Timed Laps

• Time your child while they swim some laps. Swimming is an excellent cardiovascular exercise. Swimming laps may not be appealing to children, but turn it in to a race and you have their full, undivided attention. You can start off timing one lap and then seeing if they can improve upon their time the next day. Do this for one week and then increase it to two laps. Each week you can increase it by one lap. If you have more than one child you can have them race. See which one can complete five laps first. This can be just as motivating as using a stop watch.
  
  

Scavenger Hunt

• Hold a scavenger hunt in the pool. There are a lot of toys that float and a lot that sink. Throw 10 toys in the pool while your child is not looking. Then say go and watch as they swim, dive and float to retrieve all of the toys. They are getting plenty of exercise and having fun doing it. You can continue this exercise until your child has been swimming and fetching toys for at least 30 minutes.
  
  

Basketball or Volleyball

• Purchase a basketball net made for a pool and then blow up a beach ball. Playing any sport,even in water, is a great way to exercise. You can practice shooting hoops and swim to retrieve your balls, or organize a game with your friends. If you play with your friends you will need two basketball nets. Whichever team scores the most baskets wins. Play this game for 30 minutes and you have reached your exercise quota for the day.
  
  If you aren't much into basketball you can play volleyball. You will need a net for the pool or an imaginary line to separate the two teams. Each team will want to hit the ball to the other side of the pool. If no one on the other side returns the ball, then they get a point. If the ball is hit out of the pool it doesn't count. The team with the most points at the end of 30 minutes is the winner.
  
  

Relay Races

• Create some relay races in the pool for a fun workout. Have the kids jump in to the pool, fetch some rings, dive through some inner tubes and swim under your legs. The first kid to touch the other side of the pool after completing all of these obstacles is the winner.
  
  You can also throw and inflatable dummy in the pool and have races as to which kid can rescue the dummy and get around all of the obstacles in the pool the fastest. You can even require the kids to paddle on a raft for so many feet. You can virtually perform any type of relay race you want. Just look around and use the objects you have in your home.