We are approaching the dog days of summer, so residents of Springbank are so excited at the lifestyle perk of having unlimited access to the Springbank Aquatic Center. We have gathered the best pool games so your confident swimmers can be entertained while you cool off and relax—or they may be having so much fun that you can’t resist joining the game. Here are our top 5 pool games.

1. Sharks and Minnows (for kids). This is a classic tag game. The person who is “It” is the shark. The others are all minnows. Minnows have to cross the water from one side to the other without being tagged by a shark. If you are tagged, you become a shark. Play continues until one person remains.

2. Octupus Tag. This is a shallow water game of tag. The person who is “It” is the octopus. The others try to swim (or walk) across to the other side without being tagged. Once you are tagged, you hold hands with the octopus, so the octopus keeps getting longer as the game progresses.

3. Categories. This is a family feud-style race game. The person who is “It” is on one side of the pool in the water, while the others are on the other side of the pool in the water. The “It” person chooses a category (like fruits, colors, cereals, characters from Sesame Street, etc.). The It person then goes underwater or plugs his or her ears while the others each pick a separate item from that category (i.e. one person is orange, one is apple, one is banana). No duplicates are allowed. Then once everyone is assigned an item, the “It” person begins calling them out. If they call your item, you have to race to the It person’s side, while the “It” person races to the group’s side. Whoever touches the opposite wall last is “It” and chooses a new category.

4. Marco Polo. In this pool classic, whoever is “It” closes his or her eyes and yells “Marco”. Others have to yell “Polo”, and the “It” person uses his or her ears to find and tag the other players. Once you are tagged, you are it.

5. Stuck in the Mud. This is a shallow end tag game. If you are tagged, you have to freeze where you are. You can be freed if someone swims under you (between your legs). If you are tagged 3 times, you are it.

6. Go Ghost. One person is the caller, while all other players are spread out in a place where it is safe to jump in the water. When the players hear the caller say “Go Ghost”, they jump in. The last person to jump in the water is out. The caller can fool the players by saying “Go Gophers”, “Go Goalie,” “Go Gold,” etc. If a player jumps in before the caller says “Go Ghost”, the player is out. (You can also play it race-style, where “Go Ghost” is the signal to race to another side.)

And at Springbank Aquatic Center, if the kids are tired of organized games, they can also be entertained for hours just by trying the waterslides or playing in the spray play area, the zero depth pool, or the sand play area! If you are interested in living where you can have access to our awesome pools all summer long, make an appointment below to visit today!

And at Springbank Aquatic Center, if the kids are tired of organized games, they can also be entertained for hours just by trying the waterslides or playing in the spray play area, the zero depth pool, or the sand play area! If you are interested in living where you can have access to our awesome pools all summer long, make an appointment to visit today!