Swimming makes a great activity for any age. For young children, introducing pool games such as these can help strengthen their swimming skills. These games can be played in a variety of pool depths, depending on the children’s swimming strengths.
1. Hungry Whale
This game can be played with 3 or more swimmers, with one assigned as the hungry whale. The game starts with the whale floating on his/her back (they may need help from an adult), while the other swimmers make a circle around them. As they hold hands and rotate around the whale, sing any made up song about a hungry whale. The whale will then choose at any time to yell “There she blows!” and then flip over and attempt to tag any of the other players before they reach the pool’s edge. If they can tag a player, that player will be the new whale.
2. Beach Ball Race
For this game, you will need at least two beach balls. Have two children race across the shallow side of a pool while pushing the beach ball in front of them, using their faces. If they use their hands or any other body part, they will be disqualified. If you have a lot of players, you ccan divide them into two teams and make a fun relay race. To make this game easier for new swimmers, you could have them swim on their backs while hugging the beach ball to keep them afloat.
3. Kickboard Battle
This fun game can help strengthen your child’s kicking skills. Have two players hold on to opposite sides of a kickboard and kick as hard as they can to move the other swimmer backwards. If they can move their opponent past a set point (around 2-3 feet) they win the game.
4. Silence
Assign one player as the “It” and have them stand on the edge of the pool with their back turned to the pool. All the other players must line up along the same wall with the intention of getting to the other side as quietly as they can. Once the It hears a player has left the wall, they can jump into the water and try to tag them before reaching the other side. If they are able to tag another player, that player will be the new It.
The Noodies Swim School doesn’t just provide swim lessons-- we also host swim parties! At our parties, we have several games similar to these for all the kids to enjoy. These parties are perfect for celebrating birthdays and also strengthen every child’s swimming skills. If you would like to have a fun pool party in your home, please contact us by sending us an email at thenoodies.ph@gmail.com or through sending us a message on Facebook.
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