Play Ideas

My kids are fish, plain and simple. It's amazing they were born with feet and not flippers; these kids can find a pool of liquid in the middle of a desert deep enough to play "Marco-Polo."  Both my son and daughter took to water early in their lives, so as a mom I've been proactive about their enjoyment of it. I attended mommy-and-me swim lessons with both babies when they were tiny, so by the time they were young toddlers I had to think of ways to keep them occupied in the water when we went to the pool (and in the bath too, honestly).

It turned out all I needed was a snorkel and a mask and we were on our way. Here are a few of the games we play with snorkels in the pool:

• Marco-Polo: One child is named it and that child must close their eyes and call out “Marco.” The other children, then, answer “Polo” and it must find and tag somebody.
• Scouting for treasure: The children dive for pennies, rubber rings, and other sink-able treasures.
• 5 more minutes in the pool: The kids dig for things they've "dropped" and have to recover before we leave. (This is more fun for them than it is for me.)
• Snorkel hiding: The kid gets spun in circles until dizzy and then is dropped into the pool to figure out which direction is North.
• Diving for gum: This is gross, but the kids dive off the diving board and count the number of pieces of gum on the bottom of the pool.

All of these games come with the prize of more time in the pool or an extra turn with a pool toy. The kids can spend an entire summer afternoon lost in the fun of Snorkel Games.

"Play Ambassadors" help spread the word about available Let's Play grants and reinforce the importance of play through original blog posts based on our own individual experiences. We are parents just like you and believe every child should have a safe place to play.