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What are Some Different Kinds of Pool Toys for Children?

Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders

Whether your children like to spend the day relaxing in their own backyard swimming pool or playing with their friends at the local public pool, there are a number of pool toys available to make the experience even more enjoyable. You can purchase pool toys at your local discount store, sporting goods store, or toy store. There are also a number of online retailers that specialize in selling pool toys for children of all ages.

Water noodles are colorful strips of polyethylene foam that can provide hours of summertime fun. Since water noodles are highly flexible and you can purchase connectors to join several noodles together, these pool toys are great for imaginative play. Kids can use water noodles for floating, splashing, or making waves. Water noodles are also commonly employed as exercise aids in water aerobics classes for adults.

Ping pong racket and ball for use in a pool.
Ping pong racket and ball for use in a pool.

Children’s floatation devices are popular pool toys since they come in a variety of styles and colors. Toddlers can float in a large ring that looks like a yellow rubber duck, a whale, or a starfish, while older children can relax in their very own inflatable pool chair. There are even two-person floatation rings designed to allow parents and children to play together in the pool.

Pool noodles are typically made from polyethylene foam.
Pool noodles are typically made from polyethylene foam.

Although they are not permitted in most public pools, radio remote controlled boats are a favorite pool toy for both the young and the young at heart. Boats typically have forward, turn, and reverse controls to allow for a wide range of motion. Most remote controlled boats use rechargeable batteries to minimize operation costs.

If you’re hosting a pool party with a group of older children, consider investing in a few games for your pool. There are pool toys for basketball, baseball, and volleyball fans, as well as pool golf, pool ping pong, and pool tic-tac-toe. Frisbees and squeezable sports balls also make great pool toys for groups of swimmers.

Regardless of which pool toys you choose for your children, however, it’s important to keep in mind a few basic water safety tips. Always supervise your children when they are playing in the pool, even if they are playing with a toy floatation device. Do not allow children to run around the pool area or dive into shallow areas of the pool. If possible, enroll your children in formal swimming lessons so they have a good understanding of how to stay safe while having fun with their pool toys.

Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders

Dana holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa. She has loved being part of the WiseGEEK team ever since discovering the joys of freelance writing after her son was born. Dana also hones her writing skills by contributing articles to various blogs, as well as creating sales copy and content for e-courses.

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Dana Hinders
Dana Hinders

Dana holds a B.A. in journalism and mass communication from the University of Iowa. She has loved being part of the WiseGEEK team ever since discovering the joys of freelance writing after her son was born. Dana also hones her writing skills by contributing articles to various blogs, as well as creating sales copy and content for e-courses.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

pleonasm

@browncoat - They are really good for workouts. I just stomp down on mine while holding the ends and the water resistance makes it quite hard.

My kids are only littlies at the moment, but they are still thrilled by the wind up pool toys you can get. They are only cheap pool toys but they are absolutely fascinated by them. We have a little wind up turtle and a wind up shark.

You just turn the crank and they paddle around the paddling pool and the kids run after them. It keeps them active while you can just sit nearby for winding (and watching) duties.

browncoat

Those water noodles are really excellent toys and I use them for exercise as well.

They seem quite simple, but it's the same as giving a little child a present and having them play with the box instead.

The simple toy has a lot more scope for imagination. My kids play sword (and light saber) fights with them, and pretend they are canoes and/or horses and use them in games of blind tag and a lot of other games I don't know.

And I use them to get a bit of a work out after the kids have worn themselves out.

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    • Ping pong racket and ball for use in a pool.
      Ping pong racket and ball for use in a pool.
    • Pool noodles are typically made from polyethylene foam.
      By: Pavel Parmenov
      Pool noodles are typically made from polyethylene foam.