The Best Pool Toys for Kids and Adults This Summer
A round up of the best pool toys for kids, toddlers, and adults to enjoy at the beach or at pool parties for the most fun summer ever!
It’s hard work “crash dummy testing” pool toys… but we took one for the team, you guys.
The Best Pool Toys for Kids and Adults This Summer
I read a ton of top rated reviews for fun pool toys and pool floats, ordered the most recommended ones, threw them in our backyard swimming pool, and our family decided which ones were a total hit and which ones sunk (literally and figuratively) based on our personal experience.
It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. 😉
So I rounded up all of our top favorite pool toys and floats, so that you can be prepared for your next beach trip or pool party.
- Some are small enough for tossing into a suitcase without any packing bulk
- Some provide hours of entertainment for kids while encouraging exercise and development in hand-eye coordination
- Some have an added wow-factor that’s great for group gatherings and backyard parties
There are so many great budget friendly ones in the bunch. Whether you have younger children, older children, or a family of all adults who enjoy acting like big kids on pool day, these pool toys will create hours of fun.
The Best Toys for a Night Pool Party
Color Changing Light Up Beach Ball
These light up inflatable balls with rave reviews are the COOLEST for a night swim pool party! (Good thing we just installed tons of backyard lighting so that we can swim at night.)
I didn’t have high hopes for this one, to be quite honest. I figured these beach balls would light up for a few hours and then be dead.
But they’ve been going strong for a week despite us playing with them every day, and so far, they still light up as bright as Day 1.
You can choose a continuous color or press the setting to make it change colors.
It’s perfect as an inflatable volleyball for nighttime pool games. And it’s a great way to decorate the water for a poolside evening cookout.
Light Up Pool Pong Game
The classic pong game (beer optional) on a float! And the best part, it lights up and changes colors!
We had to add our own plastic cups into each cup holder, but it does come with 3 ping pong balls. We definitely recommend using this in the shallow end.
It’s a fun way to play a game or just use it as a bar float to hold your drinks.
Swim Through Rings
Olivia, our 9 year-old, is our little fish who loves a great underwater challenge, so these swim through rings were right up her alley. She and her friends have fun making obstacles courses with these swim through rings.
If you have young kids learning how to swim underwater, these swim through rings are a good idea to improve their skills.
The adjustable air chambers allow you to set the rings at different depths.
You can inflate them to all the way so they float at the water’s surface, or you can make it extra challenging by only inflating them slightly so swimmers have to race through the rings at the bottom of the pool.
Flip Flying Dive Stix
Without a doubt, these Flip Flying Dive Stix are the coolest diving toys ever! You can throw them like a slingshot, bright colors make them easier to spot underwater, and the little scuba divers’ squishy texture is so satisfying for some reason.
Have a diving game or a competition to see who can shoot them the farthest. They can reach up to 30 feet, though we still need practice apparently because we haven’t shot them that far… yet.
The Best Toddler Pool Toys
Shark Hunt Pool Game
Without a doubt, these Flip Flying Dive Stix are the coolest diving toys ever!
You can throw them like a slingshot, bright colors make them easier to spot underwater, and the little scuba divers’ squishy texture is so satisfying for some reason. They’re great for individual or group play.
Have a diving game or a competition to see who can shoot them the farthest.
They can reach up to 30 feet, though we still need practice apparently because we haven’t shot them that far… yet.
Swim School 2-In-1 Vest
We have gone through many swimming vests over the years, and this 2-in-1 vest tops them all if you have small children still trying to master swimming. (Here’s a blue/green shark version too.)
The arm bands zip off so as your child becomes more confident in the water, you can remove the middle and let him or her wear just the arm bands to help graduate to unassisted swimming.
The Best Pool Floats for Adults and Kids
4-In-1 Hammock Pool Float
When Robert and I went to Jamaica for our 10 year wedding anniversary, this hammock float was THE MOST recommended to me by seasoned travelers. For around $10 and the best comfort, it’s a great value.
It deflates to a size smaller than a T-shirt making it the best to tuck in a suitcase for a beach destination to float around in open waters.
Adults and kids of all ages fight over them in our pool, so we’ve ended up buying multiples of this great float.
Robert claims it as the most comfortable too because you can lie in it like a hammock or sit in it like a chair.
Rose Novelty Float
I got this Rose wine bottle float partly as a joke AKA “mom’s pool float… nobody touch”, but now the kids fight me for it because it’s actually really comfortable and so cute. It has a spot for a drink holder too.
Flamingo Party Tube Float
The classic flamingo float! But the reason this one is awesome… it inflates in literally 15 seconds.
Our kids have fiercely used and abused this tube all week, and it’s still leak-free. But it does come with a repair patch just in case.
Recommended Swimsuits for the Family
I tried out a few really cute figure flattering “mom bod” swimsuits that pass the coverage and support test. Robert picked favorite swim trunks for himself too.
And since our girls are always going through their swimwear at lightening speed, I snagged a few adorable pieces for them.
So I rounded up a bunch of swimsuit favorites for the whole family crew…
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Got any other great pool floats or pool toys for kids you’d add to the list? We’re always down for more around here!
Related Summer Family Favorites
Our Favorite Yard Games and Outdoor Toys for Summer
Pool Party Checklist and Backyard Party Planning Tips
The Best Cute and Modest Swimsuits With Tummy Control for Moms
