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!