Between working toward professional and personal goals, and helping your kids be the best that they can be at school and in sports, it's often difficult to relax as a family and catch up. I get it. But even brief periods of connection can be satisfying—especially when you gather the family around your hot tub to play games that everyone can enjoy, regardless of age.
Spending time together in the warm water of your spa, without distractions and for pure enjoyment, is an ideal way to reconnect, laugh, and open doors to conversations. Together, you and your family can shake off the stress of the week and take advantage of dedicated quality time.
The Best Benefits of Hot Tub Games for the Whole Family
A home spa can do much more than help you get motivated and warmed up for physical exercise. By setting aside time to soak as a family, you can fit in some good mental exercise, too. After all, just as our bodies need exercise to stay in good health, so do our brains.
In addition to the fun and bonding benefits of games, many have cognitive benefits because they involve parts of the brain that deal with pattern recognition, vocabulary, and language. Recent studies suggest that memory, social skills, and quick thinking can be bolstered with intelligence training tasks, including playing word games that stimulate the brain. There's even evidence that such tasks and games could offset some symptoms of old age, such as forgetfulness, and help those with progressive dementia remain mentally active longer.
Choose from the Best Hot Tub Games for Your Next Spa Soak
When life gets busy, family schedules can collide, but a home spa can bring everyone together on a regular basis. The best hot tub games, including those I list below, can unite, engage and be adjusted to fit different ages and learning levels. If your favorite hot tub game isn't on this list, we want to hear about it! Leave a comment below.
Who Am I?
This is a classic game that's perfect for the hot tub, swimming pool, or a long road trip.
- The first player thinks of a person: either a member of the family, a famous person, someone they look up to, or perhaps a teacher.
- The same person gives a single clue. For example, a phrase that person is known for or something like, “I'm older than a teenager.”
- The second player then asks a question, such as, “Are you famous?”
- The first player answers “yes” or “no.”
- The next player asks a different question.
- The game continues until the mystery person is revealed.
- Once the mystery is solved, the player who guessed correctly goes next, and the game continues in the same way.
Hot Tub Idol
Based on classic road-trip singing games, this game will bring out the ham in any group. It can be played anywhere: the beach, the swimming pool, the car, or the hot tub.
- The first person begins to sing a line from a popular song.
- The second person then sings part of another song that contains at least one word of the first player's line.
- The game continues until someone is stumped.
Fortunately/Unfortunately
This is a brain-teasing game of quick wit that even adults will enjoy.
- The first player thinks of something fortunate and says it out loud to the group. For example, “Fortunately, it's summer.”
- The second player then states something unfortunate about summer, such as, “Unfortunately, it's still cold outside.”
- The next player then states something fortunate about the cold, such as, “Fortunately, I'm not cold; I'm in this warm hot tub.”
- The next player states something unfortunate about the hot tub, such as, “Unfortunately, you'll have to get out of the hot tub soon.”
- The game continues until someone is stumped or states something that makes no sense.
A fun true-or-false game that helps develop quick thinking skills, this one can help teens open up about events at school or give opinions about news stories that interest them. It can be played in a hot tub, swimming pool game, or on a road trip.
- The game starts when the first player states something that could be either true or false, beginning with the words “I can't believe that ...” The idea can come from a hot topic or something that might or might not have happened at school or work.
- The other players take turns guessing whether the statement is true or false.
- After everyone has made a guess, the first player reveals whether the statement is true or false.
- The people who guess correctly get two points. The first person to reach 20 points wins.
21 Questions
This is a family classic that can be played anywhere.
- The first player thinks of a noun, but keeps it a secret, revealing to the other players only whether it's a person, place, or thing.
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The other players can ask a total of 21 questions to help them guess the mystery word. Example questions:
- Is this person male or female?
- Is this person famous?
- Is this place in the United States?
- Is this place in our city?
- Do you use this thing every day?
- Is this thing larger than a loaf of bread?
- The game continues until 21 questions have been asked or someone is able to guess the mystery person, place, or thing. The person to guess correctly goes next, and then the game continues in the same way. If no one guesses, the first player reveals the word and goes again.
Word Trails
This game is great for getting people to loosen up in the hot tub. A tricky brain exercise, it starts out easy, but becomes harder the longer the game goes on.
- The first player states a word to start the game. For example, “the.”
- The next player repeats that word and provides a second word that fits with the first. For example, the second player could say, “the car.”
- The third player repeats the first two words, and then adds his own, extending the sentence. For example, “the car sped.”
- The game continues until a player can't repeat the chain of words.
- To make the game more difficult, each player can add two words instead of one.
Dance or Get Out
This game is simple, fun and provides players with a bit of exercise.
- Anytime someone says, “It's time to dance!” everyone has to dance.
- The last person to start dancing has to get out of the hot tub for five minutes.
- The game continues for as long as everyone wants to play.
New Word Challenge
This educational game for kids of all ages offers parents an opportunity to gauge their kids' vocabulary skills and to share their own knowledge in a fun way. Let the children go first, so they gain confidence before the adults step in with a new word.
- The first player states a word that might stump other players; the word should be appropriate for the players' age levels.
- The other players take turns guessing the meaning of the word.
- The person who guesses correctly goes next, choosing a new word.
- If everyone fails to guess correctly, the first player reveals the meaning and then goes again.
More Fun Things to Do in Your Hot Tub
Play Board Games
Your hot tub becomes entertainment central when you watch your favorite shows and sports on a 22” HD wireless hot tub monitor. Turn your spa into the world's most comfortable home cinema with a monitor that's mounted on an easy-to-swivel stand, so you can watch even when you're not in the hot tub.
Listen to Audiobooks and Podcasts
Using Bluetooth® wireless technology built right into your hot tub system, you can listen to audiobooks and podcasts as you relax in the warm water. This could be a great escape during a solo hot tub soak or can be enjoyed by the entire family—especially if you share a favorite series.
Family Fun in the Hot Tub
The benefits of a home spa are extensive. With today's busy schedules, the whole family can use some relaxation and stress relief now and then. After sports or other physical activities, it's great to take time out to rejuvenate in the warm water, especially since a hot tub allows you to find a comfortable temperature for everyone. Last, but certainly not least, a home spa becomes a space for quality time and reconnection. Kick back and relax together at the end of a busy day, or engage in a fun hot tub game to blow off some steam and learn more about what's going on with the special people in your life.
Hot tub games are just the beginning of the many enjoyable benefits of Caldera Spas®. Find out more now by downloading a brochure and exploring the diverse models and options available. You can also plan a visit to your local hot tub dealer and local pricing.
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