10 fun ways to enhance your at-home swimming experience

There’s no question that spending a hot summer day in the swimming pool with a tall glass of lemonade is one of the great joys of life. It’s really fun with the variety of pool floats now available: all the oversized pastries, birds and fruits you can toss in the water. But what else can you do besides adding a giant pink flamingo to dress up your pool and enhance your swimming experience? Try these ideas.

Fun with fountains

The Ocean Blue Cascade Fountain (www.doheny.com) makes an arcing spray when attached to the side of your pool. Add several to create a spray tunnel that not looks elegant and is fun for kids to swim through.

Seesaw in the water

With a float called the Ocean Blue Wave Rocker SeeSaw Inflatable (www.poolsupplyunlimited.com), kids can be active and teeter-totter to their heart’s content.

Outdoor recliner

The TRC Recreation Super Soft Adjustable Recliner (www.amazon.com) puts your favorite living room chair in the pool. Fully recline or sit upright. With wide arms that hold drinks, you’ll get that full lounge chair experience.

Poolside wine

After the day’s fun and frolicking what could be better than a cool glass of rose? How about the Swimline Inflatable Rose Wine Pool Float? Spend your happy hour with a chilled wine glass in your hand and a whole bottle to float on (www.orientaltrading.com).

A cool container

Clean up and keep the pool area from getting cluttered with a handy organizer (www.improvementscatalog.com). Corral your floats, pool noodles, goggles and swim gear in the Pool Toy Storage Bin with Noodle Organizer, where your toys and supplies fit neatly and are always at the ready.

Night lights

There’s no reason you can’t have fun once the sun’s gone down. Make a fun night of swimming with glow-in-the-dark pool floats (www.jet.com). These glowing floats are as fun as they look.

Floating spray

Add some flair to the pool with a Sparkling Standard 3-Tier Swimming Pool Fountain (www.intheswim.com). Think of it like running through a sprinkler, but only in the pool. The spray fountain is pretty, elegant and fun, and it sprays up to 16 feet high.

Swim-up movie theater

Fire up then grill, and then put up your own outdoor movie screen (Amazon.com) in the backyard. Toss in some glow-in-the-dark floats and host your own swim-up movies on a backyard movie screen.

Resort-style towel storage

Give your pool an upscale resort look with the Belton Resin Towel Valet (www.wayfair.com). It holds folded towels and has a large basket below to hold used towels oh so elegantly.

Poolside cabana

Nothing says high-end pool experience like the cabanas you have to reserve at expensive resorts. Create your own resort experience, and get a little shade too, with a canopied and curtained gazebo (www.lowes.com)next to the pool.

(For more information, contact Kathryn Weber through her website, www.redlotusletter.com.)

(c) 2018 KATHRYN WEBER. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC.