Toys and leisure products for your pool

Gone are the days when pool owners had to amuse themselves with a noodle or kickboard all summer. Thanks to Swimart, you and the kids can be amused for hours with our range of inexpensive pool toys and leisure products that not only give you a great workout but also maximise your summer fun.

From solitary laps to team games like Marco Polo (a form of tag played in the pool), an aquatic environment can provide hours of endless joy and entertainment – especially in summer.

Swimart Noodles

Exclusive to Swimart, this iconic pool accessory is made from durable, safe, non-toxic buoyant foam. They're inexpensive, come in a range of bright colours, and can be used for relaxation and entertainment purposes.

In fact, here are four easy ways you can teach your children basic swimming skills with a Swimart Noodle:

1. Place the noodle under one armpit, around their back then under the other armpit so they float in a vertical position. Now ask them to flutter kick and tread water.
2. In a horizontal prone position, place the swim noodle under their armpits and across the chest to practice the flutter kick or the breaststroke kick.
3. Place the noodle around their neck in a supine position with arms extended or at their sides so they can practice the backstroke kick.
4. Lying in a horizontal side position in the water, place a water noodle under their lower arm pit to practice the scissor kick used in the sidestroke.

Dive discs, sticks and rings

These pool toys are great for your child’s spatial awareness and hand eye co-ordination as they require a number of skills including breath control, submersion, propulsion and turning under water. An inexpensive way for kids to have fun and interact with their friends, they suit all size pools as you don't need much space to play with them. Kids love holding their breath to see how quickly they pick them up so make a game of it by timing each attempt.
Waterproof swimming pool balls

Waterproof, soft and safe, neoprene balls are ideal for large pools or lap pools as the kids need space to throwthem to each other while they’re in the water. Whether it's playing catch while treading water in the pool, or purchasing a game with a net so the kids can set up teams and play volleyball, they can provide endless hours of fun.

Lochie the Lifeguard

An initiative of Royal Life Saving (RLS), Lochie the Lifeguard has developed a series of water safety activities for kids, including dot to dot, colouring in, unscramble the words and crossword puzzles. The quiz is suitable for all ages and is not only challenging but also informative.

If you are holding a children's pool party over summer, these five simple tips from RLS will ensure safetyand fun for everyone:

1. Explain your pool rules to the children
2. Workout who can swim and who can’t
3. Assign a designated child supervisor (more than one may be necessary if there are a few kids)
4. If one child supervisor needs to leave the area, ensure another adult is ready to take over
5. Have an emergency plan in placeand your CPR chart accessible

Your local Swimart store stocks a range of quality pool toys and leisure products, as does the Swimart website.

Summer can wreak havoc on pool and spa water so next week we’ll look at how you can take care of your valued investment.