If you go to most stores in the summer, you will see a wide selection of water toys. There are floats and water wings, little boats, sit on inflatables, and of course pool noodles to name just a few. While pool toys that are actually made for that purpose will make a great addition to the pool area and provide the family with hours of fun, not all pool toys are created equal.

When your children are around water, supervision comes first. This means never losing sight of them and always monitoring what they are doing in the water. This also extends to toys as well. If a toy breaks, remove it from the pool immediately or else it may pose a danger not only to children (cuts and the like) but also to the pool itself. Sharp objects can cut or damage a pool liner, poke a hole in an inflatable pool, or get stuck in the skimmer or tubing. While pool noodles with pieces of them will still work and won’t cut your child, the pieces can still get stuck in the pool works and cause problems.

If that float or inflatable ride has a leak, that too needs to be pulled out and repaired or thrown away. No child wants to get stuck in the deep end of a pool in something that is leaking air. For larger inflatables there are kits available to repair leaks and for smaller things it may be easier to replace it all together than to try to fix small leaks.

You may have noticed that pool toys tend to be colored plastic, and that’s for a very good reason. Sure, those kitchen utensils can pour and filter water and are a lot of fun, but if they’re metal, be careful using them in the pool. First, the metal gets very hot in the sun, and second, the metal could react with chemicals in the pool and turn the water an unpleasant color. Plus, why use good kitchen utensils when plastic pool toys are just as fun and made for the job?

While the latter may be a no-brainer, there is no place for wheeled toys near a pool. Trikes, bikes, and scooters must be on the grass or sidewalk, not on the pool deck. Security First!