Best ever swimming pool games (2015)

Aim: To score 10 goals

4 players or more.

Equipment: 1 waterball.

Two teams are selected and gather at opposite ends of the pool.

A waterball is thrown up in the middle of the pool.

Players cannot hold the waterball but must either flick, hit or push the waterball along.

To score a goal, a player must hit the opposite pool wall with the waterball.

Each time a goal is scored, the waterball is thrown up again in the middle of the pool.

If the waterball goes outside the pool it is thrown in to the middle of the pool.

If the waterball is picked up a penalty goal is given to the opposition.

The first team to score ten goals wins.

Aim: To knock over both witches’ hats.

6 players or more.

Equipment: 4 witches’ hats, 4 waterballs

Two teams gather at opposite ends of the pool, each team has two waterballs.

Two witches’ hats are placed at either end of the pool.

On ‘GO!’ the teams try to knock the opposition’s witches’ hats over with the waterballs.

A player from each team stands behind the witches’ hats to retrieve waterballs and throw them to their team players.

Players cannot cross over the half way line.

Players cannot intercept the waterballs, as waterballs must be allowed to travel the whole distance.

The first team to knock over the two witches’ hats wins.

Aim: To make sure the Walrus has food

3 players or more.

Equipment: 1 float ring, 6 waterballs.

One player is selected as the Walrus and is positioned near the float ring at one end of the pool.

All other players are Seals and scattered around the pool.

The Walrus places six waterballs in the float ring.

The Walrus picks up one waterball, counts to ten out loud (e.g., one Seal, two Seal, three Seal), and throws it somewhere in the pool.

One of the other Seals gets the waterball and returns it to the float ring as quickly as possible.

At the end of each count of ten the Walrus throws another waterball.

The game ends when there are no waterballs left in the float ring and a new Walrus is chosen.

Aim: To score 5 swims.

3 players or more.

Equipment: 1 waterball.

One player is selected to be the ‘Batter’.

All other players are scattered around the pool as opponents, that is, the Batter is against everyone else.

The Batter, standing at one end of the pool, throws a waterball to somewhere else in the pool.

The opponents must get the waterball and use it to tag the Batter before the Batter swims to the opposite side of the pool (distances can be altered for swimming abilities).

Opponents cannot move with the waterball but they can pass it.

Each time the Batter makes it to the opposite side of the pool a point is scored and the Batter returns for another throw.

A Batter retires at five points and a new Batter is selected.

The waterball is caught on the full;

The Batter is tagged with the waterball

The waterball lands outside the pool.

Aim: To return the waterball to the team leader.

8 players or more.

Equipment: 4 waterballs

Two teams with four players are formed.

Each player in a team stands in one of the four corners of the pool.

The two team leaders have a waterball each.

On ‘GO!’ the leaders throw the waterball clockwise to their next player in the corner of the pool.

The team with the first waterball to return to their team leader is the winner.

Aim: To swim to the other side without being tagged.

4 players or more.

Equipment: 6 soft waterballs.

One player is selected as the Channel Swimmer.

One player is selected as the Judge.

All other players stand outside the pool.

On ‘GO!’ the other players throw their soft waterballs at the Channel Swimmer.

The Channel Swimmer tries to swim to the other side of the pool without being hit by a waterball.

If the Channel Swimmer is hit the Judge will say so at the conclusion of the swim.

The first player to hit the Channel Swimmer becomes the new Channel Swimmer.

If the Channel Swimmer makes it to the other end without being tagged a new Channel Swimmer is selected by the Judge.

Aim: To keep the ball from the Seal.

3 players or more.

Equipment: 1 waterball.

One player is selected as the Seal.

The Seal goes to the middle of the pool.

All other players assemble at opposite ends.

Players throw the waterball over/past the Seal.

The Seal tries to get the waterball.

The Seal can also swim to touch a player holding a waterball. In this case, the tagged player becomes the new Seal.

The last player to throw the ball that the Seal catches becomes the new Seal.

Aim: To touch the pool wall with the gold.

4 players or more.

Equipment: 1 waterball (gold).

The gold (waterball) is thrown up in the air. A player grabs the gold and races to touch any pool wall, above the surface of the water, with the gold. The gold is then thrown into the centre of the pool.

All other players try to tag the player with the gold.

The player with the gold must throw the gold before being tagged. If the player is tagged for the first time while holding the gold, that player has one more ‘life’. A second tag means the player is out of the game.

The player to touch any wall of the pool three times in a row is the winner.

Aim: To be the last player.

4 players or more.

Equipment: 1 waterball.

All players are numbered and stand in a circle.

Player number 1 throws the waterball up and calls out any number.

When the number is called, for instance, ‘Number 4!’, all other players swim away from the waterball. As soon as player number 4 gets the waterball and calls out ‘STOP!’ all players must stand still.

The player with the waterball (e.g., number 4) throws the waterball gently at a player. If the player is hit that player is given one strike.

Players who have three strikes are out!

All players re-gather in the centre with player number 2 throwing up the waterball and calling out a number.

The game continues until there is one player left.

Aim: To score 10 goals.

4 players or more.

Equipment: 4 witches’ hats, 1 waterball.

Two witches’ hats are placed about 30cm apart at either end of the pool to form goals.

Two teams form at opposite ends of the pool.

On ‘GO!’ the waterball is tossed up in the middle of the pool.

When a player is tagged with a waterball, that player must stop and throw the waterball within three seconds to another player.

A goal is scored if the waterball is thrown between the two witches’ hats and no higher than the witches’ hats. (This low-set goal encourages players to get up fairly close to the goal)

When a goal is scored, the team scored against takes the waterball from their goal and play continues until one team scores ten goals.

Aim: To be the first team to score a goal.

4 players or more.

Equipment: 2 float rings, 6 waterballs.

Two even teams are formed who occupy half of the pool each.

A float ring is placed at each end of the pool. Float rings cannot be touched during the game.

Each team starts with three waterballs.

Players try to land a waterball in a float ring at the opposite end of the pool.

Opposing players try to stop a waterball from landing in a float ring.

All players must be at least one metre from a float ring and can only go closer to gather a waterball.

The first team to get a waterball in the float ring wins.

Aim: To score ten goals.

4 players or more.

Equipment: 1 waterball, 2 float rings.

Float rings are placed at either end of the pool up on the edge.

Teams are divided evenly, and players can position themselves anywhere in the pool.

State the direction of the goals for each team.

The waterball is thrown up in the air in the middle of the pool.

A player gets the waterball and swims towards the goal.

When a player with the waterball is tagged, that player must stop and throw the waterball to another team player.

Players can intercept but cannot physically take the waterball from an opponent.

If the waterball goes outside the pool it is handed over to the opposite team.

A goal is scored only when the waterball sits inside the float ring.

Each time a goal is scored, the opposite team gets the waterball and play continues.

The first team to score ten goals wins.