Pool Game

1) Categories

This pool game is essentially a racing game. Choose a “caller” and send that person to one side of the pool. Everyone else get on the other side. The caller chooses a category and reveals her choice to everyone else. The players must then each choose an object within the category and reveal it to each other, but not the caller. The caller can either go underwater or leave the pool area to avoid hearing the choices. When the players have chosen their answers, the caller must pick a player and guess the answer. If the caller guesses correctly, he must race to the side of the pool where the players are located while the player races to the opposite end. If the player gets to the opposite end before the caller, that player is the new caller. All players and the caller must be touching the pool walls when not swimming.

2) Chicken

The classically dangerous pool game loved by children and adults alike requires players to pair up. Usually, the pairs consist of one male and one female player, though it certainly doesn’t matter as long as one person is lighter and one is heavier. The lighter player gets on the shoulders of the heavier player, and then each lighter player tries to push the other lighter players into the water. Last pair standing wins.

3) CHICKEN (A slightly less dangerous pool game)

This pool game is a take-off of the basketball game HORSE. Everyone get out of the pool, and choose someone to be the leader – ideally someone who is outgoing and has a wacky sense of humor. The leader must do something funny like a silly walk or an impersonation and then jump into the pool. All the remaining players must jump into the pool, one at a time, mimicking the leader’s action and dive. If a player gets any part wrong, then he gets a letter. This happens each time until a player has collected all the letters in the word CHICKEN, when the game is over. A player can decide to chicken out on a particular action and avoid getting a letter, but she must show that she has chickened out by doing the chicken dance and clucking like a chicken. A player may only chicken out twice.

4) Sand Bank

The pool game Sand Bank is the same as the land game Stuck in the Mud. For those unfamiliar with either game, one or two players are nominated to capture the others. When a player is touched or “caught” by one of the capturers, he must stay still until set free by another player who has not been caught. A player is set free by having another player swim between her legs. The game is over when everyone is caught. It is usually played in the shallow end of the pool.

5) Atomic Whirlpool

This pool game has no winners or losers, but does require a lot of people so it is best played during a big pool party. Have everybody get in the pool and line up single file along the edges, facing the same direction with very little space in between them. When everyone is in, have everyone walk, then jog, then run or swim along the edge of the pool. If done correctly, this will create a whirlpool of sorts that will carry  everyone around the pool. Once that gets going, have everyone turn around and go the other way – it’s almost impossible to do!

6) Belly Flop Contest

This classic pool game is always more fun for the spectators than the participants. Judge each flop on three categories: Creativity, Air or Hang Time and Pain.

7) Bumper Boats

This pool game requires each player to have a flotation devices, ideally a donut shaped one like an inner tube, but really anything that floats will do. Everyone gets on an inner tube and then grabs on to the side of the pool. When someone yells go, everyone pushes off the edges of the pool and tries to knock everyone else off their boats by touching the boat only, not the person. The last player floating wins.

8) PIG

Like CHICKEN, PIG is a pool game take-off on the basketball game. Everyone gets out of the pool and goes to the diving board or the edge of the deep end. The first player calls out what type of dive he or she will do, and then must do it. The following players must do the same dive to avoid getting a letter. As soon as someone messes up and gets a letter, the next person in line gets to call a new dive. The game continues until there is only one person who is not a PIG. An optional rule is that each player can only use the same dive once per game to avoid having one player keep on doing the same double back flip that no one else can do.

9) Jump or Dive

This pool game is similar to a belly flop contest in that it’s likely more fun for spectators than participants. It requires enough space to get a running start and a pool deep enough to dive into. Basically, a diver runs towards the edge of the pool in preparation to jump in. When the diver is about to be airborne or is actually in the air, a spectator yells out jump or dive and the diver must contort himself to actually complete a jump or a dive. The game is better with a diving board, but the board certainly isn’t necessary.

10) King of the Tube

Divide all players into two teams. Each team picks a king (or queen) who they think will be able to hang on to a floatation device (ideally an inner tube) for a long time.  The king gets on the tube and the other team tries to dump the him into the water, touching the tube only. Time each king’s run; the one with the longest time wins.

11) Battleship

This pool game is nothing like the traditional Battleship game, but it is a lot of fun. Gather all the floatation devices you can find and then divide everyone into two teams. The floatation devices are divided between the two teams, who then use them to construct a “battleship.” Ideally, all players will be able to fit on the ship, but if not, the players not going into battle should leave the pool. Each team floats out to meet the other, then the two teams battle to sink each other’s ships. If you have enough squirt guns available, the “land-based” team members can wage land-to-sea combat on the other team.

12) Water Ballet

No explanation is needed for this pool game, but we will say, the more people you have, the more elaborate your ballets can be. Film it to for entertainment when you get out of the pool.

13) Capture the Flag

If you know how to play Capture the Flag on land, you know how to play it in a pool. If you don’t, the land game is a lot of fun and the pool game even more so. Everyone should divide into two teams, which then swim to opposite ends of the pool. Each team should drop an object – its “flag” – in the water, ideally one that can stay put on the bottom of the pool or be anchored. Do not drop the flag at the very end of the pool because you need to leave some room for the jail. When the game starts, each team tries to steal the other team’s flag and bring it back to their side of the pool. When a member of one team is touched by a member of the other team on their own side of the pool, that person must go to jail and remain there until someone from their own team rescues them. If a person captures the flag, but then is himself captured, he goes to jail, but the flag remains where the person was captured. The first team to bring the flag to their side of the pool wins.