10 Simple and Fun Outdoor Water Games for Kids

Summertime is coming and that means longer days full of lots of sunshine, lots of cookouts with friends and family, and the ever-dreaded days of no school. Wondering how to keep your kids from being bored to tears while there is no school to keep them occupied?

Below is a list of many ways for your kids to beat the heat, and the boredom, of summer. They will not only keep them active but some will keep them hydrated as well. So pick out your favorites and make some fun memories with the kids!

DIY Slip n’ Slide

This is an oldie but a goodie and provides hours of endless, energetic fun!

All you need is:

1.  A plastic tablecloth 
2. Tent stakes (to attach the tablecloth to the ground)
3. A water hose

Just spray the tablecloth down with a hose and let the fun begin!

Water Balloon Toss

This is another oldie but goodie. 

All you need is:

1. A bucket with a small amount of water in it
2. Filled water balloons to toss into it

Toss the filled balloons into the bucket and see if you can get more in than anyone else. You can spice it up a bit by filling the balloons with colored water to add even more excitement to this traditional summer game. 

Water Table

Always a hit with toddler-age children through preschool age, this table has a small bit of water down on the top of it. 

All you need is:

1. The table with water down in the top of it
2. A few boats, fish, or mermaids 

That’s it! Just let their imaginations run wild and create their own water world. Check out this five-star table on Amazon.

Excavating with Ice

This one is great for those kids that love science and discovery. 

All you need is: 

1. Traditional ice trays
2. Small objects such as coins or miniature toys

You just freeze the small objects in the ice trays, then using safe items, let your children chip away at the ice to “discover” the prize inside. 

Pint Size Picasso

This is probably one of the simplest ways to occupy your preschooler. 

All you need is:

1. Paintbrushes (usually the wall painting ones work best versus watercolor size)
2. Buckets of water
3. A painting surface such as a sidewalk

Pass out the paintbrushes and have them dip them in buckets of water. They can use them to paint the side of the house, sidewalk, or, an all-time favorite, a privacy fence. The water changes the color of the surface and gives the children the illusion of using paint. 

Igloo Building

Freeze water in them and pop the ice out as blocks. Let the children build their igloos out on the patio or in the yard. 

All you need for this:

1. Loaf pans. 
2. Water source
3. Freezer

You can make it even more fun by adding food coloring. Once the sun hits the colored blocks they’ll glow. 

Water Pinata 

Just as with a regular pinata, the kids would use a plastic bat to try and hit the balloons while blindfolded but instead of candy, they get a surprise splash!

All you need is:

1. Filled water balloons
2. Strong string
3. A place to hang the balloons

Fill the balloons up, string them from a low rafter or a tree branch and let the kids take a swing!

Blind Taste Test

A great way to keep your kids eating healthy and staying hydrated during the dog days of summer.

All you need is: 

1. Traditional ice trays
2. Fruit or flavored water
3. A blindfold

Pop the cubes from the tray, blindfold the kids and have them try to figure out the flavors or types of fruit. Watermelon is a great choice!

Sponge Bullseye 

Using soaked sponges, try to hit targets painted on the ground. The sponges will leave a watermark to show your score. 

All you need is:

1. Sponges
2. Paint for the bullseye
3. Bucket of water to rewet the sponges 

You can try keeping score with each other to make the game even more competitive.

Water Olympics 

This is the most time-consuming out of the list to set up but it is also the most exciting. You can create individual challenges such as the Sponge Bullseye listed above. You can also do water gun targets, sprinkler dances, or lean toward carnival-style games such as seeing how many balloons you can shoot with a water gun. 

You can take the games even further by creating obstacle courses. Examples would be using pool noodles to army crawl under and agility drills using round pool floats. All of these can be done under the spray of a sprinkler.

From there, the kids can run to other stations with games such as a water balloon toss. The first to get three balloons in the bucket can go to the next station! Your imagination really is the limit on this one!

Conclusion

So when the heat sets in and the kids are whining that they are so bored, you have lots of ideas on how to keep them cool and occupied. All of the games listed above are inexpensive. Most of them take minutes to set up and provide hours of entertainment for your little ones. So grab those bathing suits and let your and your kid’s imaginations run wild!