A lot of people, however, are unaware about the history of a lot of the swim games, and how they have changed over time. Here’s a look at some more popular swimming pool activities and some associated fun facts:
Water polo was officially invented in the late 1800s, but anytime there has been a ball and some water, people have played. Water polo is one of the few Olympic events you can re-create right in your backyard without much effort. Ear-covering swim caps are optional.
Sharks and minnows originally came about as a training exercise for serious swimmers. The goal was to create a streamline underwater and quickly get to the other side before coming up for air. The shark was added when kids starting playing and holding your breath that long wasn’t possible. Now, sharks and minnows is one of the most popular games played in the pool.
As “legend has it,” water dodgeball came about from two water polo teams racing to the center of the pool to get the only ball available for practice. In order to decide, they started throwing the ball at each other and “knocking each other out.” The only way to survive was to dodge the ball.
The origin of this next game comes from the fields and farms that grew watermelon. Need a pool toy? Grab a watermelon. It didn’t take long for people to realize, whether you’re in a pool or a pond, getting a slick watermelon out of the water is very hard to do. Make it a competition and watch everyone chase the melon around forever.
Have a new swim game? We’d love to hear about it. Please describe it below!