Summer can be a trying time for parents. While you may want to keep your children entertained and limit their screen time, there is little possibility of letting children step outside to play. Excessive heat can be a deterrent to all fun plans.

We have come up with some of the best water games for kids. These games are super fun, can be played in your backyard, and would also ensure that your children stay cool and fresh.

Nope, you don’t require fancy equipment for these water games. Just pick readily available stuff at your house and get ready for a wet and wild time with your children.

30 Water Games For Kids

Most of these water games for kids are easy to carry out. Are you ready to have lots of fun with your little one? Let’s go!

1. Slip ‘n slide

Who doesn’t like a good slip and slide? You just need a plastic tablecloth or a large tarpaulin sheet to make a slide. Spread the sheet in your backyard and pour lots of water on it, or you may also place the slide near a sprinkler and turn it on. Add some soap to the water to make it slippery. See who can slide the farthest without rolling off on the grass.

2. Water balloon pinata

Water balloon pinatas are great for summer birthday parties or gatherings. Tie several water balloons on a clothesline. Blindfold the players and ask them to hit the balloons using a bat. While playing this water game, you may get all drenched. Therefore, you may want to dress accordingly.

3. Water balloon toss

Water balloon toss guarantees hours of fun and would also keep you cool in summer. Divide players into pairs and give each pair a water balloon. They must toss the balloon between them. Every time they catch the balloon, each of them has to take a step backward. Continue until the balloon drops and drenches one of them. Sounds fun? Try it now!

4. Ice cube painting

Let your children create masterpieces by painting with ice. Make some colored ice using food colors and water. Then spread some butcher’s paper or even newspapers in your backyard. Let your children pick ice cubes in the colors of their choice and paint. Dry and display it in your living room later.

5. Ice mold excavation

Take some water in a glass, put a small toy in it, and freeze it. Demold the ice and give it to your children with some tools, such as spoons. You can also give them some salt. Now ask them to chip the ice away to reveal the hidden toy. This is an activity that your child may enjoy immensely.

6. Pass the water

This is a game that will drench everyone completely. To play this game, make your children stand in a line facing in one direction. Place a bucket of water and a plastic cup at the beginning of the line and an empty bucket at the end of the line. The first player has to fill the cup and pass it over their head to the next player. Continue until the cup reaches the last player, who has to now pour the water into the empty bucket from over their head. If there are many children, make teams and see which team fills the bucket with more water.

7. Water gun fight

This is a classic game that never fails to entertain. Get some water guns or spray bottles for each player. Divide the players into teams and let the fight begin. Each team aims to spray water on the shirts of the opposite team members. The player with the driest shirt is the winner. Spraying water on the players’ shirts is to ensure that no one mistakenly sprays on the eyes of players. Also, it is easier to pick your winner.

8. Drip, drip, drop

This is a variation of ‘Duck, Duck, Goose’ and is sure to get everyone laughing. One player becomes ‘It,’ and the others sit down in a circle. The ‘It’ goes around the circle with a glass of water saying, “drip, drip…” and putting a drop of water on each player’s head by dipping their fingers in the water. Then they say “drop” over a player and pour the water on that player’s head. Now, this player has to get up and run around the circle trying to catch ‘It’ before the ‘It’ sits in their place.

9. Water relay

Divide the players into two teams. Place two buckets for each team at some distance. One bucket should be filled with water and the other should be empty. Give each team a large sponge. One player from each team should soak up as much water as the sponge can hold and run over to the empty bucket and squeeze the water into it. Return to the first bucket and give the sponge to the next player. The team with the maximum amount of water in the second bucket is the winner.

10. Water balloon relay

This is a silly game, but children may enjoy playing it. Divide the players into two teams. Fill up some water balloons and place them in two buckets, one for each team. Place two plastic chairs at some distance from the buckets. One player from each team has to pick a balloon, run to the chair, put the balloon on it, and sit on it until it bursts. They have to return and tag the next player. The team that bursts all or most balloons would be the winner.

11. Water bucket race

Give each player a bucket and a plastic cup. Place the buckets at a short distance away from the start line. Now, place a bucket full of water behind the players. The players have to fill the cup, run across to their bucket, and pour the water into it. The player with the maximum amount of water at the end of the race is the winner.

12. Bulls-eye

Draw target circles on the sidewalk and points all around them. Let the players stand behind a line and toss water balloons or large sponges soaked with water onto the targets. The wet patches will show where the balloons or the sponges hit. The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

13. Sponge bomb fight

Cut a sponge into thirds and join nine such pieces together using an elastic band. Dunk them in a bucket of water. Divide the players into teams and let them throw these sponge bombs across the lawn to hit each other. The player who remains unhit or least hit is the winner.

14. Roll 6 and splash

This is a fun game for children to get drenched and learn to wait for their turn as well. Place a shallow pan filled with water and have children sit around it in a circle. Give them a die. They must take turns in rolling the die. The player who rolls a six gets to put their hand in the pan and splash water on the others. Refill the pan at intervals. Splash! Splash!!

15. Water jump

Add a fun twist to the regular rope jumping with this game. Give your child a glass of water and ask them to jump over a skipping rope. Set the number of times they have to jump or set a time limit. The children must jump carefully to avoid spilling the water. In the end, the child with the most amount of water remaining in the glass would be the winner.

16. Sponge toss

Divide the players into two teams. Place one bucket with water on one side of the backyard and an empty bucket on another side. The players can stand anywhere between the two buckets. Once the game starts, they cannot change their positions. The first player must dunk a sponge in the water and pass it on to the next player, and so on, until the last player squeezes the water into the last bucket. Then they pass it back. The team that fills more water is the winner.

17. Sponge run

Fill a bucket with water and place it on one side of the backyard and an empty bucket on another side. Give each player a large sponge. They have to dunk their sponge in the water, place it on their head, and walk to the other bucket and wring the sponge in it. Children can hold the sponge while walking, while adults should try to walk without touching the sponge. Sounds fun?

18. Water transfer relay

Divide the players into two teams. Poke a few holes near the bottom of a plastic cup. Place a bucket with water on one side and an empty bucket on another side. One player from each team must fill the plastic cup with water, run to the empty bucket with the cup on their heads, and pour the water into it. Then they must return to the starting point and pass the empty cup to the next player. The team that fills the most water is the winner.

19. Water cup race

You will need a long string, a plastic cup, scissors, tape, and a water gun or spray can for this game. Punch a round hole at the bottom of the cup with scissors or any sharp object. Pass the string through the hole and attach the two ends of the string between two walls using tape. Spray water through the cup to make it race on the string. The player whose cup reaches from one end to the other first is the winner.

20. Human wash

Build a human equivalent of a car wash by arranging the hose at different angles. The children can race through the hose either by running or on their scooters. They will be thoroughly drenched. Get ready for a laughter riot as your children get splashed from many angles. You can substitute this for a shower too.

21. Frozen t-shirt

This is a perfect game for the summer. Soak some t-shirts, wring them out, and fold them. Place baking sheets between each t-shirt and freeze them the night before the game. Give each player a t-shirt, and ask them to wear it as fast as they can. The player who manages to wear it correctly in the shortest time is the winner.

22. Tipsy waiter

This is a new addition to the world of water games, and it is super fun to play. Divide the players into teams. Place an empty bucket at the end of the game zone for each team. Fill some glasses with water and place them on a tray.

One player from each team must spin on the spot eight times. Next, the players must pick up the tray with water glasses and walk toward their bucket and empty the glasses into it. The other players may fill the next set of glasses until they return. Take turns to spin and fill the buckets. The first team to fill their bucket is the winner.

23. Water limbo

This game is a fantastic wet twist on limbo. Use a hose for this game. Turn on the water at full blast and hold it at a height. The players must pass underneath it. Lower the hose by a foot or so and have the players repeat the process. The player who manages to get the lowest without getting drenched is the winner.

24. Backyard bath

Children who hate regular baths may enjoy bubble baths. Take an inflatable pool to your backyard and fill it with their favorite bubble bath body wash and water. Throw in a couple of their favorite toys as well. When your children have had their fill, hose them down to remove all the soapsuds. This activity is great fun for them, and you can substitute it for their regular bath. Wink, wink!

25. Water twister

This is the classic game of twister played with water. Make your own Twister game on a tarp and spread it in your backyard near the sprinklers. Turn the sprinklers on when you play the game. With so much water, this game gets a lot crazier.

26. Water bottle toss

This game is similar to sponge toss. All you have to use are some empty plastic bottles for this game. Place a bucket at one end of the backyard. The players can stand anywhere in the backyard, but they cannot move once the game begins. The first player fills the bottle up with water from a hose and tosses it to the next player without putting its lid on. This continues until the last player catches the bottle and empties it into the mug. If there are multiple teams, see which team manages to fill more water in their bucket.

27. Toe fishing

Fill an inflatable pool with water and put small toys and trinkets in it. The players have to fish out the objects using their toes. You can add a bubble bath to the water and make the game a lot more entertaining. The player who manages to fish out the most items is the winner. Apart from being an entertaining game, it is an excellent way to develop your child’s motor skills.

28. Water balloon dodgeball

You must have played regular dodgeball at some point. Water balloon dodgeball takes fun to the next level. Divide the players into two teams. The players of one team stand in a circle, while the other team players stand in the center of the circle. Provide the first team with ample water balloons. They should throw the balloons on the players of the opposite team who try to dodge them while staying within the circle. When all the players in the circle are drenched, the players change spots.

29. Water volleyball

Volleyball gets a funnier twist when you add water to it. When you know that the ball could burst at any time and drench you, you will have lots of fun. Set up a net in your backyard and keep several water balloons ready. Toss the balloons one after another over the net towards the other team just as you do in volleyball.

30. Pass the water parcel

Keep some water balloons ready and ask the players to sit in a circle. When the music starts, a player picks up a balloon and passes it to the next player. The players keep passing the water balloon until the music stops. The player holding the balloon has to pop the balloon over their head and is out of the game. The last player to remain in the game wins.

Try these amazing water games for kids and make your summers fun, not sweaty. With minimal supplies, you can set up a gaming zone in your backyard, lawn, or even a balcony to spend endless hours of fun with your children. These games are also ideal for birthday parties or family gatherings anytime round the year. The games also ensure your children remain hydrated and fresh even on the sunniest days.

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