7 Best Swimming Pool Games

Crank up the fun in the water with our collection of the best games for your swimming pool.

Splashing, hopping, and swimming around in your backyard pool is a great way to beat the heat, have fun, and stay active.

And while many of the staples of swimming pools—Sharks and Minnows, Marco Polo, Greasy Pumpkin—never go out of style, there is a serious line-up for alternative swimming pool games to crank the fun.

No matter how small or large your backyard or above ground swimming pool is, there is a heap of different options for cranking up the fun.

Here is our hand-picked selection of the best swimming pool games for kids and adults.

GoPong Beer Pong Inflatable Pool Game

Let’s start with one just for the adults. And the answer is yes, that’s a beer pong table!

But not only can this six-foot pool toy house 10-cups aside, but the GoPong Beer Pong Inflatable can be used as a floating table and also as an actual pool lounger that you can lay out on.

This instant party-starter comes with half-a-dozen pong balls, can be inflated in minutes, and can be packed away easily into your baggage, making it a great pool activity when you travel.

Inflatable Pool Ring Toss

Take the standard game of ring toss and take it to the next level with this inflatable made of sturdy and long-lasting PVC.

The real challenge comes in throwing at a moving target—the wind, current, and other player’s shots bouncing off the cross-shape will keep the inflatable moving around the pool.

• See also: 6 Best Inflatable Party Islands for Summer Fun

The cross ring is just over 30 inches wide and 16 inches high, and four rings are included with each set. Recommended for kids and fun-loving adults 6 years of age and up.

GoSports Floating Basketball Net

When it comes to floating pool games, if you don’t have a basketball net in the water, can you even say that you are really making the most of your pool?

• See also: 5 Best Poolside Basketball Hoops

The GoSports Splash Floating Basketball Hoop includes a floating splash hoop (floats on a foam frame, not an inflatable), two basketballs, and a pump to keep your balls inflated for hours of hooping.

GoSports Splash Volleyball Net

GoSports also makes an epic volleyball net for your backyard pool. As with their basketball set, you get two volleyballs, a pump, and a net that can be stretched across pools as wide as 25-feet.

Available in two different colors (red or blue), each set comes with an adjustable volleyball net that is fastened securely to two posts that are water-weighted, handy in the event someone gets a little overly enthusiastic spiking the volleyball.

Swimline Floating Blackjack Table with Waterproof Cards

Looking for a slightly less physically-strenuous activity to partake in at your backyard pool? The Swimline Floating Blackjack Table has enough room for six players (although it only has two cup-holders), and is made of heavy-duty vinyl that is resistant to the sun and harsh pool chemicals.

• See also: 7 Best Pool Floats for Adults

Open up your own little card table in the comfort of your above-ground swimming pool. Waterproof playing cards are included.

Inflatable Flamingo Ring Toss Pool Game

Another variation of the ring toss is this set made by 90shine. Instead of pegs to drop the rings onto, the goal is to throw your four rings (of varying sizes for added challenge) onto the beak of a smiling flamingo.

GoSports Floating Water Polo Net for Backyard Pools

Our third entry from GoSports is a legit water polo net.

The frame of the water polo net rests on a series of foam pads that float the whole thing in the water. This is awesome as there are is no inflatables (and the inevitable leaks) to stress about. Drop it in the backyard pool and it’s good to go.

The net isn’t quite water polo regulation size, but it’s plenty big, especially for a backyard pool game, at four feet wide and two feet tall. There is a minimal amount of assembly, but once you get it put together, you have your three water polo balls to launch you into endless fun in the pool.

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