Looking for ways to keep your kiddos entertained with water this summer? Here are nine ideas for water fun at home, compiled by our creative Macaroni Kid publishers in Colorado:
Pour and play for infants and toddlers
by Debra Jaramillo
Scooping! Pouring! Dumping! Squeezing! Splashing! The power of cause and effect makes kids think and brings big smiles to little faces.
What you need:
- Dish tub or kiddie pool
- Measuring cups
- Funnels
- Small plastic or bath toys
- Wooden spoon
- Clean sponges
- Any other items you have on hand that are water- and baby-safe
What you do:
Add water and play items to your dish tub or a kiddie pool. Play with your little one by showing them how to scoop water and dump it out; squeeze water from stuffed toys or sponges; watch the water pour through the funnel; splash with the wooden spoons; and use their imagination to find new ways to play and get wet!
T-shirt freeze
by Christen Reiner
Plan ahead for this fun and easy game! Let the kids prep it themselves... they will be so excited to play!
What you need:
- T-shirts (one per person)
- Gallon size resealable plastic bag
What you do:
Grab a t-shirt that either fits well or is a little too big. Run the shirt under the faucet or dunk in a bowl or pitcher of water until it is soaked through. Wring out the shirt a bit, but be sure to keep some of the water in it! Fold up the shirt and place in the plastic bag. Zip it up and freeze overnight.
The next day, take the bags outside. Give the starting signal — the person who gets the frozen shirt correctly onto their body first is the winner! For even more fun, freeze a few shirts and play again and again!
Sponge splash balls
by Kyrie Collins
What you need:
- Two new sponges
- Twine
- Scissors
What you do:
Cut the sponges lengthwise into quarters. Cut a piece of twine long enough to wrap around the sponges a few times (about 18-24 inches). Stack the sponges on top of each other and over the twine, then pull to tighten. Wrap a few times and tie in a knot to secure. Trim the ends of twine.
And that's it! Once you have at least one splash ball per person, head outside. Douse your splash balls with water from the garden hose or dunk them in a bowl of water. Then it's time for a game of catch or splash ball tag!
Water balloon fun
by Nicole Hoeper
What you need:
- Water balloons
- Water toys (scoops, water balloon bouncers, water sprayers)
What you do:
Fill your water balloons with water. If you have regular water balloons, we suggest having a water sprayer (at your local dollar store) to fill your balloons up with. The sprayer makes filling balloons really easy with no mess in the house at the sink or running to turn the hose on and off.
Ways to play:
- Just give them a toss.
- Use the scoops to play catch with a friend.
- Use a water balloon bouncer to bounce the balloons either on your own or from one person to another.
- Use your imagination for more fun and games!
Water bottles with color
by Kristin Kindred
Kids are so simple when it comes to playing with water, they want to do it with anything they can get their hands on. We came across this fun little trick when we were taking our water to the next level.
What you need:
- Squirt bottles or clean and empty plastic mustard/ketchup bottles
- Food coloring
What you do:
Fill the bottles with water and add food coloring to the water to get the color that you want. Shake it and mix it well. Check out our video demonstration!
Squirt gun fun
by Michele Pullo
What you need:
- Squirt guns
- Several small buckets
What you do:
Fill your buckets up with water and set the squirt guns out in your yard or open space with plenty of room in between them. Fill up the squirt guns with water and place one by each bucket. Assign each child a bucket and squirt gun.
Set some ground rules: keep 6 feet apart, buckets are "safe" zones, wear masks and gloves if you prefer, and be kind. Then blow a whistle or give a good "ready, set, go!" and let the fun begin!
Paint with water
by Sarah Hauge
What you need:
- Paintbrushes, several different kinds
- Cups or bowls
What you do:
Use different shaped and sized paintbrushes to paint with water all over your outdoor space!
- Sample a variety of paintbrushes to explore how they each function in different ways.
- Teach letter or shape identification by painting them out on the pavement.
- Practice those pouring skills by providing a variety of water buckets, canisters, and measuring tools.
- Encourage creativity by asking what color they would paint various items if they had a choice.
Soap boat race
by Melissa Shrader
What you need:
- Aluminum foil (heavy-duty recommended)
- Bars of soap (1 per person)
- Toothpicks (1 per person)
- Masking tape (cut into 3 inch sections)
- Markers
- Scissors
What you do:
To make the track, measure out the length you'd like with aluminum foil. Fold the edges over two times to get rid of the sharp edge. Then fold the foil into a gutter shape so each boat will stay in its track.
Make a flag for your boat. We took a strip of masking tape (colored tape also works well) about 3 inches long and placed it about halfway up the toothpick so it overlapped the top of the toothpick. You can leave the flag as is or make it fancy with your scissors by cutting any shape into it that you'd like, then decorate it!
Place your flag into a bar of soap. We found that soap rounded on the bottom goes faster and spins! If you have older kids you can also carve your soap into a boat shape for even more fun.
Now just put your garden hose at the end of the track, put your boats in, and the race is on!
Iceberg excavating
by Julie Dikken
This fun activity is perfect for a hot day or an outdoor party with kids.
What you need:
- Plastic tub that will fit in your freezer
- Plastic toys (army figures, dinosaurs, bugs and butterflies, or whatever you have on hand)
- Ice cubes
- Water guns or water bottles
- toothbrushes
- plastic droppers
What you do:
Scatter a few plastic toys on the bottom of the plastic tub. Add a layer of ice cubes along with about one inch of water. Place in freezer until completely frozen. Repeat until your plastic tub is filled. I like to leave a few toys sticking out of the top.
Remove the iceberg from the plastic tub and place it in a kiddie pool or in your yard. Have the children begin squirting water around a toy to begin excavating. They can also use a toothbrush to help clean away the ice and a plastic dropper to squirt water into tighter spaces. Keep working until all toys have been excavated!
