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Affordable pool sports, floating board games, and gear that turns your backyard into the most-used pool in the neighborhood. Most picks under $100.
Your pool is gorgeous. It cools you off, it raises your home value, and it makes your backyard the envy of the cul-de-sac. But after a few weeks of summer, even the most beautiful pool can start to feel like a one-trick amenity. Swim. Float. Repeat.
The fastest way to fix that is also the cheapest. Pool toys and games. Real ones, built for adults as much as kids. At Blue Haven, we have spent more than 65 years designing backyard pool resorts, and the pattern is the same every summer. Pools with a basketball hoop and a volleyball net get used more often. Family game night moves outside. Adult dinner parties end in a pool joust bracket. Kids invent rules and stick with them all summer.
Below are 10 of our favorites. Most are under $100, none require a contractor, and every one of them is built to make your pool the place everyone wants to be.
Item 1 – Watermelon Ball
Best for ages 6 and up, 2 or more players, around $20.
The Watermelon Ball is filled with a mix of air and water, so it floats briefly and then slowly sinks. That sinking moment is the whole game. You can dribble it along the pool floor in slow motion, pass it underwater up to 10 feet, or play a rugby-style team version in the shallow end. Most players invent their own rules within five minutes.
Pro tip: Play two-on-two. Award a point for every three completed underwater passes before a turnover. Whoever hits 5 wins.
Item 2 – Floating Golf Green
Best for ages 10 and up, 1 to 4 players, $25 to $60.
You do not need a private putting green for backyard golf practice. A floating golf green sits on the water and a chipping pad goes on the deck. Take turns chipping from the deck to the green. Plastic balls float; Velcro balls stick to the green on a clean hit.
Pro tip: Set up three chipping distances and play "closest to the pin" with one ball per distance. Loser buys the next round of ice cream.
Item 3 – Lob the Blob (pool cornhole)
Best for ages 6 and up, 2 to 8 players, around $40.
A waterproof cornhole. Lob the Blob is a 37 by 26 inch floating target made of heavy-gauge PVC with welded seams and a Speed Safety Valve for fast inflation. Stainless-steel grommets let you anchor it with a weight so it stays put. The set comes with eight waterproof blobs. Three points for in the hole, one point for on the board, first team to 21 wins.
Pro tip: Run a bracket tournament at your next pool party. Winning team picks the playlist for the rest of the afternoon.
Item 4 – Water Joust
Best for ages 8 and up with adult supervision, 2 players, $50 to $80.
The SWIMLINE Log Flume Pool Joust is two 58 by 14 inch inflatable "logs" and two foam-padded boppers, all printed to look like wood. Players balance on a log, grab a bopper, and try to knock the other into the water. Best of three wins the match. Silly, competitive, and a guaranteed party highlight.
Pro tip: Play in the shallow end. Run a "knight or dame" bracket at your next pool party and let the winner pick first off the grill.
Item 5 – Pool Volleyball Net
Pool volleyball is a longstanding tradition that fosters friendly competition (and sometimes some lighthearted family rivalries). And you can burn some calories while you’re at it as well.
The size of your pool will help determine the type of net you’ll need to play the game. Floating nets are available for sale, but they can be fairly unstable.
The Dunnrite AquaVolley Swimming Pool Volleyball Set provides a solution. The net is 24 feet long and is fully adjustable for length and height. Two sturdy aluminum posts are anchored by water-filled plastic bases placed on the deck. Use the hot pink volleyball (included) to set and spike, and it’s game on!
Item 6 – Floating Ping Pong
Best for ages 8 and up, 2 to 4 players, around $100.
The Floating Waterproof Table Tennis Table is 54 by 27 inches and floats in the pool. Hard surface for solid slap shots, padded corners for the inevitable bump. Paddles and balls float too. Lift the whole thing onto a deck table when you want to keep playing out of the water.
Pro tip: Doubles is better than singles for pool ping pong. Two players on each side, no boundaries, last paddle to drop the ball loses the point.
Item 7 – Pool Basketball Hoop
Best for ages 6 and up, 2 or more players, $30 to $200.
Two main styles to choose from. A poolside hoop that mounts on the deck or hangs from the coping is sturdier and built for H.O.R.S.E., one-on-one, and the occasional dunk contest. An inflatable floating hoop (about 45 by 36 inches) keeps everyone in the water and weighs almost nothing. Either way, you make fewer trips out of the pool to chase missed shots.
Pro tip: Most poolside hoops are height-adjustable. Lower the rim so younger kids can dunk too. Confidence-building dunks are the secret to a long basketball afternoon.
Item 8 – Floating Hockey Game
Best for ages 6 and up, 2 players, around $30.
The Floating Hockey Game is a 71 by 39 inch floating board (6 inches tall when inflated) with two hand-held foam pushers, like the ones on a bar-room air hockey table. Two players stand at either end and push a plastic puck back and forth. Pull it out and set it on a picnic table when game night moves to the deck.
Pro tip: This is the most forgiving game on the list for younger players because no one needs to swim. Both players stand and push.
Item 9 – Floating Pool Gameboard
Best for ages 6 and up, 2 players, around $30.
A 20 by 16 inch Floating Pool Gameboard gets you chess, checkers, and backgammon in the shallow end. Bring it out at sunset, set up a slow checkers tournament, let everyone swim around you. Surprisingly cinematic.
Pro tip: Float it next to your Baja shelf or sun ledge. Built-in shallow seating turns this into the pool's version of a coffee table.
Item 10 – Inflatable Bull Float
Best for ages 10 and up with adult supervision, 1 rider plus 2 to 4 wranglers, around $150.
The Inflat-A-Bull is a 32 inch tall inflatable bull mounted on a 96 by 32 inch oval floatie with grab handles. Wranglers hold the handles and shake the float. The rider tries to stay on. Whoever lasts the longest wins. The bonus over a real rodeo: falls land in the pool, not the dirt.
Pro tip: Start a stopwatch and keep a running leaderboard. Family bull-riding records become backyard lore.
Quick comparison table
| Toy or game | Best age | Players | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Watermelon Ball | 6+ | 2+ | ~$20 |
| Floating Golf Green | 10+ | 1-4 | $25-$60 |
| Lob the Blob (pool cornhole) | 6+ | 2-8 | ~$40 |
| Water Joust | 8+ | 2 | $50-$80 |
| Pool Volleyball Net | 8+ | 4+ | $80-$150 |
| Floating Ping Pong | 8+ | 2-4 | ~$100 |
| Pool Basketball Hoop | 6+ | 2+ | $30-$200 |
| Floating Hockey Game | 6+ | 2 | ~$30 |
| Floating Pool Gameboard | 6+ | 2 | ~$30 |
| Inflatable Bull Float | 10+ | 3+ | ~$150 |
Frequently asked questions about pool toys and games
What are the best pool toys for adults?
For active adults, pool volleyball, water joust, and floating ping pong are the most-used picks. For lower-key afternoons, the floating pool gameboard and a watermelon ball pass the time without raising anyone's heart rate too much.
What pool toys should I buy for a pool party?
Stack three categories: one team sport (volleyball or cornhole), one head-to-head game (water joust or basketball), and one chaotic crowd pleaser (the inflatable bull float). That mix keeps kids, teens, and adults all playing at once.
How much do good pool toys cost?
Most quality pool toys and games run between $20 and $100. The volleyball net and a permanent poolside basketball hoop are the two pricier picks (up to about $200), and they are also the two that get used the most across the summer.
Are pool toys safe for kids?
Yes, with two rules. Match the toy to the age of the player (the comparison table above lists recommended ages), and keep a sober adult actively watching whenever children are in the water. Pool joust and bull riding need adult supervision even for older kids.
What is the difference between a poolside basketball hoop and a floating one?
A poolside hoop mounts on the deck or coping. It is sturdier, supports real dunking, and is better for H.O.R.S.E. or one-on-one. A floating hoop sits on the water, weighs almost nothing, packs away when the season ends, and keeps everyone in the water during play. Most families end up with both eventually.
What pool games do not require any equipment?
Plenty. Marco Polo, Sharks and Dolphins, and chicken fights need nothing but swimmers. For the full list, read our no-equipment swimming pool games guide.
Your pool, the gathering place
Pick two or three of the items above, keep a sober adult watching whenever kids are in the water, and you have everything you need to make your pool the most-used backyard on the block this summer. If you are still planning a pool, or thinking about an upgrade like a built-in basketball hoop sleeve, a Baja shelf for floating game boards, or a swim-up bar that begs for a volleyball net, Blue Haven has been designing backyard pool resorts for more than 65 years. Browse our pool photo gallery for design ideas, or find your local Blue Haven team to start a conversation.
