How do I choose activities for a pool party?

Check the deck, the pool rules and who is watching the water

Before you pick a game, look at where guests will actually be standing or sitting. Check the surface, how much clear space you have and the pool's posted rules. No list of games can tell you whether a particular deck is safe to play on. You have to judge that on the day, and you may need to check again as the party goes on.

Next, decide who is watching the water. The CDC advises that a responsible adult supervise children in and around water. That adult should watch closely the whole time and should not be doing anything else, even when lifeguards are on duty. Running a deck game is something else, so the person watching the swimmers should not also be leading a round. If one adult watches the pool and another runs the game, you can have a deck activity while others swim. If you're the only adult available, play deck games only when everyone is out of the water.

Pool activities fall into two groups. Water games such as Marco Polo happen in the pool. Whether they fit your party depends on the swimmers, who is supervising and what the pool allows. Dry-deck games happen out of the water: during a break between swims, before food or while guests arrive. This article mostly covers the dry-deck side, because that's usually where hosts need something to fill a pause.

• If the deck is wet, skip walking, dancing, tossing and relay games. Offer a seated spoken game where guests can sit comfortably, 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 way. Keep games well away from the pool edge, and stop if guests start running or backing toward the water.
• If anyone is still swimming, make sure the adult watching the water stays on that job and isn't helping with the game.
• If you want simple supplies, choose spoken games, which need no props. Plastic rings, foam noodles and a beach ball are enough for some movement rounds.
• If guests need a break, keep the round short and let anyone sit out.

Choose games that suit your guests' ages and abilities

Pool parties often mix strong swimmers, people who would rather not swim, younger siblings and adults. Give everyone a way to join in. Spoken games work for guests who aren't swimming, guests who are drying off and anyone who doesn't want to move around much.

Giving someone a seat doesn't make a game work for them. Ask guests which games and ways of taking a turn they prefer, and set up the dry area so they can reach what they need. Our guide to adapting party games for different abilities includes a short checklist to use before the party.

The ages and group sizes below are suggested starting points, not rules. Choose familiar categories and prompts so younger players can keep up. Let guests pass if a prompt asks for a personal memory they'd rather not share. Make sitting out a normal choice, not a penalty.

Pool-deck games: what each one needs and how to play

These eight games use spoken prompts or familiar pool-party supplies. Ages, player numbers and times are approximate, so adjust them to your guests and space. Even the spoken games need a spot where guests can sit comfortably and you can supervise. If you don't have one, move the game or wait.

Categories Countdown: Sit or stand in a circle where the footing is dry and steady. Name a category, such as pool toys or sunscreen brands. Go around the circle with each person naming one answer. A player who repeats an answer or takes more than five seconds is out for that round. Keep going until one player is left. That player wins, and everyone rejoins for a new category. For a gentler version, keep everyone in, with no score or winner, and start a new category when the group gets stuck. Stop after about ten minutes, or at the end of a category when guests are ready to move on.

Two Truths and a Splash: Sit in a circle. The first speaker shares two true memories about pools or parties and one made-up story. Everyone votes once on which one is made up. The speaker reveals the answer, and the next guest takes a turn. There is no score or winner. Finish when each willing guest has had one turn, or after about twelve minutes. Let guests pass or choose another prompt if they don't want to share a personal memory.

Deck Ring Toss: Set two cones in a dry, open area away from the pool. Weight them or use sand-filled bases so they don't tip over or blow away. Mark a throwing line. Each player throws three rings and scores one point for each ring that lands over a cone, so the most anyone can score in a turn is three. Pick up the rings after each turn and reuse them for the next player. When everyone has had one turn, the highest score wins, and tied players share the win. You can also add up 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.

Towel Bean Bag Toss: Lay a beach towel flat on dry ground and mark a throwing line. Each player throws three bean bags or rolled socks and scores one point for each one that lands on the towel. Pick up the bags after each turn. When everyone has had one turn, the highest total wins, and tied players share the win. If you fold the towel into zones, label each zone's points before play. Only throws that land in a zone count, using that zone's points, and a miss scores zero.

Freeze Frame Statues: Play music while guests dance in a dry, open space. Keep the phone or speaker well away from the pool. When you pause the music, everyone freezes. Anyone who wobbles or steps sits out until the music starts again, then everyone rejoins. For a lighter version, just restart the music when someone moves instead of having anyone sit out. There's no score or winner. Stop after about eight minutes. Don't play on wet tile or anywhere a sudden stop could send someone toward the pool.

Pool Noodle Balance Walk: Use this only on a dry, level, clear stretch well away from the pool. Mark a start and a finish. The source suggests a stretch of about 15 feet, or a shorter route that fits your space. Each player walks the route once while balancing one noodle across one palm, and the second noodle is a spare. For timed turns, the host keeps the timer in a dry place, starts it at the first step and stops it at the finish. Dropping the noodle ends that attempt without a time. Give everyone the same number of attempts. The fastest walk without a drop wins, and tied players share the win. For a version with no race, give everyone one untimed turn. Keep it to walking, and stop if the footing isn't dry and steady.

Beach Ball Volley Count: In a dry, open area away from the pool, stand or sit in a small circle and tap the ball gently to each other with open hands. Count one point for each tap that keeps the ball in the air. The round ends when the ball touches the ground or leaves the circle. Remember the total, get the ball once play has stopped and start the next round at zero. Try to beat the group's best total, and finish after about eight minutes. There's no individual winner. Stop play rather than chase the ball toward the water.

Silent Charades Relay: Split into two teams and prepare five pool-themed words per team, such as cannonball or sunscreen, for ten words in total. Both teams play at the same time. The host quietly gives each team's first actor a word. The actor uses gestures without speaking while teammates guess. A correct guess earns one point and brings up the next actor and word. Take turns acting, and let players go again if a team has fewer than five people. The first team to guess all five words wins. If neither team finishes within about twelve minutes, compare the number of words guessed, and equal totals are a tie. Use a dry, clear area. Don't let teams run between turns or actually jump.

How many games to plan and how long to play each one

You don't need a packed schedule. A few well-chosen options are enough to cover arrival, a break between swims and a wait before food. If one game goes well, playing it again usually works better than squeezing in something new.

Example: a pool party schedule with three games

This is an illustrative example, not a recommended timetable. Imagine an afternoon party where guests arrive at 2:00 and food is planned for 3:30. The host has a dry patch of lawn or patio well away from the pool edge, and the deck itself is likely to be wet once swimming starts. Two adults are available. One is assigned to watch the water whenever anyone is swimming, and the other runs the games.

The host picks three options: Categories Countdown for arrival, Deck Ring Toss on the dry patch as the main game and Two Truths and a Splash as the seated backup. Before guests arrive, the host weights the cones and marks a throwing line on the dry patch. If only one adult were available, deck games would happen only when everyone was out of the pool. Change any of these times to fit your own party.

Plan food breaks and water around the games

Games and food overlap at a pool party, so plan when each happens. End the game in time for guests to wash up and move to the eating area.

Once the break is set, decide whether you're serving a meal or snacks and what needs preparing before guests arrive. Our pool party food guide covers what to serve and when to prepare it. It also suggests clearing the plates before the next game starts.

Checklist: before guests start a game

Go through these checks before each game, not just once at the start of the party, because conditions on a pool deck change.

• Check the pool's posted rules.
• If anyone is in the water, confirm that one adult is watching the swimmers and someone else is running the game. If no one else can run it, wait until everyone is out of the pool.
• Find a dry, clear play area away from the pool edge. If there isn't one, skip movement and throwing games.
• For spoken games, make sure guests have a suitable place to sit that you can supervise.
• Move chairs, bags and coolers out of the way.
• Set out only the supplies for the game you chose, and keep phones and paper away from wet hands and splashes.
• Explain how turns work, how scoring works (if there is any) and how the round ends.
• Let guests sit out, and stop if the surface gets wet, the area gets crowded or play turns into a chase.

Sources and further reading

• Dry Games for a Pool Party Deck
• Pool Party Games and Food That Survive Sunscreen and Splashing
• Pool Party Games
• CDC: Preventing Drowning

Related questions

• How many activities should I plan for a party?
• How do I adapt party games so guests with different abilities can join?
• What quick games can fill a gap in a party schedule?
• Which party games work in a backyard or outdoor space?