Pool play is fun enough on its own, but here at The Inspired Treehouse, we also like to spice things up with some of our favorite pool toys for kids! Our kids are like little fish…whether it’s a swim in the lake or a dip in the pool, it’s hard to get them out of the water at the end of the day!
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These great pool toys are the perfect thing to throw into the mix to keep kids active and engaged in the water!
Our Favorite Pool Toys for Kids
1 || ToyPedo Bandits
ToyPedo Bandits are fun to throw and retrieve. They are easy to see, fun to watch as they spin through the water, and a piece of cake to grab. As they say, this toy is awesome “kid-powered fun”.
2 || Swim Thru Rings
Obstacle courses are a therapist’s favorite way to encourage skill building and participation in an activity. These Swim Thru Rings would be a great addition to any water filled obstacle course your kids can dream up!
3 || Finding Dory Dive and Catch Game
Finding Dory is a kid favorite and the cute little fish with the bad short-term memory just has to make an appearance in the pool, right? In this Finding Dory Dive and Catch Game, some of her friends sink to the bottom, some float, but wherever your child has to go to get them, she will love scooping up Dory and her friends in Mr. Ray’s net!
4 || Watermelon Ball
Watermelon is a favorite prop in a game for my daughter’s swim team during Fun Fridays. Did you know that watermelons float? Watermelon Ball is designed to look & feel like the real hunk of fruit and will create hours of fun as your child tries to move the ball from one end of the pool to the other — it’s not as easy as it looks!
5 || Emoji Balls
Emoji Balls? Enough said! This pack of 12 bouncy emoticons will be a sure-fire hit! I can only imagine the games that kids could come up with as they catch, throw and kick these cute balls around the pool.
6 || Mini Shark Squirts
These Mini Shark Squirts are perfect for fine motor strengthening and are fun for all ages. Fill them up and squeeze them to play freeze tag or squirt them at a ping pong ball to move it across the pool. For smaller swimmers, encourage them to be brave and swim out to the toy, rewarding them by allowing them to squirt anyone in sight!
7 || Doodles Inflatable Pool Noodles
Pool Noodles are a given for super water fun. Doodles Inflatable Pool Noodles come in a pack of 6 with 3 straight and 3 curly “doodles” to ride, sit or climb on. And, when the fun is over and fatigue sets in, float the afternoon away on one or two!
8 || Poolmaster Advanced Swim Board Trainer
Poolmaster Advanced Swim Board Trainer is a skill builder in itself! How? Check this out:
-A kick board encourages reciprocal leg movements as kids propel themselves forward using a flutter kick. At the same time, they are gaining strength through their backs, bottoms and legs as the water resistance makes that forward movement more difficult.
-Try placing a kick board between your child’s legs and have him propel across the pool using only his arms as he squeezes those legs tight to keep the kick board in place.
-Have your child try to sit on a kick board for a terrific balance challenge. He can start by straddling it and then move toward trying to keep his legs together in a seated position.
-For upper body strengthening, have him try his hardest to push that kick board down under the water (being careful that it doesn’t pop back up into his face!).
9 || Slip and Slide
No pool? No problem. Everyone loves a good old Slip and Slide! I love that this version has two lanes to encourage a little friendly competition. And, in case you’re wondering, it takes some pretty solid coordination and motor planning to plan your take-off just right!
Here are some great tips if your child is still working on learning to swim and some of our favorite pool toys that are great for motor development.
Want an organized approach to help support your child’s swimming skills? Try our 10 Days to Conquer the Pool Free Printable!
And sometimes you don’t need any toys at all to have a good time in the water!! Check out these 5 awesome pool games for kids!
Takeaways
-Use squishy balls and other squeezable water toys to build hand strength.
-Use kick boards to promote balance, upper body strength, and lower body strength.
-Use fun balls that are designed to be used in the water to work on ball skills like throwing, catching, and kicking.
-Use water toys with a group of kids to work on language and social skills.
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My kids loved water. In this hot summer, this is really great fun ideas for kids. Thanks for sharing such great ideas.
In addition to straddling and sitting on the kick board, my swim kids LOVE trying to “skateboard,” on it. Great core control, balance, and and early way to teach sculling :)
I don’t generally love earplugs or earbands, but they can be super useful for kids whose hearing is very sensitive. Just the muffling effect can be a game changer!