Southwest Florida students are back in the classroom. Especially during this time of year, parents want to do everything they can to encourage a love of learning and good study habits. Luckily, your backyard pool can transform into a fantastic teaching tool!

 There are lots of ways to engage your kids’ growing, creative minds while they enjoy one of their favorite pastimes. Let’s take a look:

Swimming Scrabble

This game can help your kids learn to spell and improve their vocabulary. You can buy giant Scrabble tiles, but a more cost-effective method is simply to get some large sponges and write letters on them that easily form common words. Have your kids swim around and gather as many as they can on the side of the pool (bonus: great exercise). Then, see how many different words they can make from their collection. You can also use other floatable objects, such as plastic hand-size balls or even wine corks.

Swimming Pool Treasure Hunt

Collect a couple of handfuls of coins and toss them into the pool. Let your kids dive for the coins. When they’ve collected them all, have them add up how much money they uncovered. Alternatively, ask them to collect a certain amount. See who can find $1 worth of coins the fastest. If they have trouble picking up the coins from the bottom, put them inside plastic Easter eggs. This game helps build math and money skills – while having fun!

Pool Noodle Numbers

Take a couple of pool noodles and cut them into slices/pieces. On each piece, write a number in sequence. Toss them in the pool and instruct your kids to collect them in various ways: have them work together to get them in order, or have them collect only even numbers, or even ask them to find combinations that add up to a certain amount. Alternatively, you can use this method to work on fractions – cutting a noodle into fourths and writing ¼ on each piece, eighths and writing 1/8 on each piece, half, and so on. Students can see who can build one whole noodle by combining fractions. 

Boat Engineers

First, collect a bunch of household items, such as tin foil, plastic wrap, toothpicks, popsicle sticks, and other art supplies. Challenge your children to build their own boats that will float on the surface of the pool. Design a competition, for which there are several options. You can see how long your kids’ boats stay afloat or try loading them with pennies and see which ship can withstand the most weight.

Chemistry Lesson

This is not really a game but is still an especially ideal learning opportunity for late elementary and middle school aged students. Engage your kids in caring for the pool’s chemicals. Show them how to test the water and explain what each of the levels means. Help them learn how the tests correspond to how much chlorine and other chemicals the pool needs. Bonus: you’re preparing them to take over the task when they’re a little older!

 

Let Jackson Pools Get Your Student Swimming

 If these activities sound fun to you, just imagine how much your kids will love them! Whether you’ve been considering a new pool for your backyard or improvements to an existing pool, we can help. Schedule a consultation with the experts at Jackson Pools to learn how to get the most from our yard for you and your little learners.