Water Fun Try-it Games
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| THE BUDDY SYSTEM GAME |
| Girls pair off. If there is an uneven number, then one group will have
three. All pairs get into the water. They can swim or walk around, but must not be touching
the side of the pool. Start the music. When the music stops each pair must come to the side
of the pool, get out, and sit with hands raised. The last group to set and raise their hands
is eliminated. All get back in and game repeats until only one pair is left. |
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| SWIMMING TO JERUSALEM (A BUDDY SYSTEM GAME) |
| Girls pair off. If there is an uneven number, then one group will have
three. All get into the water and form a large circle. When the music plays, the circle
moves clockwise. When the music stops, each pair must go to the side of the pool, get out,
and sit with hands raised. The last group to set and raise hands is eliminated. Remainder
get back in the water and game repeats until only one pair is left. |
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| SHARK TAG |
| Players line up on the edge of one side of pool. IT stands in the center
area. IT yells Shark and all must swim across pool to opposite side while IT tries to tag as
many as possible. Those who are caught help IT tag the other players when Shark is called
again. The last one tagged is the winner. |
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| SWORDFISH AND MINNOW TAG |
| All players except two join hands in a circle. One is the swordfish who is
outside the circle and is IT; the other is a minnow who is inside the circle. The swordfish
tries to grab the minnow by chasing him in and out of the circle, but the players protect
the minnow by raising and lowering their arms to make it difficult for the swordfish. When
the swordfish does catch the minnow, two other players take their places. |
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| MUSICAL KICK BOARDS |
| Girls pair off. If necessary one group can have 3 girls. Everyone forms a
large circle in the water with kick boards floating inside the circle , with one less than
the number of pairs of swimmers. When the music starts, the swimmers swim in a large circle
to the music. When the music stops, each pair dashes for a kick board. The pair who fails to
get a board is eliminated from the game. Remove one board and the game continues until only
one pair is left. |
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| CHAIN TAG |
| IT tags a player. The two of them hold hands and tag another. Each player
tagged joins the line, and only the end player is allowed to tag someone else. This continues
until all players are tagged. |
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| PARTNER TAG |
| All players are paired. If there is an uneven number, then one group will
have three. One pair is IS. IT tries to tag another pair. If one of the pair is tagged or if
a pair breaks apart to avoid being tagged, that pair becomes IT. |
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| STEAL THE BACON |
| Form two teams and have them sit on the edge of the pool. Number each team,
with duplicate numbers on each team. Toss a hockey puck or a small bowl that floats into the
water equal distance from both teams, and call out a number. The two players with that number
go after the object and bring it back to their team, scoring one point for their team. The
two return to their places and continue game until one team scores ten points. You can
occasionally call two numbers at one time. |
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| BALLOON PUSHING RELAY |
| Divide group into teams of two to eight, with half of each team on each
side of the pool. On signal one person swims across the pool pushing a balloon in front of
herself, but not holding it. The first swimmer gives the balloon to her teammate who swims
back to the third swimmer. The first team to finish wins. |
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| T-SHIRT RELAY |
| Divide group into teams of two to eight with half of each team on each side
of the pool. On a signal, one person puts on a t-shirt and swims across pool, then takes off
the t-shirt and hands it to the next team member, who returns to person number three on the
team. This continues until team finishes, first team done is the winner. |
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| SPOON IN MOUTH RACE |
| Divide group into teams with half of each team on each side of the pool. On
a signal first person jumps into water and puts a spoon in her mouth with a ping pong ball
balancing on the spoon, and swims to the other side. If the ball falls out of the spoon, it
must be retrieved without the help of hands before the swimmer may continue on the course.
Second person takes spoon and returns to other side. The first team that finishes, wins. |
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| TOWEL AND BUCKET RACE |
| Divide the group into teams, all members on the same side. On the signal
the first person in each team goes into the water with a towel. When they reach the other
side they wring the towel out into the bucket placed on the other side of the pool. They
return to their team with the towel. The second person does the same until each member of
the team has gone. The team finished with the most water in their bucket is the winner. |
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| MOTORBOATS |
| Stand in waist deep water side by side on starting line. On a signal, each
child walks to finish line blowing bubbles with the face in the water all the way. When he
needs to refill the motorboat with air, he must stand still. The one who first crosses the
finish line while still blub blubbing wins. |
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| POP GOES THE WEASEL |
| Children and instructor hold hands and form two circles one outside the
other, with all facing center. The outer circle moves to the right and the inner one to the
left. At the same time they all sing, la, la, la, la to the first three phrases of the
traditional tune Pop Goes the Weasel. At the fourth phrase, the outer circle stands still
but sings with emphasis, Pop goes the Weasel while the inner circle turns, and all glide,
dive, or bob under the joined hands of those in the outer circle. They then stand, face
center, and join hands to form a new outer circle. With the circles now interchanged, the
singing of the song starts over again. |
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| PUNCHINELLO, LITTLE FELLOW |
| All stand in a circle with hands joined, except one who stands in the
center. The children walk around in a circle saying in sing song fashion. Look who comes
here! Punchinello, little dear. What can you do, Punchinello, little fellow? What can you
do, Punchinello, little dear? Meanwhile, the child in the center performs an action such as
blowing bubbles in the water or holding his breath. Next they say: I can do it too,
Punchinello, little fellow, I can do it too, Punchinello little dear. They all mimic the
action of Punchinello. A new Punchinello is named from the circle by the old Punchinello,
and play continues. |
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| RING AROUND THE ROSY |
| Instructor and children form a circle holding hands. One child is number
one and another is number tow. Ring around the rosy, pocket full of posy, One squat, two
squat, All squat down! The children sing the first two lines as they move around to the
right. Then #1 squats as they sing one squat and #2 on two squat and they all squat down on
the last line, aiming eventually to get their faces in the water. Each child should have a
chance to be #2 or #1. The word duck may be substituted for squat. |
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| WE'LL ALL SIT DOWN TOGETHER |
| Start in knee depth water and then gradually go deeper. Instructor and
children form a circle. Sing Head and Shoulders . . knees and toes, head and shoulders,
knees and toes, head and shoulders knees and toes, we'll all sit down together! To a rhythm,
they all repeat the first three lines of the ditty. As each part of the body is mentioned,
the children touch it with both hands. They start at a slow tempo and gradually speed up to
a good splash. As they say the last line, they all plop down in the water together. |
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| WHO CAN |
Stand in water before the instructor. Instructor calls out in turn and
notes or checks accomplishments of each player or instructor calls the question, and all
swimmers perform at the same time.
- Who can float like a turtle?
- Who can use the fewest elementary backstrokes in swimming '25 feet'? (or pick a spot)
- Who can kick 20 feet on his front with face in the water and make the fewest number of stops for air?
- Who can swim on his front to a 'certain point', turn around and swim back? (pick a spot)
- Who can float on his back like a spread eagle? (arms and legs spread wide)
- Who can fin like an Indian? (no noise)
- Who can fin and back crawl kick in a circle?
- Who can jump the farthest into the water from the side?
- Who can count exactly how many back crawl kicks he makes in going ten feet? (there must be a kick for each count)
- Who can count exactly how many front crawl kicks he makes with a kick board to travel ten feet? (there must be a kick for each count)
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| DID YOU EVER SEE A SWIMMER |
| All form a circle with one child in the center. All sing, Did you ever see
a swimmer, a swimmer, a swimmer? Did you ever see a swimmer go this way and that? Go this
way and that way, go this way and that way, Did you ever see a swimmer go this way and that?
During the singing, the swimmer in the center performs one of the skills he has learned or
makes up a swimming motion himself. At the end of the singing, the others imitate him. Then
they take turns being the one in the center who goes this way and that. |
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| BOMBS AWAY |
The children stand along the edge of the pool and instructor stands in the
water facing them. The following 3 ways of playing may be used.
- When the instructor calls "bombs away" all the children jump or fall into the
water. If a child is timid about jumping, he will gain confidence by jumping into the
instructor's arms.
- The children jump into the water one after the other as the instructor pints at each and
calls "bombs away" in quick fire order.
- Number or give names of bombs to the children, possible the same name to several
children. Those designated then jump into the water when the instructor calls a number or
name and says "bombs away."
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