Pool Tag Games for Aquatic Agility

On this page we show you a few variations of the basic pool tag game, where one person is "IT" who usually starts in the middle of the pool. The object is for the person who is "IT" to touch one of the other players. If he touches another player, that person is now "IT". You can just play for fun, or keep score.

Objectives: To improve team work and swimming ability.

Players: Small to large groups

Required: You need hooded clothes in various colours for most of these games, like anoraks or hooded sweatshirts (hoodies) and maybe some polo shirts. The hood can be used as blindfold by pulling it forward over the eyes. Push the hood back in case of trouble.

All My Kit

You'll need a variety of clothes, large enough to fit every player. The person who is "IT" must catch clothes that are held in the hands (or toes) of the other players and put them on.

You can tell your team to willingly hand over the clothes, or to be chased. Once "IT" touches the item of clothing, the other player must let go.

This game gets harder over time due to the extra clothes worn by "IT". Once "IT" wears all the clothes then someone else gets a turn. Set a time limit if you have several players who don't swim as well as the others.

Bobbing Heads

One player will be "IT" while the rest are "bobbers." The bobbers try to bob up and down in the water without moving from their place in line. Whoever's "it" will try to get them to move sideways by trying to tap them with a pool noodle. If they move, they are tagged.

Colour Catcher

One person who is the "Catcher" swims to the far end of the pool, faces away from the pool and puts his hood up. All the remaining players chose clothes in different colours and quietly enter the pool. The catcher continues to face away from the pool and starts calling out various colours.

The player whose colour is called out tries to swim across the pool quietly without being heard. The Catcher, when hearing players moving, can turn around and try to tag them before they reach the safety of the other poolside.

Marco Polo

This is a classic pool game, a variant of the game Pool Tag. Now they can wear their polo shirts. All players put on the hooded tops which can be used as blindfolds by pulling the hood forward over the eyes. Push the hood back in case of trouble. The hood also changes the way you hear the others around you which makes this game more interesting.

In this game one person is "IT" who starts in the middle of the pool and pulls the hood over the eyes as a blindfold. The other players get in the pool away from "IT".

The object is for "IT" to touch one of the other players by blindly searching the pool for anyone else. When "IT" screams "MARCO", the other players HAVE to say "POLO". Then he can try to find the other players by their voices. If he touches another player, that person is now "IT".

Popsicle

It's basically freeze tag while in the pool. When players are tagged, they must freeze, and stand with their hands straight above their heads, much like a popsicle. The secret to winning is swimming underwater, because when they are submerged, they cannot be tagged by "IT" and can unfreeze one of the popsicles.

Sharks and Jets

Two teams, the Sharks and the Jets, line up opposite one another in the middle of the shallow end, with 2 meters (7 feet) of open water between them.

A referee on the side blows the whistle and yells, "Sharks!" or "Jets!" That team must turn and sprint toward its side of the pool, with the other team in hot pursuit. A player tagged by a pursuing Shark or Jet joins the other team.

The referee can let the chase continue all the way to the end of the pool or sound the whistle anytime, shout out the other team's name, and turn the pursuers into the pursued.

Shark Tag (Variation)

The single "shark" begins this game of tag in the deep end, and the rest of the "minnows" start in the shallow end.

The goal is to swim across to the deep end and touch the wall without getting caught by the shark. If any minnows are tagged before reaching the end, they will join forces with the shark to tag more people out.

Note: This game is played in the deep end, so make sure all players are comfortable before diving in!

Make out Tag

Simple game of Tag (or IT), but players have to be tagged underwater. If you get tagged or tag somebody you have to kiss them. Enjoy.

Reader Comment

by Ricardo from Brazil

This is a crazy game. Sometimes you tag a girl, sometimes a boy. After a few rounds of this wild game you've kissed almost everybody in the group.