Pool noodles – they’re light, hollow, and made to assist new swimmers and even used to reach people in need of rescuing.  These buoyant foams come in different colors and sizes which makes them the perfect accessory for swimming.

But, have you ever thought about ditching their water use and playing pool noodle games?  Due to them being lightweight, colorful, and cheap, they are the ideal item for outdoor fun and games. 

Check out these 5 fun pool noodle games that you should be playing!

All of the games with pool noodles listed below are water-free.  If you’re looking for water-based games, try these water games for those hot summer days.

Pool Noodle Jousting

Noodle Jousting: Uni Games Edition

You can go back to medieval times, thanks to this witty game with pool noodles. You only need 2 pool noodles, 1 for each player, and 2 sturdy stools or boxes.

Place the stools like this one on a flat surface, about 3 feet away and preferably outdoors where grass can serve as protection for falling players. Each player will stand on the stool and joust the other player using only their trusty pool noodle.

The player who falls off the stool loses the round. You should have 3 rounds, and the first player to win 2 rounds wins the jousting pool noodle game. 

To make winning this game with pool noodles even better, be sure to appoint the winning player King Noodle by making them a crown out of their noodle.

Protect the Pool Noodle!

Game - Noodle Thief

To play this pool noodle game, gather everyone in a big area and ask them to form a large circle. Now ask who will be the first player to protect the noodle.

The protector will have 2 pool noodles, one on the floor and the other one as their sword that they will use to protect the laying pool noodle. They should keep the pool between their feet on the floor.

As the game starts, the protector will be randomly attacked or approached by other players trying to grab the noodle on the floor.  If the protector, strikes someone, they must return back to their starting point before trying again. 

The player who’ll grab the noodle from the floor will be the next player to protect it.

Don’t Break My Egg

POOL NOODLE EGG HEAD GAME!!! (FUNNEST YOUTH GROUP ICEBREAKER EVER!!!)

Everyone who’ll join this wild game with pool noodles will receive 1 stocking, 1 uncooked egg, and a pool noodle. (Tip: Get a 54 pack of pool noodles like this one.) The idea of this fun pool noodle game is to protect your egg and bust everyone else’s.

Each player will place the egg inside the stockings and wear it over their head. They’ll have to go around the area protecting their egg and shielding it from other players with the help of their noodles.

Only one egg champion can remain!  So, break everyone else’s before they break yours.

This is also a great game to play inside a gaga ball pit.

Keep the Balloon Floating

Pool Noodle Balloon Game - fun outdoor summer family activity

There can be 2 – 3 players per team wherein each player will have their own pool noodle and 1 balloon per team. The goal is to keep the balloon floating just by hitting it with the pool noodle.

It’s a very simple, yet challenging, game because holding a balloon up in the air can be hard especially if it’s breezy. The team that can hold the balloon in the air the longest wins the round.

Keep the Noodle Standing

Standing Pool Noodle Game - fun kids outdoor activity team building game - youth group game

Have a group of 3-5 players stand close to each other in a circle with just 1-foot space in between. Each player will have 1 pool noodle that should stand beside them.

Once the pool noodle game starts, the player will leave his pool noodle standing and will rush to the next noodle in the circle. The goal is for each pool noodle to stay standing while the players rotate.

Once a full rotation is complete, the players will take 1 step backward and will repeat the rotation leaving their noodle standing and rushing to the next noodle to hold it. They will continue until they can no longer keep the noodle standing.  This is a great game for kids to encourage teambuilding.

Last update on 2024-08-21 at 06:57 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API