Beyond Laps – Creative and Fun Uses for your Swimming Pool

In Blog by Kate Cunha

Creative

Since stepping into the world of social media last year, I’ve come to realize that a swimming pool isn’t just for swimming these days! I’ve noticed that many of our clients have come up with creative and downright fun ways to use their pools for more than your typical lap swim.

For example, last October a number of my clients held a Pumpkin Bob. Pumpkins and other gourds float, so why not host a fun swim for the pool members where they swim to collect their Halloween pumpkin? You’re bound to draw attention to the pool with a festive activity like that. Just be sure to give those pumpkins a scrub first! In the spring, many pools host aquatic Easter egg hunts. Plastic eggs certainly float, and children inadvertently have to work on their swimming skills in order to catch the eggs that are bobbing and floating away. As long as you have a plan in place for keeping eggs out of the skimmers, you’re good to go. What other holidays could you plan an event for?

More recently, a local client hosted a cardboard boat race in their pool. Each team of children was given cardboard and duct tape and told to make the best boat they could. Can you picture that? How much fun must those kids have had when given the opportunity to test their creation out in the pool?! Not only does an activity like that remind the community of how much their local pool has to offer, the game itself exposes children to principles of physics and engineering while under the guise of a great way to get wet! Pool and Spa News recently shared a link to a similar event held at Firestone High School in Akron, Ohio. While these students also had access to plastic sheeting, the idea is the same! I’d advise having a few additional skimmer nets on hand for the inevitable boat that doesn’t float, just to keep the cardboard out of the filtration system. That, and someone to video tape the antics!

I’ve noticed that some athletic clubs regularly hold movie nights in their pools. The chance to hang out, have a swim with friends and family, and catch up on a good movie sounds like a sure fire draw for teenagers and families. Some pools add additional seating around the pool (maintaining a safe distance from the pool edge, of course) and project the movie onto a large screen, while others project the movie onto the ceiling and encourage the use of floats and lounges. Either way, I’m sure the attendees have a good time.

Of course, with any sort of non-standard pool activity, care must be taken to protect the pool and equipment from foreign objects, and extreme diligence must be observed in order to ensure the safety of all participants, but the novelty of fun activities like these are a great way to draw the community into your facility as well as continue to engage regular patrons. Think outside of the box from time to time when it comes to you pool. What sort of new activities could you introduce at your facility? What are you already doing? We’d love to hear more about creative and exciting ways that you use your pool!