Do your young ones have their eyes stuck on screens? Are you looking for a way to get your kids to play outdoors this summer? Well, look no further than our guide on some awesome water games for kids.
In 2017 alone, 42% of children 8 years old and younger have their own tablet devices. With how fast kids adapt to technology, it’ll be a matter of time before they develop screen addiction. Many parents want them to play outside more but are finding it difficult to persuade them.
Below, we’ve got a list of fun games you can use to coax your kids to play outside more. With the element of water, these games should prove to be more fun than their typical versions. Read on for these water-themed game ideas you can play with your children.
1. Fun Water Games for Kids: Freeze Tag
For our first in the list of awesome outdoor games for kids, we have freeze tag. We can even go literal with this game (with freezing water, of course). You’ll need a water sprinkler for this one.
Have your kids run and dance around a water sprinkler that’s turned off. When you turn the tap on, all the players must freeze until you turn it off again. Anybody who moves while the sprinkler is on is out.
2. Tug of Wa(te)r
Now, allow us to give you a party game made for a group of players. Play this game in the yard with sprinklers or at the pool. Get a thick rope and mark its middle with a knot or a handkerchief.
Divide the teams into two and have them stand on opposite sides. If you have a sprinkler, it should be in the middle of the two teams. The goals are to tug the other team past the middle and to avoid the water.
3. Liquid Limbo
Do you remember how fun limbo was when you were a kid? Pass on the fun to your kids with a watery twist. All you need is a water hose that can dish out a strong stream of water.
With enough pressure, sprinklers have streams that go up and horizontal. Now, as per the rules of limbo, each player should make his way to the other side of the stream of water by walking forward and bending backward. This is one of the most enjoyable and simplest water games you can introduce to your kids.
4. Obstacle Course
Clearing an obstacle course is always one of the most fun games to play. Paired with water sprinklers, the game becomes more fun and challenging at the same time. This also makes for a refreshing summertime game for kids.
Set up an obstacle course around your sprinklers. You can use pool noodles, swing sets, and more. Be creative and set the challenge to the kids’ level.
Give your kid a square piece of cardboard to place on their chest. Each player should be able to clear it without getting the entire cardboard wet. The child who gets to clear it at the fastest time possible wins.
5. Sponge Relay Race
Here’s a great outdoor water game for kids at the next family BBQ. You will need two buckets, two sponges, and a fun sprinkler positioning.
Divide the kids into two teams and give each team a bucket and sponge. The goal of the game is to fill up the bucket with water from the sprinklers using only the sponge. The first team who gets to fill up their bucket wins.
Don’t forget to offer prizes for the winning players.
6. Simon Says
For this classic kids’ game, you’ll want a reticulation controller to turn it into a fun water game. Get the kids to stand in a circle around the sprinkler. Make sure they stand a little bit away from it so they don’t get wet right away.
Start by giving them simple instructions like “Simon says touch your nose” or “pull out your tongue”. As the game goes on, start giving instructions that bring them closer to the water sprinkler. You can also add a task from the beginning like “Simon says don’t get your left hand wet for the whole game”.
7. Hot Potato
How about a game of hot potato with water balloons? Get your kids to stand in a circle around a sprinkler and then give them a balloon filled with water. Next, play some music.
While the music is playing, the water balloon should keep moving from player to player. When you stop the music, the player holding the water balloon is out. You can add other rules to make the game more fun.
For a more challenging variation, have the kids stand a good distance from each other. If a kid throws the water balloon too far from another player’s reach, they’re out when it breaks. If a kid breaks the water balloon as he catches it, he’s out.
8. Ball Blast
This list of awesome water games for kids won’t be complete without a ball game. This time, you’ll need balls of varying sizes and a circular mark around each sprinkler. In the playing area, place the balls inside, in random spots around sprinklers.
Have your kid push the balls out of the area with the water from the sprinkler. Have them use their hands or another object to reflect the water spray from the sprinkler to the balls. If they can do it in less than a minute, they win.
9. Water Balloon Catch
This game is very much like Hot Potato. Get all players to stand in a circle. Next, give them a water balloon to pass around.
After a round or two, have each player take a step back. The first player to pop the water balloon with a failed catch is out. Add a little bit of challenge by adding more water balloons into the circle.
The challenge comes from the water sprinklers. The kids should avoid the spray from the sprinklers. If they can do that and save the water balloons from bursting, they win.
10. DIY Water Park
Kids age 3-4 should get at least 180 minutes of physical activity. Younger kids might not find the appeal of tug of war or pool Ping-Pong. They might appreciate a mom-made or dad-made water park though.
If you’ve got a swing set and a water sprinkler for kids, you can make a water park in your own backyard. All you need to do is stick the water sprinkler by the swing set. If you have a slide, turn it into a water slide in the same way.
Make the Summer Fun
That’s it for our list of amazing water games for kids. Remember, these are fun games anyone in the family can join in, too. It’s not only a game for young kids but also for adults who need a break from their busy lives.
If you want more guides like this, give our other guides a look over.
