Summer Vacation Games - Water Games for Kids

Water Fun and Games for Kids
Relay races, family activities and all around entertainment using water!

When Sonya Harrison from HOT Southern Oregon, was
asked to come up with the games for her family summer reunion,
she naturally thought of water as the theme.
"On a hot summer day, water is the best way to bring a smile to a child's face....even the adults loved the turkey baster relay."
You can't beat water games for a kids party or picnic
...especially if your budget is tight for time and money!"
We've added a few games to Sonya's, creating a collection
of unique ideas to cool kids off on a hot summer day.

Paint with Water
Cool of your hot grumpy little ones with this harmless water activity.
Supply your child with a clean paint brush and bucket of water.
Let them paint the house, walkway, bikes, fence etc.
Don't forget the sunscreen!

Water Discovery
Round up PVC pipe pieces, cups, colanders, watering cans, old dish soap bottles, whatever strikes your fancy. Combine these items with a large bucket or kid-sized pool of water. It's quite possible that this will entertain your children long enough for you to get a glass of ice tea and maybe a bit of peace!

Dribble, Dribble, Drench!
This game is just like "Duck ,Duck, Goose ", except that as "IT" walks
around the circle with a cup or pitcher of water. When they say dribble
to each player they dribble a few drops of water on their head.
BUT...you know this is coming don't you?
When they say "Drench" that player gets the rest of the water on their head or back. Then the wet player chases "IT" and tries to tag her before she gets to the wet players place. Got that?...this is really fun with kids
age seven or older on a very hot summer day. Younger children can
play if they are not sensitive about being drenched.

Water Balloon Toss with a Twist
Make this game for a fraction of the cost of similar products
and it will last longer!
You'll Need
Empty Bleach Bottles
Water Balloons
scissors
Cut the bottoms out of the bottles. Make the opening
a bit bigger by cutting a sloped edge so that it resembles
a scoop. Take off the bottle top and discard.
Toss the water balloon using the scoop instead of hands.
Play with as many players as there are jugs/scoops.

Splash Tag
You'll Need:
A big, soft sponge, like the kind you
use to wash the car, and buckets of water.
This version of the classic tag requires one person to be "IT".
"IT" tries to tag running players with a wet sponge them.
Once tagged, that person becomes the new It.
No denying who's been tagged...
The wet mark on their back is a dead give away!

Piggy Freeze
You'll need:
Child's wading pool, filled with water and lots of ice cubes and a plastic
bowl or bucket for each participant. Gathering ice cubes and placing
them in a bucket is not a difficult task....Unless you have to use your feet!
Add this game to a summer party by calling "Go" and designating a time limit. Whoever has the most ice cubes is the winner. Or, just play for
fun without winners!

Mommy Polo
You'll need:
A swimming pool or lake, a group of kids and a group of moms or dads.
Kids and moms get into the pool, and each mom closes her eyes.
All the moms count to 10 in unison while the kids spread out in the water (shallow end only, unless the kids are all strong swimmers), with siblings grouped together. Moms search for their own children by listening to
their voices. Kids call out "Mommy!" and the moms must respond "Polo!"
The first mom to touch her bunch of kids wins.

Don't be a Drip!
A family activity favorite!
You'll need: Balloons, a safety pin and a faucet
Poke a hole in a balloon using a safety pin.
Then fill it with water and tie the end to create a time bomb with a slow leak. Players stand in a circle and toss the balloon around. The idea is
not to be the one holding the balloon when it runs out of water.
The focus really isn't on winning or losing, it's on how much fun
you have while cooling off!

Water Volley Ball
You'll need:
A volleyball or badminton net,
two old sheets and water balloons

Divide into two teams of four and stand on opposite sides of the net.
Each team holds one sheet (a person at each corner). Place a water
balloon in the center of one team's sheet. The idea is to toss the balloon over the net, into the other team's sheet. It helps to do a countdown to the toss: "One, two, three...Up!"
TIP: This can be played with large beach towels and only
two teams of two as well!

Ice Ball Surprise
For each child, insert a small toy or piece of plastic jewelry into a balloon. Fill the balloon with water, knot and freeze solid over night. Before giving out the goodies, cut away the balloon Young guests will have fun pushing their ice ball around a kiddy pool and watching it melt into something special.
Bonus activity:
Perfect party favor for a hot summer day?
Keeping empty frozen balloons in the freezer provides a quick
response to "I'm hot and bored"

Squirt Water Relay - "The Turkey Baster Game"
This game has been a huge hit at all of our summer parties?
kids and adults enjoy the challenge.

You?ll Need:
Two buckets or tubs per team
A plastic turkey baster per team
To Play
Each team is given one full bucket of water at the ?start line.
Set the empty bucket some distance from the start line. The distance depends on the age of the players.
The challenge is to be the first team to transfer the water in the full bucket to the empty bucket, using only a turkey baster. Players take turns relay race style
Variation?
Use big sponges to transfer the water instead of basters.

An important note about water balloons...
Keep broken balloon pieces away from young children
!!!They are a serious choking hazard!!!
On that same note... the broken pieces also pose a
threat to local wild life. Please do your part, thank you.