Bobbing Balloons
Children attempt to capture all the bobbing balloons in a game from the Disney Family Fun website. Inflate several balloons and let them bob around the pool. Players try to catch as many balloons as possible and trap them under their bodies for 30 seconds. The wet balloons will slip and slide right out of the water.
Sunken Treasure
Encourage children to jump into the pool with the Sunken Treasure game, as described on the Coolest Kid Birthday Parties website. Players stand on opposite sides of the deep end of a pool. Throw rings, small balls or other sinking toys into the water. On the signal, players jump into the pool and retrieve as many sunken treasures as possible. The child with the most treasures wins the game.
Speedboat Relay Race
Children race to fill a bucket in a Speedboat Relay Race, adapted from the Disney Family Fun website. Set two empty buckets at one end of the pool, and two buckets filled with water at the opposite end. Divide children into teams, and have them form lines behind the buckets full of water. Give the first player on each team a plastic cup and a swim noodle or raft for the "speedboat." Players must fill the plastic cup with water, push the speedboat across the pool and pour the water into the empty buckets before returning to the start line. The next player in line continues the race. After the last child finishes, the team with the most water in the previously empty bucket wins the game.
Underwater Football
Older children will enjoy a game of underwater football, described by the Fun Attic website. Divide children into teams and position them in the middle of the pool as if it were a football field. Children should wear swim goggles, because all players and the football must be underwater for a play. Each team gets four attempts to move the ball to the opposite side of the pool. If a player is tagged, the ball must stop moving. After four unsuccessful attempts, the other team gets possession of the football at that position. A successful run across the pool equals a touchdown, and the team with the most points at the end of the game wins.