Mermaid Relay Race with Swim-Thru Hoops

Mermaid Relay Race Gameplay

How to Play: 

In a relay race, members of a team take turns completing a course to see which team can finish the fastest!

For beginner swimmers, race the short length of the pool. For advanced swimmers, race the long length of your pool. For an added challenge, have the kids race “like a mermaid” if they are able to efficiently swim with their legs pressed together to do the “dolphin kick.” Do NOT physically bind a child’s legs when swimming!

The game host stands in the center of the course with outstretched arms, a dive hoop in each hand. Dive hoops add just the perfect amount of flair- it gives the kids a goal to aim for (other than the wall) and adds an extra challenge to the course. The game host can hold the hoops up at the surface to make it easy, or down at a diving depth to make it more difficult, depending on the swimming ability of the players. 

Divide your party into two teams and have them line up along the edge of the pool. Teams send one player at a time through the course, carrying a baton. The player must swim through the hoop, touch the opposite end of the pool, then swim back through the hoop and return to the start. The next player in line should be ready to receive the baton and begin their swim through the course. The returning player should hand off the baton, then hop out of the pool and sit along the edge to signify they have completed their swim. This pattern continues until all players on either team have completed the course. 

How to win:

The team who gets all their members through the course and sitting along the edge first, WINS!

* If you have an uneven amount of players, the team with one less player can send one team member through the course twice. This person should go first & last. 

Tips from a Professional Mermaid:

I like to use batons that match the color of each hoop. Some kids are easily turned around, so having a team color helps them remember which hoop to swim through on their way back! 😉