Dry Games for a Pool Party Deck
Guests are coming out of the pool, and you need something simple to do before the next swim or the meal. These eight games use spoken prompts or familiar pool-party supplies. Each entry gives a suggested age range, group size, time and what to have ready. Use the movement games only when you have a dry, clear place to play; if the deck is wet or crowded, choose a seated or verbal round instead.
Where should guests play?
First check the surface, space and pool rules. These ideas are not a guarantee that a wet deck is safe for play. Pause the game if the area is slippery, crowded, or hard to supervise, and follow the pool’s posted rules and your usual supervision arrangements.
- If the deck is wet: Skip walking, dancing, tossing and relay games. Offer a seated game such as Categories Countdown or Two Truths and a Splash, or wait until you have a dry place to play.
- If the play area is dry and clear: Move chairs, bags and coolers out of the route. Keep games well away from the pool edge, and stop if guests start running or backing toward the water.
- If you want to keep supplies simple: Spoken games need no props. Plastic rings, foam noodles and a beach ball are the listed supplies for other rounds, but keep anything that should stay dry outside the activity area.
- If guests need a break: Keep the round short and let anyone sit out. A game can fill a pause between swims without taking over the party.
For more options around the pool, see Pool Party Games. The backyard party games guide has ideas for other open-air spaces.
Eight games to play between swims
These ages, group sizes and times are starting points; adjust them to your guests and space. If the surface is wet, choose one of the seated or spoken games and leave movement games for another spot.
1. Deck Ring Toss
Suggested ages: 6 and up · Players: 4–10 · Time: about 10 minutes
Have ready: Plastic rings or pool-noodle rings, two cones.
Set the two cones in a dry, open area away from the pool. Weight them or use sand-filled bases to keep them from tipping or blowing away. Mark a throwing line. Players take turns throwing three rings, scoring one point for each ring that lands over a cone, for up to three points per turn. Retrieve the rings after each turn and reuse them for the next player. After everyone has had one turn, the highest score wins; tied players share the win. Alternatively, add everyone’s points for a group total or play without keeping score. Keep the throwing line and cones clear of walkways; skip this round if guests would have to stand on a wet surface.
2. Towel Bean Bag Toss
Suggested ages: 6 and up · Players: 4–12 · Time: about 10 minutes
Have ready: A beach towel and bean bags or rolled socks.
Lay the towel flat in a dry area and mark a throwing line. Take three throws from the line and score one point for each bag or sock that lands on the towel, for up to three points per turn. Retrieve and reuse the three bags or socks after each turn. After everyone has had one turn, the highest total wins; tied players share the win. If you use cut-out zones in a folded towel, prepare them before guests arrive and label their point values before play. Count a throw only if it lands in a zone, using that zone’s value instead of the one-point towel rule; a miss scores zero. Add the points from the three throws for each player’s total. Keep the towel on dry ground. Rolled socks are an alternative if you prefer not to use bean bags.
3. Freeze Frame Statues
Suggested ages: 6 and up · Players: 6–20 · Time: about 8 minutes
Have ready: A phone or speaker placed well away from the pool.
Play music while guests dance in a dry, open space. Pause the music and have everyone freeze. Anyone who wobbles or steps sits out until the music restarts, when everyone rejoins. To keep the round light, simply restart the music when someone moves instead of having anyone sit out. There is no score or overall winner; stop after about eight minutes or when guests are ready for something else. Do not play this on wet tile or where stopping suddenly could send someone toward the pool.
4. Categories Countdown
Suggested ages: 8 and up · Players: 4–16 · Time: about 10 minutes
Have ready: Nothing.
Sit or stand in a circle. Name a category, such as pool toys or sunscreen brands, and go around with each person naming one answer. Players are out for that round if they repeat an answer or take more than five seconds. Keep going until one player remains; that player wins, and everyone rejoins for a new category. Alternatively, keep everyone in and start a new category when the group gets stuck, with no score or winner. Choose familiar categories so younger players can join. Stop after about ten minutes or at the end of a category when guests are ready to move on.
5. Pool Noodle Balance Walk
Suggested ages: 6 and up · Players: 4–12 · Time: about 10 minutes
Have ready: Two pool noodles and chalk or tape to mark a line; allow a 15-foot dry stretch, or shorten the route to fit your space. For timed turns, keep a timer with the host in a dry place.
This game involves walking, so use it only on a dry, level, clear stretch well away from the pool. Mark a start and finish and have each player walk the route once while balancing one noodle across one palm. Use one noodle at a time and keep the second as a spare. For timed turns, start timing at the first step and stop at the finish. A dropped noodle ends that attempt without a qualifying time; give everyone the same number of attempts. After everyone has had a turn, the fastest walk without a drop wins; tied players share the win. Keep it to walking, and shorten the route rather than encouraging speed. For a no-race version, give everyone one untimed turn and finish when all have tried. Stop if the footing is not dry and steady.
6. Beach Ball Volley Count
Suggested ages: 6 and up · Players: 4–8 · Time: about 8 minutes
Have ready: One beach ball.
In a dry, open area, stand or sit in a small circle and tap the ball gently to one another with open hands. Count one point for each tap that keeps the ball airborne. The round ends when the ball touches the ground or leaves the circle; remember the total, retrieve the same ball once play has stopped, and start the next round at zero. Try to beat the group’s highest total, then finish after about eight minutes. There is no individual winner. Keep the circle away from the pool so a missed tap does not turn into a chase toward the edge. Stop play rather than chasing a ball toward the water; use a different game if the surface becomes wet.
7. Two Truths and a Splash
Suggested ages: 10 and up · Players: 6–16 · Time: about 12 minutes
Have ready: Nothing.
Sit in a circle. Each person shares two true memories about pools or parties and one made-up story. Everyone votes once on which one is made up, then the speaker reveals the answer and the next guest takes a turn. There is no score or winner; finish after each willing guest has had one turn, or stop after about twelve minutes. Let guests pass or choose another prompt if they do not want to share a personal memory.
8. Silent Charades Relay
Suggested ages: 8 and up · Players: 6–20 · Time: about 12 minutes
Have ready: Pool-themed words, such as “cannonball” or “sunscreen.”
Split into two teams and prepare five pool-themed words for each team: ten prompts in total. The teams play at the same time. Give each team’s first actor a word privately; the actor uses gestures without speaking while teammates guess. A correct guess earns one point and brings the next actor and word. Rotate actors, reusing players if a team has fewer than five people. The first team to guess all five words wins. If neither finishes within about twelve minutes, stop and compare the number of correctly guessed words; equal totals are a tie. Use a dry, clear playing area and do not have teams run between turns or actually jump when acting out “cannonball.” If you need written prompts, keep the list with the host in a dry place instead of passing cards among wet hands.
For games that work at a table, browse party games guests can play at the dinner table. The Party Games and Question Packs page has more spoken options.
When should you play a deck game?
Use a short game when guests are already out of the pool and have a place to sit or stand. This is one possible sequence; change it to fit the party and stop whenever guests are ready to swim, eat or take a break.
- When guests first arrive: If the pool is not ready for swimming, offer a spoken round while everyone gathers.
- During a pause between swims: Check that the play area is dry and clear, then choose a game that fits the group’s energy.
- Before food: End the game in time for guests to wash up and move to the eating area.
- If food is delayed: Switch to another short, no-prop round rather than repeating one the group has already played. See Party Games to Use When Food Is Delayed for more fillers.
Before guests start a game
A quick check helps you choose an activity that fits the conditions you actually have.
- Check the pool’s posted rules and make sure the game fits your supervision plan.
- Look for a dry, clear play area away from the pool edge. Skip movement or throwing games if you do not have one.
- Move chairs, bags and coolers out of the play route.
- Set out only the supplies for the game you chose; keep phones and paper away from wet hands and splashes.
- Explain how turns work and how the round ends before starting.
- Let guests sit out, and stop if the surface gets wet, the area gets crowded or play becomes a chase.
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Questions about games on a pool deck
What games can guests play on a wet pool deck?
The spoken games, Categories Countdown and Two Truths and a Splash, do not need equipment. The other suggestions involve tossing, walking or moving, so use them only when you have a suitable dry, clear area. This page cannot determine whether a particular deck is safe for play.
How do I keep guests from slipping during a game?
Check the surface and the space before starting. Keep play well away from the pool edge, clear bags and furniture from the route, and avoid running or sudden direction changes. Stop if the area is wet or crowded, and follow posted pool rules and your supervision plan.
Can I use phones or paper for pool-deck games?
The two spoken games need neither. If you use music or written prompts, keep the phone or prompt list with the host in a dry place away from the activity area; do not pass electronics or paper among wet-handed players.
How long should a dry-deck game last?
The listed suggestions run about eight to twelve minutes. Treat those as estimates, not fixed limits; end sooner if guests are ready to swim, eat or take a break.
What if food is delayed and guests are already dry?
Pick a different short game or another spoken round instead of repeating one the group has finished. Party Games to Use When Food Is Delayed covers other ways to fill a wait.
More party games and pool ideas
For other pool-side activities, see Pool Party Games, Backyard Party Games, and Balloon Games. For another short filler, try Ten-Minute Backup Games for a Party Schedule. If guests are ready to eat, Pool Party Food has menu ideas, and Pool Party Games and Food That Survive Sunscreen and Splashing covers both parts of the gathering. The games to play while waiting for food guide may also help during a meal delay.