![]() ![]() Who doesn't have a great memory of being catapulted from the water by mom or dad? Turn this classic parent-child bonding (or sibling) sesh into a friendly competition to see who can go the furthest, the highest, or do the coolest trick in the air. Little mermaids take turns swimming like a mermaid with their ankles together, then go underwater and rocket out of the water with their arms in the air (a la Ariel in The Little Mermaid) to see who can jump the highest out of the water. If the chef catches you, however, you go straight into the pizza “oven” (the out area, usually on the stairs or along one wall). When the chef calls out their topping, those players swim to the other side of the pool. Other players pick their favorite pizza topping and group together. This variation on colors involves one person-the “it” one-being named the chef. A chicken can push, pull, tickle, tackle and splash the other chicken off of its base to dominate as World Chicken Champion (until the next round, anyway). Chicken fights are played with a minimum of four participants (two “bases” and two “chickens” who each climb onto the other player’s shoulders). Be sure to set the bar high when you define the rules of engagement before shouldering up. We give the namesake of this game two thumbs down, but the pool game is a solid 10 in our book. Have them walk, then jog, then race as fast as they can-still in single file-around the perimeter of the pool, then yell “switch!” When they turn to run in the opposite direction, the current will keep them from running, but certainly, increase the laughter factor. Part pool game, part magic trick, this game involves a line of kids inside the pool but along the edge (in the shallow end). As the octopus grows and the number of unlinked players diminishes, it gets trickier and trickier to evade the “tentacle” of players in the pool. The octopus begins with one player who tags another player, who then must link arms with one another (hence the growing octopus). The goal is to be the last swimmer unattached to the human chain of “outed” participants. Could there be anything more thrilling than narrowly escaping the touch of the treacherous shark? Octopus Fishies, fishes, come to me!” versus “Fiiiishies! Come out and plaaay!”), there’s no debate this classic swimming pool game will be entertaining our children’s children for summers to come. While there's debate as to the proper starting position of the minnows (in the water or out of the water on the far side of the pool), and variation exists on the proper call to action by the shark (“Sharks and minnows, one, two, three. Pouring from imaginary teapots, stirring imaginary cups of tea, offering each other lumps of sugar, and passing trays of finger foods and sweets are all par for the course. In an underwater tea party, two players must sink to the bottom of the pool where they sit criss-cross-applesauce and then partake in a fancy tea fit for a queen. Some have been known to dive deep early so as not to lose momentum on the surface mid-pool. The key to a successful submariner is a strong start, followed by efficient flutter kicks. ![]() Racers become human submarines as they race underwater to see who can get the farthest without emerging for air. Other classics include the dinosaur (spiked hair), Princess Lea (dueling buns), and the sweet roll (spiraled over the entire head). If you ever had hair longer than shoulder-length, you’ve done the George Washington (emerged from underwater with your hair flipped down over your face, then rolled it back over your head to for a stylin’ Colonial-era ‘do). Who needs fancy dive sticks or expensive torpedoes when you’ve got a public pool and a kid with goggles? Just in case you’re a little afraid of what Junior might find, however, take a handful of coins and toss them in the water to focus his search. Just be sure to change the “it” person every so often to keep from having pouty popsicles in the pool. ![]() When tagged, a player must stand frozen like a popsicle until another un-tagged player can thaw him out by swimming underwater between his legs. Start with one person as “it,” and have him or her tag the other players, who are swimming. If you’ve ever played freeze tag on dry land, this is exactly that, only in the shallow end of the pool. Let the players keep their coins as a prize or collect them all and toss them again. The players then dive into the pool to collect them before they land on the bottom. This version, however, involves lining participants up shoulder-to-shoulder with their backs to the pool while someone throws a handful of loose coins into the water. Similar to Treasure Dive, Wishing Well sends players on a search for coins at the bottom of the pool. ![]()
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