Learn How to Maximize Your Pool Enjoyment

Now that your pool is open – the fun has begun!

Why not make your pool the most inviting, irresistible place ever?– for friends, family, youngsters, oldsters, and everyone in between.

Here are 10 ideas for your Pool Bucket List:

1. Make Your Pool a Fresh Mineral Water^®∞ Pool

Check out this short video to see what we’re talking about. Then ask your dealer about FROG^®. – (choose from an installed product, a floating product and a skimmer basket product). It’s a life changer for pool owners.

FIND YOUR LOCAL FROG DEALER

Outdoor pool is surrounded by fun trees and shrubs

2. Love Up Your Landscape

Use in-ground plantings and potted plants to make your pool area feel like a tropical paradise or a hidden retreat. Spring and early summer are the ideal times to remove and replace shrubs around the pool and start fresh.

If you’re going for privacy, choose bushes that grow quickly, or purchase more mature plants.

To soften the mass of concrete and stone, try palms, ferns, grasses, or elephant ears in pots. For pops of color, add bright annuals. (This time of year, many youth organizations are selling them—so support them!) The joy of potted plants is you can move them or change them throughout the season to beautify the whole area.

Watch-outs: Remember not to put grass or plants that need fertilizer too close to the pool – fertilizer invites algae! Plus, plants or lawn located too close to the pool make it easier for organic matter like leaves and bugs to wind up in the water.

3. Light the night

Exciting new lighting options for pools—from solar-powered torches to gas-powered fire bowls – can quickly make a night and day difference for you. Add some floating lights or lighted floats. Surround your pool enclosure with a curtain of solar lights. Add an LED float-up bar, or fill the pool with floating lanterns.

An outdoor pool is lit up with string lights and underwater LEDs

Lighting is an easy, inexpensive way to make your pool the centerpiece of the party, or even the entertainment itself. If you’re using last year’s lighting, make sure it’s working and batteries are fresh. Fun kid tip: toss a few glowsticks in your pool for extra magic.

A young boy poses with his arms up in excitement in an outdoor pool

4. Warm Up the Pool. Like, Literally

Ever thought about adding a pool heater? Yes, it’ll add to your costs, but there are lots of upsides to always-comfortable water: a longer pool season, more entertaining opportunities, and more family time (remember, kids grow up fast!) Plus, you’re adding to the value of your home.

There are a number of ways you can raise the temp– from less expensive solar covers to solar heaters, gas heaters and heat pumps.

Toys and Games and Fun. Oh my!

We mined the internet and our friends for the best pool toys and games. Here are our favorites—guaranteed to get everybody out of the house, off their phones and enjoying the pool:

5. Head to the (Boat) Races

Micro RC boats are So. Much. Fun. No matter how old you are. These little guys fit in the palm of your hand, don’t cost a lot, and zip along crazy fast. You’ll find yourself rooting for well, yourself.

6. Try Underwater Hockey

This is rapidly becoming the “pickleball of the pool,” with new fanatics jumping in daily. Underwater Hockey, or Octopush, as it’s also known, is played with a weighted puck, which you send along the bottom of the pool with a short hockey stick. Some Octopros wear fins and snorkel gear–but totally not necessary. Good news, no goalie pads are required, either.

7. Shoot Some Pool

Ever heard of pool ball? It’s just like the game you play with your buds at the bar – except you’re underwater and the billiard balls are giant and inflatable and you have to push them into oversized pockets. …Hmm, maybe we should call it Pool Pool…? Again, great big fun in the water.

8. Shake it to Aqua Zumba

What’s the best workout that doesn’t feel at all like a workout? Aqua Zumba! All you need are some favorite tunes poolside—think reggae, pop, or Latin pop—and your best dance moves. The resistance of the water does the rest.

It’s super low-impact, super high-fun.

A dark haired woman wears a one piece swimsuit while she splashes and dances in the pool

9. Sing Pool Karaoke

With a waterproof microphone, your pool becomes a performance venue. Up the fun factor by making the “stage” a floating pool raft. (Now would be the perfect time to add those groovy LED lights mentioned above.)

A woman poses underwater for a cool photo

10. Take Up Underwater Photography

Does your smartphone have a waterproof case? Then what are you waiting for? Shoot some stills, shoot some video, and have your holiday card ready before the end of summer. Just as much fun: pick up a disposable waterproof camera, or hire a real-deal photographer.