Man, I feel ya. Nothing worse than getting stuck buying pricey pool toys that fall apart after one summer. Mine turned to mush last August, and honestly? Ain’t dropping another fifty bucks this year. Nope. Started huntin’ for cheap thrills that actually last.
First Step: Raiding My Own Garage
Searched through my old stuff before even thinking ’bout the store. Found a couple tennis balls under the workbench – instant dog fetch toy for zero bucks. My kids took plastic cups from the kitchen cupboard. No joke, they had races pushing them underwater, popping ’em back up like corks. Laughed their heads off for an hour.
Hitting Up Discount Stores
Scouted Dollar Tree first. You wouldn’t believe what they got.
- Colorful plastic diving sticks: Grabbed a bunch for like $1.25 each. Way cheaper than Target.
- Large suction cup paddles: Found some near the kitchen stuff. Stick ’em to the pool tile, kids can smack ’em all day. Mine love playing water volleyball with these.
- Dense foam balls: Skip the blow-up junk. These bounce on water, can’t be popped. Good for tossing.
- Fine mesh drawstring bags: For keeping all the small stuff together. No lost toys.
Target Bargain Bin Gold
Checked the seasonal clearance section. Scored some gems there.
- Waterproof playing cards: Saw them marked way down. Perfect for floating games.
- Soft foam rocket launchers: Like those foam pool noodles but shaped like rockets. You pull a cord to blast ’em into the air. Kids went wild.
Quick Tips For Staying Cheap
Gotta share what I learned the hard way.
- Forget inflation: Go for foam or solid plastic every single time.
- Skip light-up stuff: Those fancy glowing rings? Batteries die quick, plastic cracks. Total waste.
- Repurpose like crazy: Used old clean condiment squeeze bottles for target practice squirting. Even cut up worn-out pool noodles to make stacking rings.
Honest truth? My kids played harder with these cheap finds than with any overpriced branded gizmo last year. Spent maybe twenty bucks total this month and everything survived daily dunking. Big plastic bins from the hardware store kept it all organized. Don’t bother looking for links – just hit the local discount spots.