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55+ Best Backyard Water Games for Toddlers and For Kids
It’s summer time! 😀
And what better way to bring out the water games and activities!
We’ve gone through our lengthy share of backyard games and backyard toys and I am excited to share some of these ideas below.
If you are looking for fun games to play outside for kids, then you are in the right place!
Related: Looking for fun activities for kids to do outside, check out this post right here!
What fun kids outdoor games ideas do you have in mind right now?
Have you tried any that worked out for you? If you have, please share them below! 🙂
Outdoor water games don’t have to include an actual outdoor toy.
It can be just as simple as games to play with water balloons or water fight games or even games with water and ice and so much more!
What are some water games?
Some ideas for water games can look something like:
Sand and Water Table Ocean Sensory Bin
Water Table Play Ideas (Here are over 70 water table ideas) 🙂
Water Play with a bit of Early Learning for Toddlers
And, so much more!
Activities for kids outside can look fun with just a bin and a little bit of water.
You can even try getting a bit infinitive and create a fun set of homemade games for kids by bringing in fallen leaves or sticks and rocks into the bin for an epic sensory play idea!
Coming up with a fun pretend play for keep outdoor game can also be really fun!
For example, see how many rocks you can collect and then keep them to use them in a fun art painting rock activity!
What other fun games to play outside with kids can you think of or maybe that you have tried? Please share your ideas below too! 🙂
Related: For more summer outdoor activities, you are in for a treat here!
Why is water play good for toddlers?
Much like the benefits of sensory play, the benefits of water play are all so similar.
Water play stimulates the senses which allows for the encouragement of creativity, imagination and problem solving.
Playing with water also allows children to communicate and learn social skills.
While they are having fun playing and learning, they learn to communicate and express themselves.
I’ll be discussing below in more detail, games to play with water and water games to do with kids. 🙂
Related: Looking for summer activities for kids? Here are over 70 ideas for kids this summer!
How can I have fun with water?
I’ll share some ideas below but on top of that I’d like to share some DIY outdoor kids games you can try:
You can create a team games for kids to play like kickball or ring toss.
Easy things to do with kids like a simple water sensory bin or a DIY window painting.
If you’d like to take your outdoor game to a local park, you can try out some kids play park games like, “You’re it” or “Freeze Tag”. Outdoor park games are really fun!
Long play games of lining up cones and tossing rings to see who can make it on the cone is a fun idea.
Preschool activities with water and a fun DIY blooming flower.
Outdoor games for preschoolers and toddlers like a fun “I spy something” or nature collection game.
Cool games for big kids like a painting mural and all the kids just paint outdoors.
All games for kids that they will all enjoy like a fun Pool Noodle Water Pour Station.
All of these are even great as kids summer camp games or fun church outdoor games
Related: If you can make it outdoors, here are some indoor water activities for toddlers and for kids you may also like to take a look at! 🙂
How can I get wet without a pool?
There are many different ways you can get wet without a pool!
Here are some ideas I can think of and of course, I’ll be sharing many more below this post.
How can I have fun without a pool?
Here are some cool activities to do without a pool:
Balloon Toss (You are sure to get wet with this fun summer activity for kids.)
An inflatable pool always does the trick if you don’t have a pool!
Sponge activities
DIY Slip and Slide
Summer fun games like a sprinkler or a inflatable unicorn sprinkler
Splash pads are all the rage and are fun water activities ideas without a pool.
Water Tables and Water Bins
Spray Bottle filled with water for a fun chalk spray painting activity
Games about water like Water gun tag or Water relay games outdoors.
These are just some ideas for fun things to do in water when you don’t have a pool! 🙂
Related: Looking for outdoor games for kids to play and outdoor toys? Check this post right here!
What are some fun games?
Fun things to do when your bored outside:
Water bucket race
Liquid Limbo (try to dance underneath the water bar without getting wet.)
Marco Polo (remember this? :D)
Add color ice to water for a fun and icy water activity.
What can kids do in summer?
Check out these summer activities for kids.
There are over 70 summer activities for toddlers, preschool, kindergarten and for kids that are super duper helpful!
Here are even more ideas:
Letter magnet sensory bin
Pool Noodle Play
Fishing for Foam letters
A fun nature hunt
Ice bin for a sunny day!
What is water balloon toss?
Fun activities for the summer can include water balloon toss.
But, what is it exactly?
Water balloon toss is a fun game that works with a team of kids and it is definitely a set of fun things to do with water.
This can work as fun church games for kids or fun summer games for a team of kids.
There are different game variations but in essence, you can tailor it to work for kids older than the age of 5.
Here’s how the game goes:
All you need is water filled balloons.
Buckets that are meant for holding all of the water balloons.
Then, set up 2 lines of people facing each other.
Toss the water balloon to the person in front of you.
If they successfully catch it, you keep going.
If they don’t catch it and it breaks, they are out of the game until the next round.
Easy peasy and a fun game for the older kids as well as ideas for summer school activities.
Related: Here are the Best Outdoor Toys for Kids Ages 1-6! 😀
Alright! So, we have reached the part of this post that elaborates more and specifically on backyard water games for kids!
Let’s get into the outdoor activities for kids this summer and water games you can try out too!
How do you keep kids cool outside?
Let’s get into it…
Here are over 55 Water games for Kids:
Fun kids Outdoor Games for Toddlers
Backyard Obstacle Course – Happy Toddler Playtime
Outdoor Tracks – Days with Grey
Outdoor Bubble Foam – Busy Toddler
Easy DIY Water Wall – Toddler Approved
Water Balloon Painting – Lasso the Moon
Foam Blocks and Water – Still Playing School
Sand River – Babble Dabble Do
Fossil Dig – Play Teach Repeat
Spray Bottle Alphabet – Raising Dragons
Washing Dishes Sensory Bin – Toots Mom is Tired
Ocean Sensory Bin – Natural Beach Living
Outdoor play activities for Preschoolers
Fun and Silly Backyard Olympics – Toddler Approved
Word Scavenger Hunt – The Imagination Tree
Backyard Tight Rope – Happy Hooligans
Paint the Ice Sensory Bin – Days with Grey
Outdoor Obstacle Course – Buggy and Buddy
Pool Noodle Obstacle Course – Raising Dragons
Sorting Land and Water Animals – Still Playing School
Marble Run Water Slide – Mama Papa Bubba
Rainbow Discovery Bottles – The Paige Diaries
Cornstarch and Water Sensory Play – The Workspace for Children
Easy Water Play – Toddler Approved
Water activities for Preschoolers
Water Balloon Pinatas – Red Ted Art
Pool Noodle Alphabet Basket – The Educators Spin on It
Ice Rocks – Happy Toddler Play Time
Painting Letters with Water – Happy Hooligans
Watermelon and Rainbow Painting – Emma Owl
Cool Water Experiment for Kids – Little Bins for Little Hands
Water Balloon Pinata – Fireflies and Mudpies
Paint Nature with Water – Little Pine Learners
Water Balloon Letter Smash – School Time Snippets
Water Painting Handwriting Practice – Coffee Cups and Crayons
Water Balloon Math – Raising Dragons
Outdoor games for Kindergarten
$1 Pool Noodle Sprinkler – Ziggity Zoom
American Ninja Backyard Obstacle Course – Frugal Fun 4 Boys
Activity Ice Melt – Growing Book by Book
Water Wall – Happy Hooligans
Mixing Colors Water Balloons – I can Teach my Child
Watermelon Science Activities – Natural Beach Living
Water Soaker Painting – I can Teach my Child
Pool Noodle Boats – The Spruce Crafts
Water Balloon Hunt – How Wee Learn
Fill the Bucket Water Game – The Resourceful Mama
Water Balloon Games – Backyard Kids
Outdoor Water Games for Older Kids
Water Balloon Pinatas – Milk Allergy Mom
Sponge Toss Water Activity – The Resourceful Mama
Pool Noodle Sprinkler – Ziggity Zoom
Water Balloon Towel Toss – Love Play and Learn
Water Balloon Jousting Game – Ziggity Zoom
Water Balloon Launcher – Frugal Fun 4 Boys
Water Balloon Games – Artsy Momma
Water Balloon Target Practice – Motherhood on a Dime
Water Balloon Games – No Time for Flashcards
Glittery Frozen Water Balloons – Where Imagination Grows
Balloon Hunt – Mess for Less
Rain Gutting River for Running Water Play – Frugal Fun 4 Boys
Water Balloon Challenge – Youth Work in It
Related: For more Fun summer activities with kids, check out this post right here!
I hope you enjoyed these fun activities for kids outside and that you try some of them out!
Happy Summer!
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