Water is the best way to beat the heat! Grab beach towels and sunscreen, fill up the water balloons, and roll out the hose. Here are the best 50+ water activities to get kids, from toddlers to teens, learning and having fun in the summer sun.
1. Turn a plastic bottle into a sprinkler
No sprinkler? No problem! Upcycle a plastic water bottle and use your DIY sprinkler for all kinds of water activities.
Get tutorial: Housing a Forest
2. Make your own slip-n-slide
A slip-n-slide is always a hit. Make your own with plastic sheeting and stakes to hold it in place for an afternoon of sliding.
Get tutorial: A Beautiful Mess
Buy it: six-pack of pool noodles, plastic sheeting, and lawn stakes at Amazon
Fun Learning for Kids
3. Water ABC Flowers
Grab the sidewalk chalk and plant a garden of colorful alphabet flowers. Then fill a watering can and “water” the flowers, calling out the letters along the way.
Get tutorial: Fun Learning for Kids
4. Explore the water cycle
A sealed plastic bag is the perfect environment for recreating the water cycle. Hang it in a sunny window and watch evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in action.
Get tutorial: Teaching Ideas
5. Make and toss sponge bombs
Water balloons are fun, but they’re wasteful and messy too. These reusable “water bombs” are cheap, easy to make, and can be used for water activities over and over again.
Get tutorial: A Pumpkin and a Princess
Buy it: sponges at Amazon.
6. Build a water wheel
Brush up your engineering skills and assemble a water wheel with paper plates and cups. Try it out in the sink, or take it outside and use a hose instead.
Get tutorial: There’s Just One Mommy
Buy it: paper cups and paper plates at Amazon
7. Create a water blob
This trendy toy is all over the web, but there’s no need to spend big bucks to buy one. Instead, get some plastic sheeting and a hose.
Get tutorial: Clumsy crafter
8. Go fishing for numbers
Go fish! Float foam fish in a water table or kiddie pool. Add a paper clip to each one, and fish for them with a magnet on a string.
Get tutorial: Buggy and Buddy
9. Experiment with water filtration
STEM water activities are fun, educational, and perfect for summertime exploration! Scoop up water from a creek or lake, then see how different types of filtration work.
Get tutorial: Teach Beside Me
10. Play tag with spray bottles
Add a new twist to the classic game of tag! The one who’s “It” gets the water bottle, chasing the others down. If you’re hit by the spray, it’s your turn to be “It”!
Get tutorial: Kids Activity Blog
Buy it: spray bottles at Amazon
11. Make it rain
A little shaving cream and food coloring are all you need to perform this popular water science experiment about clouds and rain. Simple and fun!
Get tutorial: The Happy Housewife
12. Mix up bottlecap soup
Save bottle caps and paint letters on them. Then mix them all up in a big bowl of “soup” and let kids have fun scooping them out with spoons, ladles, or other tools.
Get tutorial: School Time Supplies
13. Water balloon joust
With a pool noodle (and a fork) for a sword, you can joust for water balloons! It’s lots of fun and good for hand-eye coordination too.
Get tutorial: Ziggity Zoom
Buy it: six-pack of pool noodles and bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
14. The ol’ water bag trick
This is one of those STEM water activities that you simply have to see to believe. Pierce a water-filled bag again and again, without spilling a drop of water!
Get tutorial: Fun With Mama
15. Rainbow water xylophone
This colorful, tuneful activity is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. Experiment with different water depths and mallet styles to make all kinds of beautiful music!
Get tutorial: Mama Papa Bubba
16. Play Duck-Duck-Splash
It’s so much fun to turn classic games into water activities! In this take on Duck Duck Goose, the tagged person gets a good splash of water before they run!
Get tutorial: Inspiration Made Simple
17. Water balloon phonics
Set up letter targets, then toss water balloons marked with letter combinations to make words. Water activities are a fun way to learn sight words!
Get tutorial: Mess for Less
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
18. Make a water cycle terrarium
This mini terrarium is a cinch to put together, but kids will be amazed to see how well it replicates the water cycle!
Get tutorial: Laura Candler’s Teaching Resources
19. Water balloon pinatas
Dangle water balloons from a clothesline, then swing at them with a bag or stick. Instead of candy, you’re rewarded with a cool splash!
Get tutorial: Hello Wonderful
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
20. Build a LEGO dam
LEGO bricks are great on their own, but they also can be used for water activities! Use colorful bricks to build a dam, pool, or water course.
Get tutorial: Little Bins for Little Hands
21. Discover buoyancy and density
Take a nature stroll on a sunny day and pick up a variety of objects. Then bring them home and find out which ones float and which sink. Some of the results may surprise you!
Get tutorial: My Bored Toddler
22. Make a PVC water shooter
These water shooters are simple to put together, and kids will be amazed by how far they shoot. Set up targets and test your accuracy!
Get tutorial: Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls
Buy it: 1.5” PVC pipe, ¾ “ PVC pipe, and six-pack of pool noodles at Amazon
23. Target toss
Draw a giant target marked with numbers, then stand back and aim with water balloons. Add up the numbers you manage to hit to see who can get the highest score!
Get tutorial: Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
24. Pool noodle sprinkler
You don’t need a pool to get wet with these noodles! Tape them together and poke some holes, then connect it to a hose for the coolest sprinkler around.
Get tutorial: Ziggity Zoom
Buy it: six-pack of pool noodles at Amazon
25. Race to fill the bucket
Teams race to transfer water from one bucket to another, using a sponge. Everyone is sure to get wet, but they’ll also have a blast!
Get tutorial: The Resourceful Mama
26. Make rainbow bubbles
What kid doesn’t love to play with bubbles? Fill a kiddie pool with them, and create a rainbow using liquid watercolor paints.
Get tutorial: Gift of Curiosity
27. Swimming pool scrabble
How clever is this? Write letters on sponges and float them in the pool. Kids swim out and grab a number of letters, then bring them back to spell the best word they can.
Get tutorial: Toddler Approved
28. Glow up the pool
Fill the pool with glow sticks to keep the water fun going after the sun goes down.
Get tutorial: Saving by Design
Buy it: Glow sticks at Amazon
29. Water balloon yo-yo
Under-fill a water balloon and turn it into a yo-yo! Of course, it won’t last forever, so be prepared to get a little wet.
Get tutorial: Inner Child Fun
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
30. Make a water wall
Attach pool noodles to a pegboard using zip ties, then pour water to see where it lands. Simple water activities like this one can keep kids busy for hours!
Get tutorial: Teaching Mama
Buy it: six-pack of pool noodles at Amazon
31. Play car wash
Design a car wash with sponges and pool noodles that kids can take their bikes through.
Get tutorial: Design Mom
Buy it: six-pack of pool noodles and sponges at Amazon
32. Create a water maze
A collection of PVC pipes and connectors make totally fun real-life building toys. Add water for an even bigger impact!
Get tutorial: Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes
Buy it: 1.5” PVC pipe at Amazon
33. Glow in the dark water balloons
Join the fireflies with a nighttime water balloon fight! Simply add a glow stick to each balloon before you tie it off.
Get tutorial: The Scrap Shoppe Blog
Buy it: Glow sticks and bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
34. Water balloon baseball
Use a plastic bat or pool noodle and some water balloons to play a game of baseball, as long as the water balloons last that is.
Get tutorial: Over Stuffed Life
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
35. Trampoline water balloons
You may need to make sure the adults don’t take over this activity. Fill a trampoline with water balloons and hop til they’re all popped.
Get tutorial: A Subtle Revelry
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
36. Walk the Plank
A baby pool, two supports and a board are all you need to set up pirate walk the plank activity. Add an inflatable crocodile for added suspense.
Get tutorial: Classy Clutter.
37. Set up a pouring station
Toddlers and big kids love playing with water and jugs. Set up a pouring station and let them go to town pouring and mixing. Add food coloring to turn this activity into an art activity.
Get tutorial: Busy Toddler
38. Ice cube transfer
Ice cubes, a bowl, and tongs are the only things you need for this activity. It seems simple, but sometimes simple is all kids need (and ice cubes, of course).
Get tutorial: Taming Little Monsters
39. Water drop race
This activity that shows students how surface tension works using water droplets is a hit with kids of all ages.
Get tutorial: What We do All Day
40. Water obstacle course
Use all the materials you have—hoses, sprinklers, buckets, and more—to create a water obstacle course. Even better, have the kids set it up and manage how they move through it.
Get tutorial: Hands on as we Grow
41. Ocean sensory bin
Ocean animals, sand and water create a sensory bin that will keep your kid occupied for hours.
Get tutorial: Taming Little Monsters.
Buy it: 60 piece ocean animal set at Amazon
42. Wash dishes
This is another simple activity that kids love. Set up dishes and two bins for them to soap up and rinse, then dry them in the sun.
Get tutorial: Toots Mom is Tired
43. Spoon and balloon race
Turn this classic egg-and-spoon relay into a water activity using water balloons and wooden spoons.
Get tutorial: Red Ted Art
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
44. Freeze dino eggs
Freeze mini plastic dinosaurs in eggs and then chip away or smash to get the dinos out.
Get tutorial: Paging Fun Mums
Buy it: miniature dinosaurs at Amazon
45. Paint with water
Get out all the painting materials and let kids go to town painting the patio, driveway, bricks. By the time they’ve finished painting one area they can go back and start again on the areas that have dried.
Get tutorial: Happy Hooligans
46. Letter target practice
Use golf balls, tees and a water gun to set up alphabet target practice.
Get tutorial: I Can Teach My Child
Buy it: ping pong balls and water squirters at Amazon
47. Race cars with water shooters
See how powerful water can be by using it to race toy cars down the sidewalk.
Get tutorial: A Girl and a Glue Gun
Buy it: water squirters at Amazon
48. Water balloon toss
Not just for the fair, this game is fun for kids to set up and play with water balloons or wet sponges.
Get tutorial: A Girl and a Glue Gun.
Buy it: bunch-o-balloons water balloons at Amazon
49. Create a sponge boat
Use a sponge and a water balloon to create a boat that will really go!
Get tutorial: The Craft Train
50. Paint with squirt guns
Set up an easel, fill squirt guns with colorful water and go to town.
Get tutorial: Fireflies and Mudpies
51. Make a river
This is a great way to maximize outdoor play or a sandbox. Use foil to create a river and use whatever you find in the backyard to create obstacles, bridges, and other features.
Get tutorial: Pickle Bums