Properties with a pool: the fun activities you could offer!
Ideas for activities at your establishment’s pool, including safety checks and a timetable that still allows free swimming.
The essentials. A game of water basketball or an aquagym session can liven up your pool. Before fixing the time, check who can run the activity and which supervision rules apply to your pool. For children, start with games in the shallow area where they can stand; for adults, choose between a guided class and relaxation. Announce the area in use and keep slots free for general swimming.
A game of water basketball or a session of aquagym can animate your pool, provided you check the supervision rules that apply to your establishment. Here’s what you can offer without forgetting guests who are simply there to swim.
Pool safety: who supervises, who runs the session?
Updated 13 October 2026. Before offering a game, specify who supervises the children and who runs the session. Check the obligations specific to your establishment: they depend in particular on the pool’s status, its access conditions and the planned activity. Then determine whether the activity leader can also provide the required supervision or whether another person must do so.
The article L. 322-7 of the Sports Code requires constant supervision by qualified staff at pay-to-access pools during their public opening hours. A pool reserved for accommodation guests only is not automatically in that category. Do not deduce the applicable rule from the words “ camping ” or “ hôtel ” alone: check the actual access conditions to the pool.
Another question, distinct from supervision: who runs the game? Article L. 212-1 of the Sports Code governs instruction, animation and supervised paid physical or sporting activities. Before entrusting an aquagym session or a tournament to an activity leader, check that their qualification covers the activity in question. Giving a ball to swimmers and running a class are two different situations.
At a campsite, do not confuse running a water game with supervising swimming. Before announcing the session, check the rules that apply to your pool and plan the supervision they require, in addition to the animation. Tell participants who is responsible for each role.
To organise the session, check the pool’s status, its access conditions and the planned activity against the supervision rules that apply to the pool. Also specify whether other guests will be allowed to swim during the game. If the activity leader cannot provide the required supervision at the same time, assign it to another person or postpone the activity. Keep the emergency contacts accessible to the team.
Activities for children
Offer activities to children and teens without giving parents the impression that the animation exempts them from staying attentive. The ministry responsible for Sport recommends that an adult be designated to supervise each child, even in a supervised area: its guidance for bathing with children also provides a useful benchmark to pass on to families. To help them prepare their stay, find our advice on child safety in accommodation.
For a campsite pool activity without equipment, start with a simple game: give movement instructions in the part of the pool where participants can stand. Before considering a diving contest, check the rules applicable to diving and to supervision. For dodgeball, arrange for an activity leader. Even for a simple game, check the supervision rules that apply to your pool.
Play “Simon Says” with the children in the shallow area: take three steps forward, stop, raise your arms. To vary it, ask them to walk to the pool edge without running or holding their breath.
You can leave balls available for water basketball matches. If you plan to install slides for a morning, first check the rules that apply to such equipment and the space they would occupy in the pool.
Among the other activities, you could include:
A paper aeroplane throwing contest over the pool, from a dry area, without asking children to retrieve the planes from the water.
A diving contest only during a supervised session, if the applicable rules and the pool layout allow it.
Water polo, with a defined play area.
A game of dodgeball, with the help of an activity leader.
If all the planes end up in the pool, the contest mostly ends with a collection.
Activities for adults
Offer a 30-minute aquagym session: 5 minutes of warm-up, 20 minutes of guided exercises and 5 minutes of cooldown. Before adding it to the schedule, confirm who leads it and whether that person is qualified to run the activity.
To stay in the realm of sport, you can choose between aqua-volley and aqua running. The first suits occasional tournaments; the second requires little equipment. In both cases, delimit the practice area so other swimmers know where to go.
For a more relaxation-focused moment, you can also offer aqua yoga, with or without a mask. If some exercises put the head underwater, announce it before the session and provide an alternative for participants who do not wish to do them.
Finally, if you have the means and the space available, why not install a few aquabike bikes? First check where to store them outside sessions and how to set them up without disrupting free swimming. For a single trial session, there is no need to buy bikes before knowing whether your audience will want them.
Free swimming and the pool activity schedule at a campsite: times and pool access
Preserve slots for free swimming by leaving your pool in open access for most of the day, respecting its opening hours and the applicable rules. Guests who want to lounge by the water should be able to spot the next quiet slot.
For the pool activity schedule of your hotel or campsite, state the activity and the time of each session. Also display the free swimming slots. If an activity limits access to part or all of the pool, specify that on the schedule.
At a campsite, also note the end time of each activity and the time when free swimming resumes. If only part of the pool remains accessible, name the area open to other guests. Update the schedule as soon as a slot changes.
The table helps choose an activity according to what it actually requires. It does not replace checking the supervision and the qualifications of the person who runs it.
| Activities | Audience | Equipment | Decision before announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| “Simon Says”, paper planes | Children | Paper for planes | Define the play area |
| Water basketball, dodgeball | Children and teens | Balls | Provide an activity leader if the game is run |
| Water polo, aqua-volley | Teens and adults | Ball, net for volley | Reserve a pool area |
| Diving contest, slide | Children and teens | Slide, if installed | Check the rules and the pool |
| Aquagym, aqua running, aqua yoga | Adults | Optional equipment | Check who supervises the session |
| Aquabike | Adults | Aquabike bikes | Arrange installation and storage |
According to an internal StyQR observation, campsite managers can present pool times and stay information in the same welcome book accessible on phone. The schedule still needs to be corrected by the establishment as soon as a session changes: the welcome book does not decide supervision or pool opening.
If you use a digital welcome book to communicate the programme, also indicate where guests will find any last-minute change. A printed schedule is enough if your times rarely change; a modifiable welcome book allows you to correct the shared information without reprinting. The pool itself does not update on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a lifeguard to run activities in the pool? It depends on the pool’s access conditions and the activity organised. A pay-to-access pool is subject to a requirement for constant supervision by qualified staff; check separately the qualification needed to lead a paid sporting activity. Do not set the session before establishing who performs each role.
What activities to offer children around the pool? Start with “Simon Says” in the area where they can stand, water basketball or a paper aeroplane throw from the edge. Water polo and dodgeball require more organisation. For a diving contest or a slide, first check the applicable rules and the pool’s layout.
Which aquatic activities for adults? Aquagym offers a guided format, while aqua running requires little equipment. Aqua-volley suits tournaments and aqua yoga a calmer session. Reserve aquabike if you have the budget and a place to store the bikes.
Isn’t aquagym a bit old-fashioned? Choose the format according to your audience. Music, pace and equipment change the session without needing to change its name. Clearly state the expected intensity so everyone knows what to expect.
Do you need to close the pool during activities? Not necessarily. If the game can occupy a defined area without compromising pool organisation, indicate which area remains open and the time when free swimming resumes. If cohabitation is not possible, announce the closure before the session.
Should you invest in equipment to start? No. You can start with “Simon Says”, then use balls for water basketball or dodgeball. Aquabike comes later if you have the budget, the space and demand for this activity.
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