Hardly anyone is looking forward to the next one anymoresummer as the children. When the sun shines and the weather warms up again, the adventure in the garden begins. And since it can get pretty hot under the sun's rays, these water games for children offer a welcome way to cool off! We'll show you 20 fun ideas for the balcony or garden that will make spending time outdoors more exciting. They are also ideal for children's birthdays or as something to do while parents work from home. Let the suggestions inspire you! Summer can come.
Water games for children: creative play ideas in the garden
The first idea is for everyone who has oneGarden on the hillsidehave. It can also be done on flat terrain, but it's much more fun if the property has a slight slope. You will need fleece film, an inflatable air mattress, a garden hose and possibly a paddling pool. How to play: The fleece film is placed on the lawn and an adult holds the garden hose at the top of the “water slide” so that the end of the hose points towards the slide. He turns on the water and the foil becomes a smooth slide. At the end of the slide, children can land in a paddling pool. Fun is guaranteed as long as you and your children follow a few basic rules:
1. First remove all stones from the lawn. Never place the film near trees or shrubs or other obstacles.
2. Make sure you use lukewarm water. Otherwise it can quickly become too cold for the children.
3. Only one child is allowed to play on the slide.
4. Children are only allowed to play under parental supervision.
Water games for children: fill balloons with water
Water bombs are one of the most popular water toys in summer.Balloons can be used, for exampleFill with cold water and then become water balloons. The adults hang the balloonsin the garden, on a clothesline and each child hits a balloon until it bursts. To make it more exciting, parents can hide candy in some balloons.
Another water balloon game idea is to choose a target and throw the balloons at it. Containers such as large buckets, buckets, etc. are suitable for this. Anyone who hits the target wins the game and is rewarded with sweets. In the USA, children even like to play baseball with water balloons. Balloons full of water can also become part of a water course. For example, players should carry small water balloons in ladles. Whoever gets their water balloon to the final destination first wins. Optionally, you can simply paint a target on the driveway and have the children hit the target with water balloons instead of darts. It's fun, it's refreshing and you don't have to clean anything afterwards. PerfectGame for hot summer days!
Water features in the garden: make your own course
Children love to test their skills. If you have a big oneGarden with spacious lawnthen you can set up a water course for the little ones straight away. For this purpose you need a water slide made of fleece film, a “car wash” which consists of several upright plastic pipes and water bombs. The children should run through the water course while carrying a small water bomb in a spoon. Whoever does it the fastest wins.
By the way, if you have an irrigation system, you can create a “car wash”. Build the structure from pipes and drill holes in it. The children can then take turns driving their toys - such as bikes, cars, etc. - through the car wash. This game is a lot of fun in the summer, so you can keep the kids busy at children's birthday parties while the parents chat over coffee and cake.
It's twice as much fun if you moisten sponges and hang them up in the car wash. You can also hang strips of fabric at the end of the car wash. The more colorful, the better! The car wash can also be part of the course. Let your creativity run wild and create a place for the children to cool off in a sunny and wind-protected location. The car wash can practically replace the garden shower for the little ones. Of course, you should be technically skilled, because connecting the pipes together is not a task for complete beginners.
Water games for children: fishing for fish
Every child has played this classic water game at least once. Catching fish in a bucket or toy box is a lot of fun for both toddlers and adults. For the game you still need: googly eyes, round sponges, pipe cleaners of different colors, a stick, twine, a hook. First, make the fish with the children (you can find one hereCraft instructions with plastic folders), then fill the plastic box with fresh water and put the fish in it. Make a fishing rod using a tree branch or stick, twine and hooks. Now you can get started. If children over 8 are playing, you can put a number on each fish. Whoever collected the most points wins.
Water games for toddlers: painting with ice cubes and watercolors
The next idea makes the toddlers and evenBabies have a lot of fun. You will need an ice cube tray, water and food coloring. First, dissolve the food coloring in water and pour the water into the ice cube tray. Put them in the freezer overnight and you can start painting the next day. The children can draw not only on paper, but also on old T-shirts with their fingers and with ice cubes. The game is guaranteed to be a success with 1 and 2 year olds and parents or older siblings can of course also take part.
Game ideas for children aged 6 and over: Shoot targets with water pistols
Water pistols are great companions for every adventure, not just on the beach or in the pool. The children also enjoy playing with it in their own garden. But if you're worried that the entire terrace or your favorite reading corner will get completely wet afterwards, then you can organize a tournament. Make targets out of disposable plates and attach them to the edge of the lawn. Or the children should fill plastic cups with water and whoever does it first wins. There are numerous variants that will provide hours of outdoor fun.
If there are several children or you are organizing a children's birthday party, you can draw targets on pieces of paper and attach them to the children's clothing and a target to the children's clothing. Afterwards, the children should shoot each other with water guns, similar to paintball. You can divide the little ones into two teams, or organize different hiding places in the garden (e.g. behind the garden bench, behind the paddling pool, etc.). You can even organize a treasure hunt with water guns, or shooting water guns can be part of a water course. The possibilities are simply endless.
Game ideas for children: water challenge
A chair, a plastic bucket full of water and several questions: a water challenge can promote creativity or help refresh school knowledge. How to play: A child sits on a plastic garden chair and a bucket full of water is attached to a wooden board above his head. The wooden board is tied with a rope and another player holds the end of the rope. If he leaves the rope, the bucket tips over and the player is doused with water. The rules are very simple. If the player answers the questions correctly, he continues playing. If he answers incorrectly, he will be watered. Fun is guaranteed as long as several children of the same age are playing. Ideally they should be between 8 and 10 years old. This means that parents can ask questions in different areas in the quiz
Make your own water play table
A play table full of water where children can play with different toys is guaranteed to be a lot of fun. All you need are pipes, funnels, plastic water wheels and other toys and you're ready to go. To make it more fun, you can offer bottles or cups of different sizes. It is best to place the table in a partially shaded and wind-protected place in the garden, as the little ones are guaranteed to stay there for a long time and spend many happy hours outdoors.
Water games for children: target on the driveway
Paint a target on the driveway, patio or even garden path and give the kids wet sponges. They are supposed to throw the sponges at the target and whoever hits the highest number, similar to darts, wins. Of course, the sponge syringes help you cool down on hot summer days. The game exercises concentration and dexterity and is therefore ideal for children in primary school and kindergarten age. Of course, older siblings can also play along and help compare the numbers and calculate the points.
Fill the paddling pool with colored water
Toddlers and babies are particularly happy when they can play in the paddling pool in the garden in summer. But since it can quickly become boring, you can add some variety with colored water. You can color the water with food coloring or other colors from the craft shop. To be on the safe side, ask whether the colors are safe for your health if swallowed. You can then place various toys in the paddling pool and have the children look for them in the water.
Water bean bag for relaxing hours outdoors
A water bean bag can be used as an adventure mat for babies and as a refreshing bean bag for children and adults. You can make a water bean bag yourself from household items. All you need is baking paper, scissors, an iron, thick transparent garden film (for example for protecting plants from the wind), glitter, food coloring, gaffer tape. How to make your own water bean bag in just a few simple steps:
1. Cut two equal pieces of foil and place them between two sheets of baking paper.
2. “Weld” the edges of the foil with the iron set to medium level for 30 seconds. Continue until all sides are completely welded, leaving only a small hole for the garden hose.
3. Use the garden hose to fill the bean bag with water, optionally loosen water paint and add glitter to the water bean bag and then tape the hole with gaffer tape. Children like things colorful, so they can buy various sea motifs made of plastic (without sharp edges, preferably flat).
Water games for the pool: underwater treasure hunt
If you have a pool and your children can swim and dive, you can organize an underwater treasure hunt for them. It is important that children always dive or swim in the pool under parental supervision. The game works best when adults take part too. You can form teams; each team should have at least one adult. Then the game can begin.
You can also play with a ball in the pool, for example pool volleyball is very popular, especially in the summer months. You can also simply cut out numbers from sponge or ping pong balls and scatter them around the pool. You should collect the children and bring them to the terrace. Whoever collects the most points wins.
You can also fill a transparent, disposable bottle with water and ask the children to find it. It sounds very simple, but in fact it is difficult to find the bottle in the water. And it's a lot of fun to look for them. Whoever finds it wins and gets a reward for their hard work.
