Swimming Pool Games and Icebreakers

Need some ideas for games your children can play in the pool?  Keep reading then!  Feel free to contribute and add to the list!

Air Mattress Pile-up

Inflate an air mattress and see how many kids can stand up straight on it in the water without falling over. For more fun, do not inflate it all the way. You could also give a prize to the person who stays on the longest, etc.

Safety Note: Have adult spotters around the pool. Don't allow pushing.

Added by Eben in South Africa

Atomic Whirlpool

Have everybody get in the pool and  line up single file along the edge with very little space between them. Have everyone walk for a couple of minutes, then jog another couple of minutes, then"run" around the edge another couple of minutes.

If done right the water will "carry" them around the pool. Finally, tell them to turn around and go the other way. Almost impossible!!!

Added by Shelby Craig

Belly Flop

Judge on 3 catagories:

See Biggest Splash, also on Swimming Pool page.

Biggest Splash

Need I explain?

See Belly Flop, also on Swimming Pool page.

Bumper Boats

Have about 5-6 sturdy, donut shaped flotation devices – “Bumper Boats” - for as many players in the pool (more for a lake). This is like “Bumper Cars” at a fair or carnival, only in water. Tell students to kick off the sides of the pool and try to knock as many people off their “boat” as possible, touching their “boat” not the person. Last one floating wins.

Added by Margot

Also see Pool Bronco Busting on Swimming Pool page.

Croc Wrestling

Get a big inflatable croc and choose 3 volunteers who will each have 60 seconds, by themselves to do the best show of croc wrestling in the pool. Give points for creativity, death rolls, etc.

Have an MC who can do a "Crocodile Hunter" (Steve Irwin) impersonation. Play safari music.

Added by Purple Chris

Diving Board Pig

Line up kids behind the diving board. Just like the basketball game "PIG" (or HORSE) the first person says what they are going to try to do. If they do it the next person has to do the same dive, flip, or whatever they did. If they also do it correctly then the next person has to do it as well. As soon as someone messes up they get a letter and then the next person in line calls what they are going to attempt. This continues until all but one person is eliminated by spelling "PIG".

Rule:  You can only use the same dive once per game. (Otherwise you will have one person just keep doing the same double flip that no one else can do.)

Pick a judge or vote to decide if they get a letter or not.

Added by C. Wyatt

See Jump or Dive, also on Swimming Pool page.

H2O Long Jump

Start at the diving board (or side of pool). Put sturdy floats, etc. in the pool. The  jumper tries to "walk on water" for extra distance!

Safety Note: Have adult spotters on the sides to make sure kids don't hit their heads on the side of the pool.

Added by Jon Peters

Jump or Dive

A classic pool game fun for crazy participants but slightly more entertaining for the onlookers.

Must have a pool with a diving board and is large enough for people to dive into.

One way to keep the game moving is to have elimination.

For added fun: Yell JUMP or DIVE just a little too late!

Added by Steve Garcia

See King of the Tube & Diving Board Pig, also on Swimming Pool page.

King of the Tube

Pool game where teams compete for best time. Each team selects a champion who can stay on a tube the longest.

One at a time, a champion sits in a tube, and when the timer starts, the opposite teams all try to tip over the champion WITHOUT TOUCHING HIM, only the tube.
Time each champion, see who stays on the longest.

Safety Note: Have adult spotters around the sides of the pool.

See Jump or Dive & Diving Board Pig, also on Swimming Pool page.

Pool Bronco Busting

Based on having 4 teams of 4. Use a steady floating tube and tie 3 ropes to it that can reach to the outside of the pool. Have each team choose a rider and then each of the other teams choose 3 people per team to pull the rope and try to “buck” the rider off. The team with the longest time wins. Use a fun plastic helmet for looks & safety.

Added by Aaron Thomas



See Pool Tractor Tire Pile Up, also on Swimming Pool page.

Pool Change Drop

Dump between $20 & $100 in change (depending on the number of students & your budget!) in a pool. At the whistle everyone jumps in and goes crazy trying to collect as much as possible.

You can do so many variations of this with tokens, toys, items worth more points, etc.

Variation:  Instead of coins, put about 25 goldfish into the pool and have students catch them with their hands. Give prizes for the most caught, first caught, or for each one caught. It's a blast watching kids try to catch the fish, but it is possible.

Variation added by Gary Early

Pool Tag Survivor

One person is it. They call out either "dolphin," "froggy," or "submarine."

Dolphin has to swim on top of the water.
Froggy has to swim in the middle.
Submarine has to swim at the bottom of the pool.

"It" has to close their eyes and try to tag the others. When a player gets to the other end, they yell, "Survived!" If they get tagged they are it. The more people the better.

Added by Livvylou

Pool Toothpick

Should only be played in a pool with a deep end. Everyone is lined up around the outside of the deep end of the pool. "It" dives to the deepest area of the pool and lets go of a toothpick. "It" surfaces as quickly as possible, and splashes a lot as he/she gets out of the pool and takes place along edge of pool with others.

The objective is to be the first one to jump in and grab the toothpick, which will slowly be rising to the surface. First one to successfully get the toothpick 3 times gets some type of simple prize.

Some things that help the game go better:

Yell "TOOTHPICK!" before jumping in.

Let the toothpick get as close to the top as possible, because if you jump too early, the water moves before you can reach the toothpick.

Try not to let any part of your body touch the water ahead of your hand/arm as you reach for the toothpick. "Snatching" the toothpick can be quite fun.

If you jump in and miss, you cannot make another attempt at the toothpick until you are out of the water, although you may splash as much as you want on your way out!

Absolutely no diving, pushing, shoving, or pulling someone else in the pool.

Safety Note: Although some contact is inevitable, remind students again to avoid diving on top of each other.

This game may sound a little dangerous, but in 15 years we've never had any injuries.

Added by Troy Norling

See Pool Change Drop, also on Swimming Pool page.

Pool Tractor Tire Pile Up

Get a tractor tire tube (the bigger the better) and see how many people you can get on the tire at one time.

Safety Note: Make sure that the tire stays in the middle of the deep end of the pool and have adult sponsors around the sides of the pool. You don't want anyone busting their head on the bottom or sides.

See Pool Bronco Busting, also on Swimming Pool page.

Pool Waterskiing

That's right! You can water ski in a pool! Only an Olympic sized pool!

Just have a strong staff guy bracing himself and holding a water ski rope in the back of a truck just outside the pool area. When the skier yells, "Hit it!," the truck takes off and skis the person 3/4 the way across the pool before the person in the truck lets go of the rope (for safety).

Safety Note: Have people with inner tubes or blow up rafts on the side of the pool for safety! We strongly recommend testing this out with a couple of staff first to see how far to pull before letting go!

Cool to watch. You can score it how you like. The best way is for judges to hold up numbers between 1 and 10.

See Pool Bronco Busting, also on Swimming Pool games.

Poolside Steal the Bacon

Just like Steal the Bacon with its many variations, but in the pool.

Two teams can either be in the water or standing on the opposite sides of the pool (if you have a deep enough deep end that allows for safe diving in).

The "Bacon" can be anything (ball, rag, raft, be creative here) and can be floating on the water, sunk to the bottom, or even in the process of sinking.

Added by Sam Hettinger

See Pool Toothpick, also on Swimming Pool page.


River Crossing (Pool)

ONLY DO THIS if you have a pool wide enough that someone falling CAN’T hit the edge! Play this with guys in the pool and girls on the side. Guys stand back to back as girls try to walk across their shoulders - holding guys outstretched arms for balance - to the opposite side of the pool without falling in.

If there are not enough guys to cross the pool, they have to slowly move from back to front of line in pool to form a "moving" bridge. You can play two teams against each other or one group which is required to get all the girls to cross safely to complete game.

Safety Note: Have adults near edges of pool for safety, as well.

The Point: Use this activity prior to a discussion with the guys about being gentlemen.

Added by Eric Smith

Also see Pool Bronco Busting on Swimming Pool page.

Trash Bag Rafts

Give each group a certain number of the largest trash can bags you can find and some tape/rope etc. See who can build the strongest raft and then race across the width of the pool.

Added by Eben in South Africa

Underwater Handstand Tag

Play as a group in waist-deep water. One player is "it." They chase after the other players, attempting to tag them. Whoever is tagged becomes "it."

The players avoid being tagged either by evading the player whoever’s "it" or by doing an underwater handstand. As long as a player is doing a handstand she can't be tagged "it." Have at least one leader on each side of the pool for safety.

Added by Mike B

Water Ballet

Give each team of 4-8 people a certain amount of time to perform a water ballet that involves EVERY team member. Play classical music through a boom box, if possible.

Water Hoop

Get two hoops, one on each side of the pool and play a game of basketball. Make a 5 second possession rule (ie: no one can have the ball for more than 5 seconds at a time). If girls don't get involved, make it so only girls can score.

Water Polo

Same as Water Hoop but with goals instead of hoops.

See Watermelon Polo, also on Swimming Pool page.

Watermelon Polo

Water Polo with a small watermelon (or small greased watermelon).

Added by Jon Perrin, Plano, TX

See See Water Polo, also on Swimming Pool page, and Melon Fest on Upfront page.

Wet Sweatshirt Relay

Supply two teams with a large or extra large sweatshirt. Half of each team will go to the opposite end of the pool. At the whistle the first person of each team must put on the sweatshirt (over their bathing suit of course) and swim to the other side where their teammates are. Then they have to remove the sweatshirt and give it to the next person on their team. Teammates can help remove and put on the sweatshirt. First team who gets their whole team on the opposite side they started from wins.

Added by Ben Good

Disclaimer:  The opinions and suggestions above are those of the contributors and not of Outdoor Leisure Company or Northbridge Products Inc.  Outdoor Leisure Company and Northbridge Products Inc. accepts no liability for the advice that is given by its contributors.