The best pool toys and games you can buy

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The Insider Pick:

• There's nothing like a nice dip in the pool to refresh you during those long summer months. To liven up the time you spend poolside, we've rounded up the best pool toys and games you can buy.

• Whether you want to play ball, go diving, pretend to be a mermaid, or get the whole family in on the fun, we have a pick for you.

The joys of the backyard swimming pool are many as the temperature inches upward over the long days of summer. Swimming laps, lazily drifting on a pool float, or stretching out on a poolside lounger while slathered in sunscreen are all great ways to enjoy the pool, but sometimes, you crave a little more excitement.

Whether you’re trying to keep your kids busy over summer break, you’re hosting a pool party and want to keep things lively, or you just feel the need for more than aimless swimming, a toy or game specifically designed for the pool is the answer.

There are a lot of pool toys and games out there, so we did the hard work for you, and gathered up our favorite games and toys for use in a backyard or community pool, or even at the local lake. Try one or try them all, and watch your pool turn into the most popular playground in town.

These are our favorite pool toys of all kinds:

• Best ball for the pool: Watermelon Ball
• Best diving toy: SwimWays Toypedo Bandits
• Best mermaid tail for the pool: Fin Fun Mermaid Tail
• Best toy for an all-ages pool party: Intex Inflat-A-Bull
• Best volleyball set for the pool: Intex Pool Volleyball Set
• Best pool toy for young children: SwimWays Gobble Gobble Guppies
• Best drink holder for the pool: Jasonwell Floating Drink Holder
• Best colorful light show for the pool: Mood Light Floating LED Balls
• Best game for an adult pool party: GoPong Beer Pong Float
• Best pool game for the whole family: Swimline Log Flume Joust Set

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

The best ball for the pool

Watermelon Ball

Why you'll love it: The Watermelon Ball does everything a basketball can do, but underwater.

What looks like a watermelon, acts like a watermelon, but can’t be eaten like a watermelon? Why, the Watermelon Ball, of course! This all-sorts-of-fun pool toy inflates with water from a garden hose, not air, so you can play a multitude of underwater games without it bobbing to the surface.

You can pass it up to 10 feet underwater, dribble it on the bottom of the pool, dive for it, play tag or keep-away. This ball might just be the most played-with toy in your pool this summer, and believe us, it’s not only going to be the kids fighting over whose turn is next.

With nearly 250 reviews on Amazon, the Watermelon Ball has a 4.6-star average and dozens of comments from happy buyers.

“Glad I purchased it. It's made out of a very thick material, seems very sturdy. The kids love it," one buyer wrote. "We've made up several games with it. It bounces great under water, we play tag with my young ones, dribble it, pass it,  see who can get it to bounce the deepest, and a few other things. So far a lot of fun.”

Pros: Very versatile toy that can be used for many different games, and enjoyed by all ages

Cons: A few buyers complained they did not receive directions or attachment for filling the ball with water

Buy the Watermelon Ball on Amazon for $24.99

The best pool toy for diving

SwimWays

Why you'll love it: Keep your kids busy for hours diving and playing with the SwimWays Toypedo Bandits. 

Shaped like mini submarines, the SwimWays Toypedo Bandits glide up to 20 feet through the water after a simple toss into the pool. They don’t just sink to the bottom, either. Instead, they zip forward while slowly descending.

One child can have fun chasing and catching the little missiles, or two or more kids can race each other, play relays, or come up with a variety of games with the toys.

The SwimWays Toypedo Bandits have more than 650 Amazon reviews and an average of 4.6 stars. Pleased customers say things like, “Move very fast in the water,” “Great for swim games,” “So much fun!” and “My kids love these and so do I.”

Pros: Versatile toys, encourage kids to improve diving and underwater swimming skills

Cons: Only a pack of four, so if you have lots of kids in the pool, you’ll need more than one pack to avoid arguments

Buy the SwimWays Toypedo Bandits on Amazon for $4.69

The best mermaid tail

Fin Fun/Facebook

Why you'll love it: If you’ve ever fantasized about being a mermaid, the Fin Fun Mermaid Tail lets you live the dream.

Mermaid or merman, if you, your kids, your significant other, or anyone else taking a dip in your swimming pool want to experience the joys and the challenges of life as half-human/half-fish, you need the Fin Fun Mermaid Tail.

This beauty isn’t a cheap-looking costume — It’s made of sturdy fabric that sits somewhere between bathing suit and thin wetsuit. The tail comes in several bright colors and has a “scale” pattern that looks almost 3-D when wet.

Nor does the Fin Fun Mermaid Tail limit you to just looking pretty on the side of the pool, or posing for Instagram selfies. The tail comes with a flipper-like monofin that helps you glide through the water just like the Little Mermaid, although it should be stressed that this is not a lifesaving device, a flotation device for kids who don’t know how to swim, or even easy to swim in without at least a little bit of practice.

Amazon buyers love the mermaid tail. It has more than 1,650 reviews and an average of 4.6 stars. Reviewers both young and old praise the tail’s looks and fun, but several comment that the fabric tears easily if dragged along a rough pool bottom, and some say that it does take a little practice to use for swimming.

The Fin Fun Mermaid Tail comes in several sizes for children and adults, along with nine different colors.

Pros: Very pretty, stretchy fabric fits most bodies, range of sizes, fun for children and adults, great for Instagram

Cons: Fabric might rip if it rubs on rough ground, expensive

Buy the Fin Fun Mermaid Tale on Amazon for $69.95 to $94.95 depending on size and color

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