Whether you’re throwing a birthday party, graduation celebration, or just having a group of young adults over to swim and hang out, it’s essential to have things for them to do. It helps keep them safe while getting them off their phones and enjoying interactive fun with each other. 

As kids get older, they might begin to scoff at games they played in elementary school. Luckily, though, there is a whole new set of competitive and enjoyable water activities that are more their level. Let’s take a look at eight of the best.

Classic Games, Water Style

Several classic water games are still ideal for teens. One of them is water volleyball. They can play with either a beach ball or an actual volleyball, and the only other thing you need is the net.

Even easier is a game of water basketball, and any number of teens can play. Hoops and balls for the pool are inexpensive and available at most pool supply stores. 

Or tap into teens’ natural competitiveness with an old-fashioned game of Marco Polo (no equipment required) or tug-of-war.

Duck Race

For this game, you’ll need rubber or plastic duckies and a permanent marker for each teen. First, have them decorate their little duck with the marker. Then, line up the ducks on one side of the pool. The game’s object is to get your duck to the other side first, but the trick is that they can’t touch the duck with any part of their bodies.

Octopus Tag

The twist in this entertaining version of the classic game is that whenever the “It” person tags someone, they join hands and work as a team to tag more players, who also have to join hands. Keep playing until the octopus has “eaten” everyone.

Slippery Watermelon

Grease up a large watermelon with either vegetable oil or petroleum jelly and throw it into the middle of the pool. Divide the teens into teams, and challenge them with retrieving the slimy fruit and bringing it to their side. When you’re done, just towel the watermelon off and service it as a healthy snack.

Noodle Knock Off

Satisfy their desire to topple each other without putting them in harm’s way with this game. Give each teen a pool noddle to sit on (not stand). Challenge them to try to knock each other off balance and off their noodle while staying steady themselves. The last man or woman standing wins!

Safety First

Even though your teen and their friends are likely to be strong swimmers from growing up in South Florida, it’s still critical to keep an eye on safety. Games that involve holding their breath for prolonged amounts of time, too much contact, or even trying to knock each other off a raft can quickly turn dangerous.

Whether you’ve been considering a new pool for your backyard or improvements to an existing pool, we can help. Contact the experts at Jackson Pools to learn how to get the most from your Southwest Florida yard.