Swimming Games for Teenagers

Pool games are a good way for teens to spend time with friends and family while getting some exercise at the same time. Many games are ideal for teens because they promote healthy competition and are challenging enough to keep teenagers entertained for hours. Ensure that supervision is available, even if the teens know how to swim.

Jousting in the pool requires balance and skill, but is fun to play and watch at the same time. To play, have two teens each sit on one pool raft, with one leg on each side. Make sure the raft has enough air to hold the players afloat. Each player holds a foam pool noodle in one hand. Using their feet, the teens paddle close to each other and use the noodles to try and knock one another off the rafts. The player who remains on his raft the longest is the winner.

Sharks and minnows is a good game for a large crowd because more players make the game more exciting and challenging. However, the game is played in the deep end of the pool and isn't recommended for teens who aren't strong swimmers. To play, one teen is the shark and the others are minnows. The shark stands at one end of the pool while the minnows stand on the edge of the deep end. The shark tells the minnows to swim to her, the minnows jump into the pool and begin swimming toward the shark. The minnows must reach the shark's side of the pool without being tagged out. If a minnow is tagged, she becomes a shark and helps eliminate the other minnows. The last minnow standing is the winner.

Island Mail requires teens to work together to win. To play, divide teens into two teams with an equal number of players. Each player floats a pool raft in front of him. The first player tosses a water balloon onto the next player's raft without letting it fall off. If the balloon falls into the water, it returns to the beginning of the line. The first team that gets its balloon to the last raft wins. This game also works well with small water balls, beach balls or other floating pool toys.

Scavenger Hunt is a fun idea for private pools. To play, scatter a range of objects at the bottom of the pool and divide teens into two groups. Make sure you have two of each item so that team has a chance to collect the items on the list. Coins, diving rings, flat marbles, washcloths and bottle caps are good choices. Write the items on a list. Give each team a list, and challenge teens to swim to the bottom and bring up the designated items. The more things you toss in the pool, the more challenging the game becomes. The first team to complete the list wins.