We all love a good pool toy or inflatable—but if you don’t have many water toys on hand, don’t worry! You can still enjoy an afternoon full of fun, laughs and playfulness in the pool. In today’s blog, we are looking at five fun and easy pool games that don’t require anything beyond water and, of course, a few eager players.

Toothpaste

This classic pool party game is perfect for groups of three or more. One player, the one who is “It,” should stand outside of the pool. They then pick a category—it can be anything from colors to songs to favorite movies—which those still in the water will choose examples from. They will share their picks with the other swimmers without “It” hearing. When it’s time to play, this person will call out different colors, songs, etc. until they call one that a player has also chosen. At this point, they will jump into the water and race with the other player. Whoever gets to the other side first wins and calls out “toothpaste,” and can take over (or resume) the “It” role!

Marco Polo

Most of us have played Marco Polo several times before—but even if you haven’t, the rules couldn’t be simpler! One player will close his or her eyes and call out “Marco” while the other swimmers call out “Polo” in response. “Marco” will try to find these players based on their voices, and whoever he or she finds will take over in that role.

Popsicle

In this twist on the classic game of freeze tag, players who are tagged have to stand up frozen with their arms in the air, like a popsicle. They can only be unfrozen by players who are swimming underwater.

Chicken fight

Even the parents can enjoy this classic duel-style pool game. Divide a group of four into two teams. On each team, one member will get onto the other’s shoulders and work to push the other team into the water. Steer clear of the sides of the pool to make this classic game as fun and safe as possible.

Synchronized swimming challenge

This is a fun challenge that lets every player get creative and show off their swimming prowess. Divide your group into two teams, and have each team put together a quick swimming routine—it might involve jumps, flips underwater or other displays of skill in the water. The other team should try to replicate the routine as best as possible—even if they can’t do it perfectly, they will still have lots of fun and laughs in the process.

Which of these pool games are you most excited to try? Let us know, and be sure to share your own pool game ideas with us below!