5 kids’ swimming pool games for your family villa holiday
When you’ve got a villa complete with a private pool, you’re in for the family holiday of a lifetime. No small wonder there – it’ll be shared just with you and your loved ones! Not only that, it’s the perfect opportunity to learn and enjoy some kids’ swimming pool games. Everyone can let loose, and you’ll never have to worry about incoming swimmers or other pool users!
Don your swimming goggles and make a splash, these games that are so fun and infectious that even adults will want to join in.
1. Marco Polo
Sharing its name with the famous 13th century Venetian explorer, Marco Polo is one of the world’s most famous pool games. Like tag, one player is ‘it’ who must then catch the other participants. Unlike tag, ‘it’ must keep their eyes closed and rely on sound to catch their opponents. By shouting “Marco”, to which the other players must respond with “Polo”, ‘it’ must make their way around the swimming pool to catch the players. All together now…Marco!
2. Invisible bottle hunt
All you need for this is a clear plastic bottle with either a white cap or one the same colour as the pool tiles. Have everyone line up with their backs to the swimming pool, fill the bottle with water and throw it in. When the players hear the bottle land, they have to race to find it – a task much harder task than it sounds. Another version of this game is to get a variety of different sized bottles and draw a number on the inside of the bottle top, now it’s a competition to get the highest number. Bring it on.
3. Dolphin races
Each player has a ball and must push it from one side of the pool to the other using only their nose, the first person to do so is the winner. If hands or feet are used the contestant must return to the start line and begin again. This fantastic holiday activity that can be varied by going from a race to a relay or by changing the size of the ball. Try using beach balls, footballs and even ping pong balls for a challenge!
4. Mirror me
This simple children’s activity can provide hours of entertainment. Two people stand in front of each other with one person mirroring the actions of the designated leader. Throw in some funny swimming, silly noises and underwater movements for comical value. To add an extra edge to it, you can include more players and try to have no leader at all.
5. Stuck in the sand
Another game similar to tag, this family favourite sees one player trying to tag the others. When caught, you must stand still in a star shape and wait to be freed by someone swimming through your legs. The game ends when all players are caught. Try adding flippers and snorkels to give the game a little variation.
As with all swimming pool games, stay safe, keep watch and enjoy yourself. Let us know in the comments what kids’ swimming pool games you and your family play during your holiday break.
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By Isabella Perkins, a freelance travel writer best known for writing about self-catering holidays. Her writing tends to have a family focus, and she is in the middle of writing a new travel guide due to be published next year.