The Ultimate List of Swimming Pool Parties for Kids

You are going to love this ultimate list of classic and unique swimming pool parties for kids. We love spending our summers in the water.

There is something special about swimming and splashing with friends and family. I love the memories we have created at the pool over the years.

Planning a pool party can be simple and fun. Here are some ideas and activities, so you can be the party host of an epic pool party.

Our daughter’s birthday tradition is swimming. We have loved planning swimming pool parties for kids, family, and friends.

Learn more about birthday traditions here. Consider combining your pool party with a mermaid-themed party. So many fun options, for fun at the pool. Birthday parties are great at the pool, but you don’t have to wait for a birthday to have a pool party.

Whether you are planning a pool birthday party or an indoor pool party, swimming is sure to make it a special day.

I think everyone should plan a pool party during the summer months. Summer is party time! You don’t have to have your own pool.

Plan your party at a neighborhood pool, a friend or family member’s pool, or a community pool. Get creative and use other bodies of water, such as a lake or community pond that are safe to swim in.

If a real pool isn’t an option, kiddie pools are affordable and lots of fun. It works well for one-year-olds or toddler pool parties.  Kids always enjoy putting on their bathing suits and swimming or splashing together.

Kiddie pools can also be used for older kid parties, for fun ideas, other than swimming. They create a great splash zone, a place to refill water guns, and sponges or to hold water balloons for an epic water balloon fight.

Planning Swimming Pool Parties for Kids

Swimming pool parties for kids are so fun. The first step is to begin by deciding on a date, time, and place.

Swimming Pool Parties for Kids- Choose a Date

Look at the weather and choose a sunny day. Swimming pool parties for kids are best done on a warm sunny day. Unless you are going to an indoor pool, the weather can make or break a pool party.

If you are planning ahead further than your 10-day forecast, you can look to see what type of weather it was the year before on the date you have chosen. It will give you a pretty good idea of what the weather will be like.

Swimming Pool Parties for Kids- Choose a Time

Do you want to feed your guests or just have a snack or treat?   Swimming pool parties for kids should include a snack or meal.

Choose in-between meal times if you don’t want to feed a whole meal. Will most of your guests be swimming or will some be sitting on the side?

If you will have some guests just observing, it’s best to choose a time when the intense heat won’t bother those not getting wet. If you do choose a time of the day when the sun is intense, bring a shade canopy for those who won’t be swimming.

Swimming Pool Parties for Kids- Choose a Place

Do you have a friend with a pool that wouldn’t mind you hosting a party there? Is there a neighborhood pool you have access to? Where is the nearest community pool?  

Is there a lake or a pond nearby that can be used to swim in? Do you want to do it in your backyard? Pick up a kiddie pool!

Swimming Pool Parties for Kids- Invitations/ Guest List

Once you have your date, time, and place set, it’s time to make the guest list and decided on invitations.  When having a pool party for young kids, I would highly recommend inviting parents to come and enjoy the party too.

It’s safer to have more eyes on those little swimmers. It helps decrease stress and increase fun.

We love using text invitations. Use Canva to get free cute invitations. Simply put your information, into an already formatted invitation and download it. Then you are ready to text the downloaded image to your friends and family.

Swimming Pool Party Decorations

Swimming pool parties for kids are a breeze to decorate for. You only need a few swimming party supplies. Swim parties are always a good time and a great party theme.

You can decorate the party area with bright colors, slightly away from the pool deck. A pool party means lots of swimming, splashing, and water fun.

You don’t want too many decorations because they might get wet. A tablecloth and a few helium balloons will work perfectly.

If the pool party is for a child’s birthday party you will want to have a decorated gift table, away from the splashing of the pool, so gifts don’t get wet.

Food for Swimming Pool Parties for Kids

Everyone gets hungry after swimming. You might not have a party room in the pool area, so you’ll have to plan accordingly.

It’s a great thing to have easy-to-eat snacks for those who want a break from all the fun and splashing and need to munch on something.

Easy snacks are great for your swimming pool party. Things that don’t get soggy with wet hands. Great options are fruit such as watermelon, cantaloupe, and grapes.

We also love applesauce packets; they are an easy pool snack. A veggie tray with dip is another great option.

You can do individually wrapped cheese as well as frozen go-gurts. It’s a good idea to have water bottles, or juice boxes because all the fun swimming games can make your guests thirsty.

The snacks don’t require paper goods but it’s a good idea to at least have napkins on hand, to clean up any messes. If you are doing a birthday party you might think about skipping the cake, it’s hard to sweep up wet crumbs.

We love birthday popsicles or ice cream bars. Easy summer desserts are best for your swimming pool parties for kids. If you are having a birthday swimming pool party, you can put a candle in an ice cream sandwich for the birthday child to blow out.

Swimming Pool Party- Favors

 I always love simple party favors. Pool party favors are fun when you can use them at the pool party.

A small squirt gun is a great party favor and can be used in lots of activities. You can use diving toys or beach balls as a party favor too. Also, a pool noodle works well as a party favor.

Lots of these favors can be written on with a permeant maker which is a great way to help the kids remember which one is theirs.

I wouldn’t include any party packages at the pool party to put the favors in, it cuts down on the swim party supplies and they always get wet. When you’re swimming you are wet, and no one wants to carry home a soggy party favor box.

 Now that your party is planned, let’s get to the activities. Here are some really fun pool games for a great time.

There are so many budgets friendly and easy pool activities for kids. You need little or no supplies and they are sure to create lots of laughter, connection, and fun. If you are looking for pool party ideas for 6-year-olds, a big kid swim party, a girl swimming party, or a family swim party, we have game ideas for you.

Games for Swimming Pool Parties for Kids

Marco Polo

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play: Marco Polo is a great game, a classic pool game. One kid is it. They close their eyes and spin around a few times while the other kids disperse in the pool. The kid who is it keeps their eyes closed and starts calling out Marco.

The other kids respond by saying Polo. The kid who is it uses the polo response to hear where the other kids are swimming and swims to try to tag them. The first person who gets tagged is it and you start a new round.

If you want the outside of the pool to be a part of the game you can add “fish out of water”. If the kid, who is it yells “fish out of water” then anyone who is out of the pool is automatically it.

Submarine

Supplies Needed: Swimming Goggles

How to play: We love to include the parents at our pool parties. Especially if the kids are young, getting the adults in the water helps keep eyes on little ones. It also makes for some really fun games! This game is some serious kid swim party fun!

Have two parents line up on the pool wall. Have a child climb on the back of the parent.  The parent is the submarine and starts to swim below the surface of the pool with the child on their back.

Whoever reaches the other pool wall first wins, and gets to race the next adult and child pair. Children can usually not hold their breath as long as adults.

That’s why swimming just below the surface makes it so that the child can come up for air while the submarine or adult is still under that water. Kids love riding on their parent’s backs through the water. Pool parties for kids are fun for adults too!

Pool Hoops

Supplies Needed– Floaty Ring and a Small Soft Ball

 How to Play: Not every pool has a basketball hoop but no worries these cheap pool floats and a ball work great.  Have one person hold the ring and the others line up behind the person with the ball. Each person gets a turn to shoot.

The person who gets the ball in the ring the most times wins. Move the floaty ring around to make the shoots harder or easier. You can also hold it in the air from the side of the pool. It’s a fun activity for your next swimming party.

Handstand Contest

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play: Have everyone line up in the shallow end of the pool. If you have more friends wanting to participate then you have space in the shallow end, split into smaller groups. Let the kids know what they will be scored on.

Some options for scoring are who holds the handstand the longest, straightest legs, and pointed toes. This game is so fun for a girl swim party but you’ll be surprised at how long the boys can hold a handstand. Have a parent from the outside of the pool judge the contest.

Treasure Hunt

Supplies Needed: Something to hunt for (diving toys work well or pennies can work for advanced swimmers) and swimming goggles

How to Play: Have the kids close their eyes as you throw the diving toys, or the pennies into the water. Count how many you throw in the water so you can make sure the kids get them all. You will want to have more things to hunt for than kids playing to keep kids hunting.

Have the kids dive hunting for the treasure until they have found all the toys or pennies. Count how many each kid has collected and the kid who has collected the most wins.

Collect the treasure from the kids and throw it in again. This game can be played for multiple rounds. This game is always a blast at our birthday girl swimming party.

S-P-L-A-S-H

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play: Everyone lines up at the deep end of the pool. If you have a diving board you can use that, but the side of the pool works too. Have each person do a trick in the pool trying to make the biggest splash. Whoever makes the biggest splash wins.

This game is a hoot, especially with 8 -11-year-olds. You will be surprised by their creative ways to make a big splash.

King of the Pool

Supplies Needed: A pool float big enough for one person to sit or stand on

How to Play: One person starts on the floaty and the others are in the water. The object of the game is to get the other person to fall off of the floaty, and to get yourself on top of the floaty before someone else pushes you off. Whoever stays on for the longest wins.

Watermelon Football

Supplies Needed: A watermelon

How to Play: You use the watermelon as the ball and use one end of the pool as one team’s endzone. The other side of the pool is the other team’s endzone. Try to get the watermelon from one end of the pool to the other without the other team stealing it and getting it to their endzone.

There is something seriously fun about playing football with a watermelon. You can eat the watermelon after, it might just be a little shaken up.

Capture the Ring

Supplies Needed: Two Diving Rings

How to Play: Play this similarly to the traditional capture the flag. Have each team put their ring diving toy in their home base, a designated area in the pool.

Each team tries to get the other team’s diving ring back to their home base. If you are tagged you have to give back the diving toy and start again.

Trying to sneak the opposing team’s diving ring back to your home base can be tricky in an open pool but swimming underwater can give you just the needed advantage to win the whole game. Having goggles for the players is a great idea.

Candy Bars

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play: This is a spin-off of the classic pool game colors. Have one person stand on the diving board or the edge of the pool facing away from the pool. They are the Candy King/Queen. All the other players are hanging on to the edge of the pool. Each person thinks of a candy bar.

 Have the Candy Queen/King call out the names of different candy bars. When they call your candy, try to sneak off the wall and swim to the other side of the pool.

When Candy Queen/King notices you’ve left, they turn around, dive in, and try to catch you. Once they tag you, you become the Candy Queen/King. Play this game with many variations like colors, soda pop, ice cream, farm animals, etc.

Synchronized Swim

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play: Have you ever seen an Olympic synchronized swim team? It is seriously amazing. Split into groups and choose a song. Have each group practice doing a synchronized swim dance in the water.

Once they have prepared their dance, have them perform for the parents and the other teams. Score teams for creativity, unity, and difficulty. Dancing together in a pool is harder than it looks, but it sure is fun to try!

Squirt Gun

Supplies Needed: Squirt Guns, Chalk, or Beach Ball

How to Play: This game can be adapted to whatever supplies you have on hand but here are a few squirt gun target ideas. You can choose a tree outside the pool to squirt as the target. You can also choose a pool toy inside the pool to try to squirt. Whoever squirts the target the most wins.

Choose a beach ball as a target and as a team tries squirting the beach ball to make it move all the way to the other side of the pool. The team that gets the ball to the other side wins.

Write with sidewalk chalk on the cement around the pool.  Use the squirt guns to try to erase the chalk art as fast as you can. Whoever gets the chalk to disappear first is the winner.

Frozen Swim Tag

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play:  Have a couple of kids be it. Everyone else tries to swim away. If you get tagged you have to be still.

To get unfrozen, someone has to swim between your legs, then you are unfrozen and can continue to play. The goal is to tag everyone before they get unfrozen.

Sharks and Minnows

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play: Have a few kids be sharks.  The other kids are minnows and are standing at one end of the pool. The sharks are in the middle of the pool. The sharks say “minnows, minnows come out and play”.

The minnows swim to the other side of the pool without being tagged by a shark. If the minnow is tagged, they become a shark. The minnows that made it to the other side get to go again. The last minnow swimming is the winner.

Fast Fish, Slow Fish

Supplies Needed: None

How to Play: This is a swimming spin-off of red-light green-light. Have one person be it and stand at one side of the pool. The other players stand on the opposite side of the pool. When the person who is it says fast fish, everyone can swim as fast as they can.

When they say slow fish, they slowly swim toward the other side of the pool. Whoever reaches the person who is it first wins, and gets to be it for the next round.

Pool Noodle Ride

Supplies Needed: Pool Noodles

How to Play: Each player has a pool noodle between their legs. They must get from one end of the pool to the other while riding their pool noodle. They must stay upright and only use their legs to paddle to the other side. Try not to get bucked off.

Tea Party

Supplies Needed: Goggles

How to Play: Everyone gathers in a circle. Once you say go, you cross your legs criss-cross apple sauce, and try to sit on the bottom of the pool and pretend to have a tea party.

See if you can wave to your friends, pretend to pour your tea, and drink it all before you have to come up for air. Grandpa always wins this game. He can hold his breath forever! A great game for a girl swimming party.

Pool Fun Run

Supplies Needed: Timer (Phone timers work great)

 How to Play: Get everyone to line up on one side of the pool.  Have one person say “on your mark, get set, GOOOOO! Everyone tries to run underwater to the other side of the pool.

Not only is it hard to run in water, but it’s great exercise.  See how fast the kids can get from one side to the other. Can they beat their time in the next race?

Swimming Pool Parties for Kids: Safety

Swimming is a life skill; many children have enjoyed swim lessons. When you are the party coordinator and not a qualified instructor for swimming there are a few things you can do to keep a safe environment. Small children and a swimming party can be very fun if you know some water safety.

A perfect way is to prepare before the day of the party. One of the great pool party ideas is to require that all non-swimmers wear life jackets or puddle jumpers to help keep everyone safe, including this detail on your invitations is important.

You want your party to be the best pool party on that hot day, and a fun experience for all. The best way to do that is to keep everyone safe. Once your party guests have arrived you might consider doing a safety briefing in a designated area.

Depending on the age of guests, and the number of guests you have you may need extra adults to help watch over the backyard pool and swimmers.

Conclusion: Swimming Pool Parties for Kids

You are ready to plan! Get going, with these ideas you are sure to plan some epic swimming pool parties for kids.  Your next party is going to be full of the best things, classic and unique party ideas. Have fun making memories, strengthening relationships, and creating a happy environment for kids to learn and grow together.