When the weather heats up, it’s time to break out the water games. But let’s be real—there’s only so many times you can belly flop down a slip ‘n slide before the novelty wears off (and your lawn starts to look like a mud wrestling pit). Whether you’re hosting a backyard BBQ, trying to keep the kids entertained, or just looking for a fun way to cool off, here are five creative water games that go beyond the usual.
- Water Balloon Baseball
- Swap out the ball for water balloons and get ready for a splashy twist on America’s pastime. Use plastic bats or even pool noodles to swing, and set up a few buckets as bases if you would like. Every hit = a splash, and every miss? Still hilarious. If a balloon bursts on contact — it’s a hit! The batter runs to first. You can let fielders chase them down and try to tag them with another balloon. Just have some buckets spread out with extra water balloons in preparation!
- What you need: Water balloons, a jumbo plastic bat (or pool noodle), buckets for bases.
- Pro tip: Have a refill station ready so you can keep the game going.
- Sponge Tag
- Think regular tag, but with giant soaked sponges. One person is “it” and carries a soaked sponge. When they tag someone, that person becomes “it”—dripping wet and ready for revenge.
- What you need: Large car-wash style sponges, a bucket of water.
- Why it rocks: It’s soft, safe, and seriously refreshing.
- Drip, Drip, Splash
- A backyard-friendly spin on “Duck, Duck, Goose.” Instead of tapping heads, players walk around the circle with a cup of water, saying “drip… drip…” and finally dumping the cup with a “splash!” on the chosen player. Cue the mad dash!
- What you need: Plastic cups or small buckets of water.
- Ideal for: Younger kids or mixed-age groups.
- Water Cup Relay
- Divide players into teams. Each team gets two buckets—one full of water, one empty—and a cup. The goal? Move as much water as possible from the full bucket to the empty one, one cup at a time. It’s fast, silly, and sneakily competitive.
- What you need: Buckets, plastic cups, a stopwatch if you want to add pressure.
- Variation: Try balancing the cup on your head or walking backwards.
- DIY Water Obstacle Course
- Combine sprinklers, slip-free tarps, kiddie pools, and pool noodles to make your own watery wonderland. Have players crawl, jump, slide, or balance their way through it. You can create multiple variations for hours and everyone will be thrilled to beat each course. A stop watch can be great for this as well to see how quickly you can make it through the course!
- What you need: Whatever you’ve got! Get creative with what’s lying around.
- Bonus: Add challenges like “carry a cup of water without spilling” for extra laughs.
Final Splash 💦
These creative water games are generally low-cost, easy to set up, and way more exciting than just laying out a tarp and hoping for the best. Whether you’re cooling down the kids or spicing up a summer gathering, ditch the slip ‘n slide and try something new in your backyard this season.
