The Best Hot Tub Games & Party Ideas for Families

Connecting with your family members and spending quality time with them is important to families all over the world. Between working and school hours, it can be difficult to find the time to dedicate to special days out or celebrations. A great way to spend some quality time with loved ones is to gather everyone in the hot tub, and play games that everyone can enjoy, regardless of age.

In today’s post, we’re going to take a look at some family-friendly hot tub games, party ideas, and general hot tub entertainment that you can try out to get in some quality family bonding time this season.

Benefits of Family Hot Tub Games

As well as helping you bond with loved ones, there are some great benefits to these games. Most games mentioned below will have many cognitive benefits as they require parts of the brain that deal with pattern recognition, vocabulary, and language.

There are many studies that suggest that memory and social skills can be enhanced with word games that stimulate the brain. These studies also suggest that such games could offset symptoms of old age, helping you remain active mentally, for longer periods of time. There’s sound evidence to suggest that these hot tub games mentally benefit all members of the family, so if they weren’t already, they should definitely be on your list of bonding activities.

Each game can be adjusted to fit different ages and learning levels.

Family-Friendly Hot Tub Games

Musical Jets

To play this game you’ll need:

• A stereo/a form of music player.

Have you ever played musical chairs? Well, this game is the hot tub equivalent! To play, each player must move around the hot tub in a clockwise motion. When the music stops, you freeze. If a player stopped in a place where the jet is blowing, they’re out. And it really is that simple.

Someone will need to be on stereo duty but apart from that, this is a game everyone can get involved in!

Hot Tub Pong

To play this game, you’ll need per player:

• One plastic cup
• Two ping pong balls
• A beverage of your choice

For this aquatic version of the party favorite beer pong game, you will need to simply arrange your plastic cups anywhere near your hot tub. Use one cup per player and write each person’s name on their corresponding cup.

Fill each cup with your chosen beverage and give each player two balls. Each player gets two chances to throw their ping pong ball into a cup. If a player misses, they take a drink. If the ball lands in your cup, you must take a drink.

Submarine

To play this game, you’ll need:

• Two plastic cups

No matter how many players you have, all you’ll need is two plastic cups, making this a super accessible game for everyone.

Fill one plastic cup with water until it floats upright in the hot tub water without tipping over. Here is your submarine.

Place your submarine in the middle of the hot tub and make all players sit around it. Use the other plastic cup to pour a little bit of water into the submarine once at a time. Pass the cup around until everyone has had a turn, then repeat.

The goal is to avoid sinking the submarine. The player who does sink the submarine must complete a forfeit, which can be anything from a silly dance, running around the hot tub or jumping in the water.

Cold Shower

To play this game, you’ll need:

• Balloons
• Cold Water

Begin this game by filling a balloon with cold water. Each player must then hold the balloon over their head whilst the other players count to five.

The water balloon will eventually break, and the unlucky player will be doused in cold water, hence the name Cold Shower. If the player gets a cold shower, they are out. Continue playing until the last player is remaining!

Who Am I?

To play this game, you’ll need:

• Paper cards and masking tape

OR

• Blank water-resistant name tag stickers

To begin, write down the names of several people on your cards/blank stickers. It’s important to have more tags than players or the game will be too easy.

Shuffle the name tags and hold them face down, ready for each player to take one. Each player must attach the tag to their forehead so everyone else can see it, but they can’t.

Each player must then take turns asking questions about their celebrity. The goal is to guess the name of your assigned celebrity as quickly as possible. The person who guesses last loses and has to complete a forfeit of your choice.

Family-Friendly Party Ideas

Aside from hot tub games, there are so many more things you can use your hot tub for. If event planning is your forte, here are some family-friendly party ideas you can use to host the hot tub party of the year!

Wine Tasting

Although wine tasting isn’t family-friendly, you can adapt the traditional soiree to be.

Use alternative beverages for the children such as apple juice to mimic the wine. Use some plastic wine glasses for little ones so they feel included, leaving room for the adults to sip at the real stuff!

You can also do blind tasting by wrapping bottles of wine in brown bags whilst serving them. This is a great and fun way to involve adults and children and the hot tub!

Tea Party

If wine tasting isn’t your thing, don’t worry! You don’t need alcoholic beverages to host a great hot tub party.

A soothing cup of tea is a great addition to a bubbling hot tub and enhances the relaxing effects of lounging. Perfect for all ages, a tea party is a great way to include the whole family!

Spa Party

What spa party is complete without a hot tub?! Enjoy a pamper evening with DIY facials and chocolate-covered strawberries all in the warm waters of your hot tub! It’s the perfect way to include the whole family, even the boys!

Hot Tub Idol

American Idol is a family favorite show, so why not turn your hot tub into a stage? The first player can choose any song and sing a line of it. The next player can sing a different song that starts with the last word sung by the first player. All players then do the same. Players who can’t start another song are out! Continue playing until every player is eliminated.

Hot Tub Game Night

A great theme for your hot tub party is games night, in which you can use all the above examples.

This is great if you have a crowd of mixed ages, who all enjoy different things but still want to be involved as a group. The games mentioned above have something for everyone, so are perfect for the whole party.

Hot Tub Entertainment

A hot tub is great for many things aside from games and parties. Below are some family-friendly suggestions for general hot tub entertainment for everyone!

Hot Tub Cinema

Everyone loves a good movie, and if family bonding is top of your list, why not level up your viewing experience to the hot tub. All you need is a projector and a white wall/sheet to project the move on. Whether it’s comedy, horror, or action movies, this is a sure way of enjoying the latest movies in style, with the whole family.

Waterproof card games

If your family loves card games, you need to get your hands on some waterproof cards. This will allow you to play all your favorite card games in the comfort of your hot tub. This spin on card games is sure to excite the whole family and is great for spending quality time doing things you enjoy!

The Perfect Hot Tub Experience with Big Johns

So, there you have it, our ultimate guide for hot tub games and entertainment, ready for you to throw the best hot tub party night this season. Did we miss your favorite game? Let us know which one it is! We’d love to hear your thoughts.