Looking for pool party games to play at your next event? This list includes over 15 games perfect for everything from summer pool parties to small get-togethers with friends.
But not just any games. Pool party games specially selected for both adults and kids to enjoy at any time of the year.
So whether you’re a fan of the classics like Marco Polo, or want something more exciting, like a glowstick diving competition, this post is for you. Keep reading for plenty of ideas on which games to play at your next pool party.
Ultimate Swimming Pool Party Games List
15+ Pool Party Games
1.) Glowing Sea Diving
What you need:
- 4+ players
- 24+ glowsticks (at least 4 different colors)
- 2-4 containers/baskets
- Timer/stopwatch
How to play:
Scatter glowsticks across the pool floor (the clearer your water is, the better). Assign different point values to each color (ex. Orange = 5 points, Yellow = 10 points, Purple = 15 points, Green = 20 points).
Break up into even teams. Each team gets a basket for storing glowsticks.
Set a timer for 60 seconds. On “Go”, players jump into the pool and begin diving for the glowsticks. Players can grab up to 3 glowsticks before they must deposit them into their basket.
The team who collects the highest point value of glowsticks before the timer runs out wins.
Related: 7 Secrets For Keeping Your Swimming Pool Crystal Clear
2.) Pool Golf
What you need:
- 2+ players
- 3 – 5 frisbees
- 3 sponges per team
- Black marker OR number stickers
How to play:
Assign each frisbee a different point value (ex. 25, 50, 75, 100, 150). Flip the frisbees upside down and write down the point value on each one using the marker or stickers.
Float the frisbees out into the water (upside down), floating the highest value frisbees the farthest away.
Standing at the edge of the pool, each team takes turns tossing wet sponges at the frisbees. Whenever a sponge lands on a frisbee, add the frisbee’s point value to the team’s score.
The first team to reach 500 points (or whatever you play till) wins.
3.) Noodle Boat Races
What you need:
- 1 pool noodle
- 20+ popsicle sticks
- 20 foam squares (3×2 inches each)
- Scissors or knife
How to play:
Cut a pool noodle into ten 6-inch pieces. This gives you 10 mini noodles.
Split each mini noodle down the middle (like in the picture) – these are the boats. Next, use the scissors to add a small slit into the middle of each noodle boat for the mast. Last, add two small slits on the foam squares (the sail) no wider than the popsicle stick: one on top, on the bottom. Slide the foam square onto the popsicle stick to make the sail and complete the boat.
With boats ready, players line up on one side of the shallow end. Each player places their boat in front of them and can only move it by splashing or blowing onto the sails. They cannot touch the boat.
The first player to get their boat across the pool wins. Play in teams or free for all.
4.) Breath holding content
What you need:
- 2+ players
- Stopwatch
How to play:
Here’s the classic swimming pool game we all played as kids. So why not carry on the tradition?
It’s simple, fun, and encourages healthy lungs.
Since you’ll be spending a good amount of time in the water, you’ll want to make sure your pool stays nice and warm for this one.
To play, players get into a circle in the shallow end of the pool. The rules are simple.
On “go”, players submerge under water. The player who stays under water the longest wins.
Try competing for times instead with the help of a volunteer timekeeper.
Related: 7 Simple Ways To Extend Your Pool Season & Keep Your Pool Warm
5.) Aqua Taps
What you need:
- 4+ players
- 1 ball (dodgeball, volleyball, or soccer ball)
How to play:
For this aquatic twist on a playground classic, players get into a circle in the shallow end of the pool.
To start, players begin passing the ball to each other.
But there’s a catch: to pass or catch the ball, players feet must not be touching the ground (pool floor). This means players must jump, and time their jumps, to be above the pool floor when they catch and throw the ball.
If a player catches or throws the ball with their feet touching the floor, they get a strike. Three strikes and you’re eliminated.
Play until only one player remains – last player standing wins.
6.) Watermelonball
What you need:
- 6+ players
- 1 watermelon
- Optional: vaseline
How to play:
The rules of Watermelonball are simple. Players split into 2 even teams and line up across from each other in the shallow end. Each team works together to get the watermelon to the score zone, which is the wall they’re facing.
To start the game, have a volunteer push the watermelon into the middle of the shallow end. On “Go”, players race to grab the watermelon.
Players can steal the watermelon from the opposing teams. They can also pass the watermelon across the water to team members.
Teams score a point by touching the opposing team’s wall while holding the watermelon. Reset the watermelon to the middle of the field each time a point is scored.
The first team to score 3 points wins.
For a challenging and fun twist, grease up the watermelon with Vaseline before throwing it into the pool. This makes it twice as hard to handle, and twice as hilarious to watch.
7.) Sponge Bop
What you need:
- 6-10 players
- 10 sponges
How to play:
Players break up into even teams. Each player gets a sponge. Toss any extra sponges into the middle of the shallow end.
Establish a middle line in the shallow end that neither team can across.
To start the game, teams line up on opposite walls of the shallow end. On “Go”, the battle begins.
Just like in dodgeball, each team must eliminate the opposing teams by hitting them with a sponge.
If a player gets hit with a sponge, they’re out.
But if a player catches a sponge that is thrown at them, the player who threw it is out. The player who caught the sponge can then choose to bring back a teammate, or get an “extra life”.
Last team standing wins
8.) Flip Duck
What you need:
- 8 players
- 8 rubber ducks
How to play:
Players split into even teams, and each team member gets a rubber duck.
Next, players line up against one wall of the shallow end. To clarify, each team lines up against the same wall facing the outside (edge) of the pool – one team on the left, and the other on the right.
Place the ducks onto the edge of the pool deck so that half of their body is hanging over the ledge.
If you remember that “bottle flipping” challenge that was popular online for a while, the object of this game is similar.
On “Go”, the first member of each team uses their hand to gently flip the rubber duck 360 degrees. The goal is to make the duck do a full flip and land flat.
Once a player successfully flips their duck, they swim to the opposite wall and back.
Then, the next player on that team tries to flip their duck, and the cycle continues until all players have gone.
The first team to successfully flip all their ducks and swim back wins.
9.) Water Pong
What you need:
- 20 plastic cups
- 3 ping pong balls
- 2 boogie boards (to float your table/player surface)
- 1 small plastic table or playing surface
How to play:
Float the table/playing surface on top of the two boogie boards, placing one under each end.
Next, fill all 2o cups halfway with water. Form the cups into two triangle formations (10 cups per triangle) on opposite ends of the table, just like in pool (billiards),
Teams stand on opposite ends of the table. Using the ping pong balls, each team member takes a shot at the opposing team’s cup.
Players can toss the ping pong ball, or bounce it once into the opposite team’s triangle of cups. The opposing team can swat away balls that are bounced.
If a ball lands in a cup, remove the cup and award the scorer an extra shot.
Each team keeps taking turns shooting the balls until their cups are all gone. The first team to eliminate the other team’s cups wins.
These games can go on for a long time, so it pays to have a heated pool to keep you warm.
Related: 7 Cheap Ways To Heat Your Pool
10.) Red fish, Green fish
What you need:
- 4+players
How to play:
1 player is it. Every other player is a “fish” and chooses a color.
Fishes line up on one end of the pool. The player who is it stands on the opposite edge of the pool, with their back to the swimmers.
The player who is It calls out a color. If a fish’s color matches, they can begin swimming to the opposite end. But, fishes MUST swim quietly to avoid detection.
If it hears a fish swimming, they can turn around and jump into the water after them. But if it turns around and no fishes are swimming, then it must take a step farther away from the pool.
If it tags a player, they’re out.
Players must swim across the pool and back to be safe. Last player standing gets to be it next round.
11.) Floating Points
What you need:
- 2+ players
- 30 ping pong balls
- 2 baskets or buckets
- Timer/stopwatch
How to play:
Write different point values onto each ping pong ball using a marker. Then, scatter the ping pong balls across the surface of the water.
Players split into 2-4 even teams and line up on opposite edges of the pool. Each team has a basket on their side.
On “Go”, players jump into the water and begin gathering balls. To score, players must drop the balls into the basket within the 60 second time limit. Players can only deposit a maximum of 2 balls at once in the basket.
At the end of the 60 seconds, each team adds up the total point value of the ping pong balls in their buckets. The team with the highest score wins.
12.) Shark-Croc Relay
What you need:
- 2-6 player
- 2 inflatable crocs or sharks
How to play:
Players split into two teams. Each team gets a floatie.
For this relay style race, both teams start on the same end of the pool. On “Go”, players hop on their inflatables and begin racing to the opposite end and back.
But there’s a catch: Players must stay on the croc/shark the entire time. If they fall off or touch the ground, they must restart from the nearest wall.
The first team to get all of their players across and back wins.
13.) Funny Chicken Fight
What you need:
- 4 players
- 2 jumbo size beach balls
How to play:
Players split into two 2-person teams. Each team forms a “chicken” by having one player hold up the other on their shoulders.
Just like a regular “chicken fight” the object is to knock the opposing team member of their carrier’s shoulders.
But with Funny Chicken Fight, there’s a silly twist: the players on top hold giant beach balls, and can only knock each other off with the ball.
Play best two out of three rounds.
If you’re playing at night in the summer, you’ll definitely want to do everything you can to keep frogs out of the water. They’ll throw you off your game, and probably distract you with their awkward slimy cuteness.
Related: 11 Easy Ways To Keep Frogs Out Of The Pool
14.) Submarine Race
What you need:
- 2+ players
How to play:
In this game, players compete to see who can swim the farthest underwater.
Starting on the same wall, on “go”, players dive under water and begin swimming. The player who swims the farthest in one breath wins.
Alternatives rules include setting a distance instead (ex. 1 full lap) and seeing who can do it in the fewest breaths.
15.) Noodle Tennis
What you need:
- 4 players
- 2 pool noodles
- 1 beach ball (regular size to small)
- Scissor
How to play:
Cut both pool noodles evenly in half to form two “rackets”.
Players break into two teams, and each player gets a racket. Teams line up on opposite sides of the shallow end facing each other.
The name of the game is Pool Tennis, but it plays much more like volleyball.
To start, one team serves the ball by hitting it to the other side with the racket. 1 point is scored if the ball touches the water. Players can “juggle” the ball up to 3 hits before they must hit it to the other side.
The first team to 3 points wins.
16.) Pool Party Polo
What you need:
- 4+ players
- 1 volleyball, dodgeball, or nerf ball
- 2 buckets (goals)
- 2 chairs (to hold buckets)
How to play:
Players split into two even teams, with one member from each team acting as a goalie.
Place the buckets on their sides, and lay them on the chairs. These are the goals for each side.
The goalie sits in the water guarding the bucket and can go as far as the middle line of the field.
The rest of the players line up against the wall.
On “Go”, have a volunteer toss the ball into the center of the pool. Players begin racing towards the center to gain possession of the ball.
The object of the game is to score three goals against the opposing team. Players can pass, shoot, and steal the ball at any time.
If a player throws the ball and it goes out of the water, the opposing team’s goalie gets the ball. The goalie can then pass the ball to one of their teammates, and the game resumes. Reset the ball to the middle every three outs.
First team to 3 wins.
17.) Marco Polo
What you need:
- 4+ players
- Blindfold (or honor)
How to play:
Everyone knows how to play this classic pool party game, but if you don’t, the rules are simple.
One player is “it” and calls out the name “Marco”. The rest of the players respond with “Polo”.
Keeping their eyes closed the entire time, the player who’s it tries to catch the other players. If it tags a player, that player is out.
The last player left gets to be it next round.
18.) Frozen Shirt
What you need:
- 4 players
- 2 t-shirts
- 2 large freezer ziplock bags
How to play:
Put each t-shirt into a bag and fill it with water. Place the bags in the freezer, and wait until they freeze.
Once the shirts are frozen, you’re ready to play.
Each team gets a frozen t-shirt. The object of the game is to melt down the shirt and put it on. Players can use any means necessary to thaw out the shirts, from throwing them on the ground, to tossing them in the water.
First team to put on the frozen shirt wins.
Here are a few other helpful posts worth reading:
How To Balance Your Swimming Pool in 7 Easy Steps
A Quick Guide to Choosing Energy Efficient Pool Equipment
20 Common Swimming Pool Myths: Busted
