IF YOU HAVEN’T CALLED YOUR LOCAL POOL OPENING SERVICE YET, YOU’RE MISSING OUT ON MORE FUN THAN YOU KNOW
If you have a pool and have only been using it to swim in, then you and your family are really missing out. When you enlist your preferred pool opening service this summer, you’re not just preparing a place to do laps or sit by the side soaking up rays – although both of these activities are still very worthwhile pursuits! But the folks who work at local Ottawa pool services know that what you’re really opening every summer is a world of adventure for your family. It doesn’t matter if your children and their friends are five or 15, there’s great fun to be had for everyone.
Remember, safety is always the most important part of any activity. Ottawa pool services advise you to be aware of the swimming skills of each participant, be sure there is adult supervision at all times, and never allow running or rough-housing on potentially slippery surfaces!
GAMES AND ACTIVITIES FOR YOUNG CHILDREN
For children whose swimming skills aren’t yet as developed, Ottawa pool services recommend choosing pool games that can be played either on foot in a shallow pool (or shallow end), or with life jackets or water wings. Do you remember the school yard classic, “What Time Is It, Mr. Wolf?” “What Time Is It, Mr. Shark?” is a pool-friendly version with dogpaddling. For a simpler game that can be quickly set up, take a large quantity of ping-pong balls—which float in water—and play a game where the kid who collects the most balls wins. To raise the stakes, try writing varying point values on the balls, and tallying the scores at the end. The sooner you call your pool opening service, the more hours of fun your children can have!
GAMES AND ACTIVITIES FOR ADVANCED SWIMMERS
The great thing about these games is that they’re fun for anyone who is a strong swimmer, whether they’re a kid, a teenager, or an adult. Diving-based competitions are a great way to spend an afternoon. Try sinking various treasures and trinkets to the bottom of the pool, and having competing teams see who can collect the most in a certain amount of time. To raise the stakes and make things more interesting, fill a plastic bottle with water, and let it sink to the bottom. It will be harder to find, creating a greater challenge – and a greater sense of success when found! If you want some silly fun, give one person a pool-noodle and make them stand outside the pool. Everyone else stays underwater, coming up for air as often as they need to. The result is an aquatic version of Whack-a-Mole!
If you’re putting off having your pool opened, then you’re seriously missing out on a chance to make a summer to remember. Contact your local pool opening services and start having fun now!