Top Toys for the Pool

When we moved into our house, one of the things I was most excited about is that we have a kid-friendly public pool within easy walking distance. We’ve gone every day since it opened on Saturday.

Enjoy this list of top pool toys for tots and young swimmers. I’ve left off larger toys and floaties, since public pools generally don’t allow them.

For Tots

• Take along a couple of your baby’s favorite small bath toys, including cups and buckets for stacking, nesting and pouring and toy boats. Bath squirters are fun, too, but keep in mind that it’s virtually impossible to keep them from growing mold inside.
• Babies love watching small windup toys move through the water.
• These water bugs and net from Boon seem like a hoot for toddlers.

For Older Kids who can Swim (usually 5 and up)

• Intex Dive Balls and Swimways Torpedo Bandits are popular choices. Kids swim to the bottom to retrieve them.
• Splash Bombs are squishy balls that don’t hurt if they smack you in the head. You can pick them up at Walmart and other stores.
• My local pool allows squirt guns, although I really wish they wouldn’t. Kids love them, though, and these foam-wrapped Max Liquidator Eliminators even float.
• And although they’re not really toys, my son’s goggles keep him entertained for hours. We like the Aqua Sphere ones because they’re easier on the eye sockets than the Speedo kind.