Spending your weekends or days off on a pontoon boat with friends or family is one of the most luxurious and recreational things that you can do. However, with repetition comes a lack of new things to do and new experiences to look forward to. This is why having an arsenal of fun pontoon boat games, both on the boat and off the boat, is an essential part of being a pontoon boat owner (or pontoon boat visitor).
If you are in need of some seriously fun ideas, activities, and games to make the most out of your pontoon boat experience, then check out our suggestions below!
Fun Activities and Games to Play on a Pontoon Boat
There are several fun things to do on and around your pontoon boat. Listed below are our best pontoon boat activities, divided into two broad categories: indoor boat games (activities you can actually do while on the boat, typically without having to get yourself wet) and water-based boat games (activities that would require you to dive into the water [see the best pontoon diving boards] and splash around with friends and playmates).
Indoor Boat Games
1. Karaoke
If there is one recreational activity in the world that can connect all kinds of people, regardless of race, gender, culture, or beliefs, it would be the almighty karaoke.
Karaoke is flat-out fun and entertaining. Whether you were born to sing, trained to sing, or are simply an average singer with a select few songs that you have mastered over the years, having a friendly karaoke competition is what builds and solidifies bonds forever.
Karaoke has been proven to boost self-esteem, reinforce confidence, and drastically reduce stress levels.
If you do not have a karaoke system set up in your pontoon boat, then you are missing out on something big.
Check out the RHM Portable Karaoke Machine.
If you would like to have a karaoke machine that is portable, lightweight, and easy to set up and pack up, the RHM Portable Karaoke Machine is one of the greatest products you could get online.
The RHM Portable Karaoke Machine offers seamless wireless connection of the microphones via Bluetooth, crisp sounds (full-range notes and deep bass), and a convenient carrying grip to make sure that transferring the setup from position to position is hassle-free.
Just play from a karaoke list online through a TV or from a YouTube video on your phone and you and your friends are bound to have the time of your lives!
2. Console Games
Gaming is a multi-billion dollar industry, and rightfully so. The things you can do with the most advanced pieces of gaming technology these days are absolutely mind-blowing.
Although the use of handheld devices and other technological items are frowned upon in some social circles in gatherings and events such as outdoor trips and boating trips, console games are still a great way to kill the time and enjoy each other’s company.
We like having the Nintendo Switch on board.
Nintendo, long heralded by the majority as the king of handheld gaming devices, has done it again with the revolutionary Nintendo Switch.
Capable of both handheld play and TV-based gaming through an HDMI cable, the Nintendo Switch is a powerhouse of a device and is a host to a lot of legendary franchises such as Super Smash Bros., Zelda, and Animal Crossing.
If you and your pals are more on the geeky or techy side, bringing a console device such as the Nintendo Switch and a pair of extra controllers (Joy-Cons) will definitely make your experience more digitally enriching.
3. Poker
This indoor boat game list would not be complete without the legendary game of Poker.
Poker is a mature activity that requires strategy, skill, logical thinking, and a bit of luck.
This is a perfect game to play if you and your friends would like to enjoy the comforts of the indoor pontoon life while potentially placing in some actual money implications to spice up the game.
For those looking for a naughtier experience, strip Poker is another fan favorite that could be done inside a pontoon boat.
We recommend the Poker Chip Set from PLAYWUS.
Playing poker with money involved tends to become a hassle, what with all the different coins and dollar bills flying about.
To make things easier and more streamlined, check out the PLAYWUS Casino Poker Chip Set with Cards.
This set comes complete with a stylish briefcase, 300 pieces of poker chips, the “big blind,” “dealer,” and “little blind” badges, and two decks of cards.
4. Oversized Jenga
If you think Jenga is unbelievably challenging, think of doing it on a pontoon boat that rocks slightly back and forth.
Do you have that image in your head now? Alright, the next step is to imagine the blocks to be a hundred times larger, and thus comes the concept of the game of oversized Jenga.
Oversized Jenga is such an amazing, laid-back game to play. Oversized Jenga is relatively easier than the traditional smaller-sized Jenga game, it serves as a compromise for the lack of stability in a pontoon boat, and it is loads of fun that any number of people could partake in!
We like the Juegoal Giant Tumble Tower Set.
If you are ready to commit to the art of Jenga or tower blocks, do check out Juegoal’s Giant Tumble Tower.
The set comes with a carrying case, 54 pieces of wooden blocks, and is designed for fun and excitement for individuals of all ages and skill levels.
5. Twister
Twister is a game not meant for the faint of heart, especially since a game of this caliber requires extreme physical coordination, balance, and on top of that, an ideally stable platform or surface, which a pontoon boat, or any vessel floating on the sea, will never be able to offer.
However, moving past the obvious drawbacks of Twister, it actually is a very fun, funny, and physically rewarding activity.
There is no setup required here (compared to the earlier entries). Just find an open area, spread out the Twister mat, and begin rolling for the body part and color!
Highly recommend the Twister Party Game Mat.
This classic game is meant to be played with the original product and product-maker.
Get yourself the Twister Party Game Mat and begin to look forward to hours of fun, excitement, and laughs.
6. Beer Pong (Indoor)
Beer Pong is a staple in adult life. If you have not experienced the wicked glory a victory could give to you, or the agonizing, pride-swallowing defeat in a beer pong match, then you are seriously missing out on something spectacular.
The great thing about indoor beer pong is how easy and convenient it is to set up. All you need is a long enough table, some good-quality cups, and a couple of ping pong balls.
Get ready for some spectacular drunken matches and perhaps some slight trash-talking moments.
These BPONG Cups are great!
If you plan to play indoor beer pong, you might as well go big with the quality and build of the beer pong cups.
This is why we would like to present to you the BPONG Cups, which are the officially licensed cups that are used in actual beer pong competitions.
Match your flawless beer-chugging, pong-throwing game with perfect beer pong cups.
Water-Based Boat Games
7. Beer Pong (Outdoor)
If you think indoor beer pong is cool, wait until you hear the outdoor, floating version of this game.
Much like the traditional beer pong game, the objectives and rules of the game are still the same.
The twist is, instead of placing the cups on a steady, balanced table, you would have the cups positioned on a floating raft or deck right above the water.
This creates a level of difficulty that is largely unknown to the original version and will present you with greater levels of fun and excitement.
We like the PONG POD PRO (8-foot Floating Game Table)
Go premium with the PONG POD PRO, an 8-foot floating game table that allows you to neatly place your beer pong cups without risk of premature knock-over or falling.
Match your exquisite pontoon boat taste with this wonderfully designed and engineered floating table.
8. Water Volleyball
If you want things to get slightly more competitive and physically challenging, then water volleyball is a great way to push the pace.
This activity can be done with at least 2 people, but the ideal count would be 3 per team or 6 in total.
Just make sure to stay clear of any breakable objects or sharp pontoon boat parts and you will be set to play!
We recommend the Botabee Pool Buddies Water Volleyball (Soft Cover)
When it comes to water volleyball, you have to pick a suitable material, weight, and texture.
This is why suggest acquiring the Botabee Pool Buddies Water Volleyball. This product is designed for swimming pool use but is also a great option for the beach and the seas near your pontoon boat.
Get with the program now and grab a water-based volleyball for your pontoon boat trips!
9. Tag
If Poker is the classic card game, then Tag is the classic physical game.
There are no product suggestions or requirements for this amazing activity. All you require is grit, willpower, and an abundance of stamina (because it is going to be hard to try and swim to others to tag them).
If you do not want to make any last-minute purchases or would rather make do with activities that do not require tools or items, then Tag is the best game for you to enjoy with friends and family.
10. Keep Away (Monkey in the Middle)
Keep Away (also known as Monkey in the Middle) is a classic kids’ game that has one or two players situate themselves in the center while the others spread out and pass the ball to one another.
The goal of the person in the center is to try and intercept the ball before it gets into the hands of the outside receiver, and once this is accomplished, the outside receiver would then be the person in the middle.
Check out the The Ultimate Skip Ball (Water Bouncing Ball)
If you want a more exhilarating Keep Away experience, try playing with The Ultimate Skip Ball, a water ball that bounces more than the average ball.
It makes for interesting passes and receptions, as well as intriguing interceptions, and ensures that the ball actually stays afloat instead of absorbing the water and sinking into the depths of the sea.
11. Football
With water football, it can go one of two ways: simple throw and catch or needlessly aggressive and potentially harmful submerged tackling.
For everyone’s sake, we hope you go with the former when it comes to playing football in the water.
This is a great arm workout and can also test the limits of your depth perception and hand-eye coordination.
We like the Sunlite Sports Waterproof Football
Do not use the normal football as the texture, weight, and weight distribution is built for totally different conditions.
Instead, go with the Sunlite Sports Waterproof Football, designed for play and is light enough and portable enough for casual throw and catch football activities.
12. Water Gun Battle
If you are in the water, you definitely have to engage in a water gun battle. There is no way around this.
Equip yourself with a teeny-weeny pistol water gun or one of those weird elongated tube water guns, and you and your friends will have an absolute blast (figuratively and literally!
We recommend the Max Liquidator 6-Pack Water Blaster Set
To keep your baggage lightweight and organized, we recommend going with the Max Liquidator 6-Pack Water Blaster Set. These simple pump-action tube water blasters provide exceptional water pressure, water volume, and water fun!
Conclusion
Pontoon boat games are a dime a dozen, but to maximize your trips to the sea, you have to be picky when it comes to which activity to engage in. Hopefully, this list has covered all areas and manner of games, and we wish you a pleasant pontoon boat experience the next time you go out.