7 Backyard Water Games for Summer
No pool? No problem! Here are 7 backyard water games to keep your kids cool all summer long.
Great for parties. Great for slow summer days at home.
We've also included 7 easy recipes for your water party, too.
Whether you're planning a summer birthday party, a summer holiday party, or just trying to get your kids to spend more time outside...
we've found that one ingredient cannot be missing during these hot summer days.
WATER!
While we don't have a big pool or anything like that,
we've learned fun ways to keep the kiddos entertained AND cool.
Here are some easy water games that anyone can easily set up in their own backyard.
So let's dive in (not literally) and show you a few of our favorite wet and wild water games for summer!
SHAVING CREAM POOL
Kids can't resist this messy fun!
Just pull out or blow up your little baby pool.
Buy one can of shaving cream per kiddo.
And let the kids have a blast spraying whip cream on themselves and on each other.
I can't believe how fun this is for kids,
just make sure water is nearby so they can clean off when they want.
Also, we offer up inexpensive goggles for this activity so kids can keep their eyes clean.
As you can see, though, the kids at our party didn't think they needed them, lol.
WATER SPRINKLER
The best way we found to clean off shaving cream...
is with a simple sprinkler.
This is just an inexpensive, round sprinkler from Walmart.
The kids love changing the setting from light to strong sprays.
And several kids can stand around it to get cool and clean off shaving cream, of course.
When my boys were younger, the sprinkler was always their favorite, more so than a kiddy pool.
Running and jumping through a sprinkler brings hours of entertainment.
SLIP-N-SLIDE
Another way to stay cool and get all the shaving cream cleaned off is with an old school slip-n-slide.
Ok, well old school may be more like a trash bag staked to the ground.
I did a little better for our backyard party with friends.
You can easily find a quality, slippery slip-n-slide these days.
They work so much better than when I was a kid, even with built in sprinklers to keep them wet and slippery for hours on end.
I'm always surprised by how entertained the kids are on this thing, ha ha!
WATER BALLOON CATCH
Water balloons are always a hit with the kids, right? But, as a parent, you know filling those things up takes loads of time.
So if you're kids aren't old enough to fill them yet (without having a huge fit and breaking all the balloons), it's a great idea to come up with an organized game to help them last as long as possible.
Hubby and I like to supervise a simple game of water balloon toss.
Pair the kids up and line them up across from each other.
Start with the two kids on each team close to each other.
And give each team one balloon.
Have them pass the balloon back and forth with their teammate.
Then as they get more comfortable, gradually move the teammates further and further apart.
At some point, someone's gonna get wet. The kids get so excited waiting to see who it's going to be!
When a balloon breaks, the team is out. And you keep going until one team and one person is left.
The best part is, you've conserved the water balloons you worked so hard to fill!
Go a few rounds until the kids start asking for an all-out water balloon fight.
WATER FIGHT
Here's the part where we get to a crazy, out-of-control water fight.
You know all kids love the chance to just whip each other with water balloons until the bucket is empty.
But let's say you ran out of water balloons in the toss game, or the kids went through the free-for-all too quickly.
Simply fill up a bucket with water and hand out styrofoam cups, one per kid.
Let them fill up their cups from the bucket or pool and just pour water on themselves or each other.
I saw teenagers enjoy this game the other day, I can't believe how long this went on even with teens.
Why styrofoam? Because plastic cups broke and cut some skin in the teen version. Ouch!
OUTDOOR MURAL PAINTING
Another fun activity we've done is letting the kids finger paint outside.
You mamas know finger painting makes us cringe inside the house.
But outside is so fun for the kiddies and relaxing for the adults.
So neat to watch the kids get a chance to really tap into their creative side.
We simply tape paper up from a roll onto the fence, at eye level for the kids.
Then make little paint pallets on paper plates for each child, using WASHABLE paint.
Place this activity far from the water activities so their creations don't get ruined.
Then let them clean off in the sprinkler, the baby pool, or the slip-n-slide when they are done.
Double the fun!
WATER BALLOON PINATAS
Now I've saved the best for last.
Before our water party, we fill and hang these water balloon piñatas from the tree.
We keep them up as a party decoration until it's time for the party to end.
The piñatas then become the grand finale as each kid gets a chance to whack down a water balloon and get one final soak.
For these, we use actual balloons...not water balloons.
Just make sure you fill them enough to stretch them so they'll break.
The kids use a broom stick to go at it, while my hubby keeps the other kids out of the way.
Of course, I stand back and take the pictures like we moms do best.
And finally, I have 7 easy recipes for your low-key backyard water time.
These are dairy-free, egg-free, allergy-friendly.
Plus, they are easy to make and low mess.
No chocolate melting all over the place. Great for the heat and great for a crowd.
These snacks will keep the fun going for hours and hours.
7 WATER PARTY RECIPES
We hope these 7 fun outdoor water games give you some awesome inspiration for your next backyard party this summer.
Our kids really loved these activities from ages 5-10.
But like I said with the water cups idea, teens can have just as much fun with some of these ideas.
Take them back to their little kid days, and even let them set up the fun if they are capable!
The most important part is staying cool and making sweet memories.
Try some of these ideas for summer holidays like Memorial Day, Independence Day, or Labor Day!
And make sure you get some pics because this is definitely some fun you don't want to forget.
