Making the most of your Inflatable Pool

Inflatable pools have come a long way in recent years, and with the right tools, toys and tricks you can turn them into a great (and convenient) playground at home!

I live in the mountains, there is not a level spot on my property, but I have a GREAT deck.  I found a great size inflatable pool for under $20...filled it up and let er rip (not literally though!).

With this particular pool, I did not inflate the top level as much, which allowed my 14 month old ease of exit and entry (to some degree).

Additionally, I put a great "standing toy" in there...haven't been able to find it on Amazon as I got this one at a yard sale, but another one that would work would be the Fisher-Price Little Superstar Jammin' Band Musical Microphone (I used to have this one and the legs are nice and flat which would keep a toddler from tripping over any unseen parts.  Vivian would use this at times to get in and out of the pool, but also had a ball playing with it in the pool.

Also, even in the summer up here, we have a LOT of leaves.  Not sure how they fall year round, and when I look up they all look green!  I actually got a splatter screen out of my kitchen and have been using that to clean the pool.  It works great, and it's rigid enough that it enables me to get out the little particles.



So Vivian LOVES her inflatable pool.  A big problem when we first got it was that it got slick on the bottom pretty quickly which caused her to slip and fall a little too much.

I did some research and found solutions from vinegar to baking soda.  I cleaned it completely, but the main problem was that I had to keep filling it up after 2 days or so, and who can afford to waste that much water!

Finally, I found a solution that worked.  I sprinkled just a little bit of spa shock (which I had already with my hot tub chemicals) into the pool.  I then got in it and stomped around to agitate the water.  All clear in a matter of minutes!  Make sure not to use too much, and to be on the safe side, wait at least 4 hours before your child gets back in.  Using this solution, I can keep the same water in there, clean and clear for weeks at a time!  It's also quite cheap and one container of this will last you FOREVER!


Another thing that I did was I got a smaller inflatable pool (couldn't resist a good deal).  Initially I tried putting the small one inside the big one (before I solved the issue with the slick bottom).  That was just okay...at one point I had the little one emptied and it was sitting beside the larger one.  Vivian climbed in and took a bunch of her toys into there and had a blast.

Another great trick.  You find ball pits everywhere for like $200.  I bought a bag of plastic balls at Walmart for something like $10 and put them in both pools.  It adds hours of entertainment!  Here's the one I found on Amazon, still a great deal especially if you get free shipping. 


Baby pools and inflatable pools can be a BLAST!  Be sure to follow all safety protocols and NEVER EVER leave your child unattended in the pool.