Whatever summer has in store for you and the kids, having kiddie pools and pool toys in your yard is a great way to keep the kids occupied. And when your kids are having a blast at home, there’s really no need to plan an extravagant trip for them to have a memorable summer.
I have a few tips so you never have to pay full price for kiddie pools, floats, water slides, and other pool toys ever again. Really, it’s about shopping at the right time and knowing which stores have the best sales and deals. I’ve been stalking prices every month this year, and I got all the details!
If you download the free Krazy Coupon Lady app, you’ll be notified of all of the great deals online and in-store for pool floats and water games. You can also text HACKS to 57299 for more money-saving tips year-round.
1. Never pay more than $18 for a kiddie pool.
First, you should make sure that you know what kind of kiddie pool you want: a hard plastic kiddie pool or an inflatable one. Hard plastic pools are generally cheaper, but they won’t last as long as inflatable ones, since they tend to be more fragile.
The average price of a kiddie pool is $22, but there’s no reason you should pay more than $18 for one. Here are the best deals on kiddie pools :
2. The best time to buy plastic kiddie pools and pool toys is mid-summer.
In the past, I’ve seen Amazon mark down their kiddie pools from $25 to $16.75 (a 33% discount) in mid-July. Around the same time, Rite Aid marked down their kiddie pools from $19.99 to $9.99 (a 50% discount).
So while stores are starting to offer all of the summer fun essentials, they’re all listed at full price until about the second week of July. If you want to save the most, stick with the current kiddie pool you have this year, then buy a new one in July so that you save up to 50% compared to buying it in May or June next year.
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3. However, Walmart has the best deals on inflatable kiddie pools year-round.
Walmart consistently has the best prices on inflatable kiddie pools and pool toys no matter when you’re planning on purchasing. But if you’re looking for hard plastic kiddie pools, you should skip out on the Walmart kiddie pool selection.
Instead, head to Target or Lowe’s to find hard plastic pools for around $12.
4. Never pay more than $10 for a lawn water slide.
You don’t need a huge water slide extravaganza to keep kids entertained. The average price of a lawn water slide went up from $15 in 2021 and to $25 to $30 in 2023. You can find several options at Walmart and Target in this price range. However, Lowe’s has one for under $10 at the moment.
5. Never pay more than $10 on pool floaties.
Pool floaties generally run in 3 categories: inner tube, inflatable lounge, and arm floaties. Make sure to pick the one that suits your needs the best.
The average price of pool floaties is $15, but you shouldn’t pay more than $10 for one. Here are the best deals we’ve found on pool floaties:
Inner Tubes
- Walmart: Bluescape Blue Tropical Inflatable Swim Tube for $2.48
- Target: Glitter Swim Tube for $6
- Five Below: Unicorn Glitter Inner Tube Pool Float for $5
Inflatable Lounge
- Amazon: Play Day Mat Pool Float for $7.99
- Target: Pocket Lounge Float for $10 ($9.95 with a Target RedCard)
- Walmart: Summer Waves Inflatable Lounge for $10.98
Arm Floaties
- Home Depot: Yellow Swim Arm Floaties for $5.46
- Amazon: Wowelife Arm Floaties for $6.99
6. Never pay more than $13 for kids’ water sprinklers.
The average price of kids’ water sprinklers is $25, but you shouldn’t pay more than $15 for one. Here are the best deals on kids’ water sprinklers:
7. The absolute best place to get pool toys is Amazon.
There is no competition when it comes to pool toys. Amazon sells bulk packs of toys that can come out to less than $1 per toy. For example, they have this set of 30 assorted pool toys for $19.99 which comes out to $0.67 per pool toy. If you get the same toys separately, they could cost you upwards of $5 per toy, so getting this deal comes out to an 86.6% discount. And on top of that, I’ve seen Amazon often offer a 10% coupon on its product listing. Even more savings!
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8. Amazon doesn’t have the best prices on kiddie pools and pool floats.
Other than pool toys, Amazon doesn’t compare to prices from other retailers like Walmart. Here are some price comparisons between Amazon and Walmart that we found:
- Amazon’s Round 32″ Small Kiddie Pool for $18.99 vs. Target’s 3 Ring Pool Blue Yellow for $20 — a 5.3% increase.
- Amazon’s Banzai Triple Racer 16′ for $17.02 vs. Walmart’s Wham-O Slip N’ Slide Wave Rider for $18.40 — a 6.98% increase.
9. Pick up a Costco kids pool when you can for up to a 58% discount.
If you want to save on a premium kids’ pool, check out Costco kids’ pools. They don’t have a wide selection, but the pools they do have are at an insane discount. In the past, I’ve seen the H2OGO! Underwater Oasis Spray Pool was offered for $39.99, while it was offered for $51 at Walmart and $95 on Amazon at the same time.
And while not a kiddie pool, this year I saw the Bestway Power Steel Above Ground Pool on sale for $150 off.
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