Water Safety Games

Water safety should be the first thing your child learns before learning swimming strokes. Without proper instruction of water safety procedures, children are exposed to the serious dangers involved with swimming in a pool or open water. Water safety games are a beneficial and informative way to teach young children about pool safety. Various fun, interactive games are available that children can participate in to learn about water safety. You can also teach your children about water safety through instructional video games on-line.

  1. Whirlpool Game

    • To teach about the dangers of ocean currents, have them walk in a circular direction in the pool. Line up the children so they are about arms-length apart. The water should be waist deep for the children, or no more than 3-feet deep. Have the children walk together in a circular path. Tell them to increase their speed to a run, while remaining in a circle. After a few minutes, stop the children and have them attempt to swim in the opposite direction. They will learn it is nearly impossible to go against currents.

    Scavenger Hunt

    • Scavenger hunt games help teach young children not to be afraid of the water. To play this game, the depth of the water should be waist high. Divide the kids into teams and have them dive for weighted pool toys. There should be an equal amount of each toy to make it fair for both teams. One person from each team must retrieve an item off the scavenger hunt list. Once all the items are found, that team wins.

    Red Light, Green Light

    • This is a great water safety game that instructs young children about the importance of listening when they hear a whistle blow. Have the children stand in water about waist deep and either say "green light," or "red light." The green light signals the children to advance toward you, but when you blow the whistle and say red light, the children must stop immediately. Those who continue to move after the whistle and red light are out. The first child to reach you at the finish line wins.

    On-line Water Safety Games

    • Although the best way to teach water safety games is by physically being in the water, you can also educate your children through interactive water safety games on-line. Put your kids' water safety knowledge to the test with fun water safety games they play on the computer. Coloring activities with simpler water safety messages for younger children are available, as well as water safety adventure games for older children and quizzes with important information for children of all ages.