enjoy a little bit of pool toy jousting. While traditional jousting involves combatants charging at each other on horseback with outstretched jousting poles, pool toy jousting isn’t quite as brutal. All you need are some inflatable pool toys, with pool noodles being the most popular for this game.

 All you need is two players, each sitting and floating on a pool noodle. The aim is to make your opponent lose their balance and fall off the pool noodle first. You can simply try to wrestle your opponent, or you can take the game up a notch by sitting on anything inflatable and using pool noodles to knock the other player off balance.

 

Treasure Hunt

This game is heaps of fun for anybody who can hold their breath underwater. The aim of the game is to throw a series of sinkable objects into the pool, and contestants dive down to see how many they can find in a certain time frame. You can use all sorts of items, such as stones, coins, or any type of sinkable pool toy. You can find these pretty cheap at any toy store or department. 

To step it up a notch, you can assign certain point values to different items, and players add their total at the end. Pro parent tip: This is a great way to keep your kids entertained even if you don’t feel like jumping in the pool yourself. You can supervise from the sidelines as the match referee and enjoy the sun.

 

Water Polo

It’s not a new sport by any means, but water polo is popular all over the world. The aim of the game is quite simple and not unlike normal polo, which is played on horseback. There are also similarities with hockey. All you need is a water polo net at each end of the pool. Opposing teams pass a waterproof ball around the pool, trying to get close enough to throw the ball into the goals. Usually, one team assigns a goalie, so getting the ball past them is not always easy. 

Much like water volleyball, there is a bit of an upfront cost to buy the floating nets. But if you’ve regularly got a few pool visitors or just a big family, you’ll get plenty of use out of the set during summer.

 

Shark and Minnows

This game is probably known by several different names depending on where you are in the world. It even has different names depending on what surface you play on. It’s also popular in roller skating rinks and even just outside. But the aim of the game is simple. 

One player is the ‘shark’, who usually starts around the midpoint of the pool. All of the other players are the ‘minnows’, and they need to swim from one end of the pool to the other without being tagged by the shark. As the shark catches its victims, each captured minnow is eliminated. The game can continue for multiple turns until only one competitor makes it to the other side.

 

Dolphin Racing

Much like shark and minnows, dolphin racing is another great game because there is no limit on the number of players, and you don’t need any equipment except the pool. It’s a simple game, too. Competitors start at one end of the pool and try to swim to the other end while remaining completely underwater, swimming like a dolphin. The winner is the person who reaches the other end first or swims the furthest underwater before coming up for air.

 

Freeze Tag

Another great free game that people of all ages can enjoy. It’s like a normal game of tag where one player is ‘it’. The ‘it’ player must try to tag everybody else. When tagged, you must freeze in one place. Players can only be unfrozen by another player swimming between their legs to break the spell.

 For an expanded version of this game, you can mix it up with shark and minnows, giving tagged players a second chance if they can convince another competitor to unfreeze them!

 

Musical Floats

Most people have played musical chairs at one time or another. Well, if you’re having a pool party, you can transfer that game directly to the pool. In the traditional version, players dance around a set of chairs, and when the music stops, they must find a chair to sit on. The trick is, a chair is removed every round, and players left without a chair are eliminated.

 This game can be played just as easily in a pool using any floatation devices you have. Whether it’s pool noodles, inflatable pool furniture, or any other large inflatable pool toy, they can all take the place of chairs. Players swim around, and when the music stops, they need to get to one of the remaining floats.

 

Underwater Idol

Like all pool games, you should always ensure children are supervised when playing games like Underwater Idol. This is a creative game where contestants try to sing a popular song while underwater. The songs are difficult to guess because the sound is garbled, often just a hum because it’s hard to open your mouth underwater.

 But that’s the aim of the game – to guess the song someone is singing underwater. While not physically taxing, parental supervision is important here because inexperienced players might swallow some pool water.

 

Synchronised Swimming Challenges

If you’ve got a couple of kids to entertain in the pool, why not teach them a synchronised swimming routine? Of course, the adults can participate here as well, but it’s another great game where parents can be the ‘judge’ while supervising, and they don’t need to be in the pool themselves.

 Simply have the contestants practice and learn a synchronised swimming routine and perform it to the best of their ability. If there are multiple judges, make it a little fun by holding up scorecards, just like the Olympics.

 

Inflatable Boat Races

For the ultimate summer backyard pool fun, it’s hard to go past an inflatable boat race. Of course, you don’t need to use actual boats. Any inflatable toy or pool furniture can work here. Participants just need to position themselves on the float and paddle in any way they can to reach the other end of the pool.

 This game is so entertaining because of the frantic kicking, flailing arms and general difficulty staying on your inflatable floats! The winner is the one who can reach the other end first, preferably without falling into the water too many times along the way!

 

Want some more fun in the sun this summer?

A swimming pool is the perfect choice if you want a backyard paradise to share hours of fun in the sun with friends and family. Blue Haven offers a huge range of pools and spas to turn any outdoor area into a summer funland. You don’t need a huge space either, as we have a range of lap pools and plunge pools suitable for any home and budget.

 Choose from concrete or fibreglass swimming pools, all fully customised to suit your needs. We even offer beautiful mineral pools for a natural bathing experience. Whatever you need, contact the friendly team at Blue Haven Pools today. We’ll design your dream pool and have you swimming in no time.

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