Fun Pool Games To Play To Help Kids Go Underwater

Suzy Balderston   Jun 30, 2021

Swim

Here are some fun games to play as a family in the pool or practice in the bathtub! Easy games like Simon Says can get kids excited to play in the water. Simon Says blow bubbles! If you have been to our swim classes before you might recognize Red Light Green Light. We play this game to help younger kids practice rolling onto their backs to get air.

Game 1: Simon Says

Objective: To allow kids to submerge their whole head underwater.

Rules: There has to be at least two people. One person plays Simon and the other child is player 1 etc. Simon can ask you to do anything but you have to wait till Simon says Simon says…

Trick: In this game, you want to start with the easy stuff so kids can get used to you and their mind will be focused on the game. They won’t even realize when you actually say “Simon Says put your head in water” that they are unconsciously doing it even though you are not forcing them to go underwater.

Game 2: Find the Invisible Bottle

Objective: Find the water bottle in the water.

Rules: Tell all swimmers to turn around and then throw the bottle in the water, and then tell swimmers to turn back around and search for it. When they spot it, they’ll have to jump in and retrieve it.

Trick: When a clear plastic water bottle is full, it becomes almost invisible when submerged. Make sure to peel the label off first.

Game 3: Treasure hunt

Objective: Get kids to look down at the pool floor.

Rules: Throw diving sticks or sinking toys underwater to allow kids to try to seek them.

Trick: Start by holding the toy in your hand and have them look straight down, and then proceed to move the toy further and further away.

Game 4: I spy

Objective: To get kids to bob their head underwater and/or stay underwater to search for what I’m spying.

Rules: Start with spying stuff in the sky, then close to them underwater and then further and further away.

Trick: You can bribe the kids by getting toys they want, and if they spy it, they get to keep it. Try with quarters.

Game 5: G-O-F-I-S-H

Objective: This is exactly like the game H-O-R-S-E when playing basketball.

Rules: You must do what the first player does but if you refuse, then you earn the letter G, and so forth. The first person who reaches the word Go Fish loses.

Trick: Start off with an easy task then dive deeper.