Summer is a time for fun in the sun and staying cool in the water. As temperatures rise and school is out, parents are on the lookout for entertaining and refreshing activities to keep their kids busy. Whether it’s splashing in the pool or running through sprinklers, water play is always a hit with kids of all ages.
No need to reinvent the wheel when there are many classic water play activities that we did as kids that kids can still enjoy today. Keep reading to explore several fun and easy water play ideas that will turn any hot summer day into a splashing good time for kids. So grab your sunscreen and swimsuits, and get ready to make a splash with these fun water play activities!
WATER BALLOONS
Your kid’s childhood won’t be quite complete until they’ve had a good old-fashioned water balloon fight (or two or three) with the neighborhood kids! Gather all the friends, have them bring balloons and get ready to fill, fill, and fill some more of those little water balloons! Then get ready for lots of squealing and SPLAT! SPLAT! SPLAT! Watch the kids enjoy this timeless summer activity!
OLD-FASHIONED SPRINKLER
Your kids will get all the thrills from running through a sprinkler! Nowadays there are so many different, cool styles of sprinklers! But the classic ones from my childhood are just as good. If you have more than one hose at your house, you can set up multiple sprinklers for the masses and create a fun sprinkler course for the kids to run through. Invite friends or family over for an easy-peasy play date—”Sprinklers and Snow Cones”!
WATER GUNS / WATER HOSE
Playing with water guns and water hoses in the summer is a blast for kids! What kid doesn’t like to run around and spray their siblings and friends with a stream of cold water?! Turn the backyard into a splash zone, where your kids can run around, dodging and spraying water everywhere. It’s the perfect way to cool off while having tons of fun and getting out lots of energy. With water fights, surprise attacks, and lots of laughter, kids create awesome summer memories full of excitement and joy.
WATER PLAY MUST-HAVES
Bunch O Balloons Tropical Party
Water Guns ShootersWater Gun for Kids & AdultsWater Slides and 2 BodyboardsWater Shoes for KidsKids Fishing Nets & Collapsible Buckets
NOT JUST ANY SLIP-N-SLIDE
When I was a kid, we enjoyed a HUGE slip-n-slide at a summer camp we attended. Well, it wasn’t until I got married and my husband made a big slip n slide for my kids that I saw it done with soap and water! So now, at our house, it’s not a slip n slide unless it’s a soapy, sudsy slide! You’ll “kill two birds with one stone” this way—kids have fun AND get squeaky clean! But, the store-bought slip-n-slides can be just as fun too!
CREEK STOMPING
Creek stomping offers lots of free fun for the whole family during the summer! Wear the babies in a carrier and enjoy getting in a little stream or creek with your kids and see what you can find. Pretty stones, crawdads, cute little fish, maybe frogs too! Take a fishing net and see what the kids can catch. Pack a picnic lunch for some added fun! You may even find a creek with a little sandy area where you can lounge a work on a little tan. You’ll enjoy the many possibilities and the time spend out in nature will be so refreshing! Don’t forget water shoes or some kind of shoe that provides good footing and that you don’t mind if they get wet.
WATER PARK / SPLASH PAD
You may have a popular amusement park/water park near you. Some offer year season passes that allow you to go many, many times for one price! Some offer discount rates during certain hours. If your children are basically fish stuck in a kid’s body, consider getting a season pass to the water park and enjoy loads of fun as often as possible! A day spent at a water park is a great way to burn off energy and stay cool! If you don’t have a water park near year or it’s just not in the budget, lots of towns these days have a park with a splash pad. And those are usually free!
JUMP IN THE POOL
You can’t go wrong with a good old-fashioned swimming pool. I don’t know what it is about a big pool of water, but kids can have fun and be entertained in the pool for hours!! Not only is it fun, but it’s good exercise too. If you don’t have your own pool, hopefully you have a friend that does. Or maybe there is a community pool in your neighborhood or city. Be intentional and put a day on your calendar each week during the summer to visit your local pool.
Summer is a fun time for kids, filled with endless possibilities for fun and adventures, with lots of memories to be made. When the temperatures rise and the sun is shining, there’s no better way to beat the heat than with some good old-fashioned water play. From classic activities like water balloons and sprinklers to creek stomping and splash pads, there’s no shortage of ways for kids to stay cool and have a splashing good time this summer.
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