Summer is upon us and soon the heat will be too. Cool down this summer and keep the kids entertained with these fun games to play with water balloons.
Summer Fun With Water Balloons
Breaking out the water balloons this summer will solve two summertime dilemmas. One, having something fun for the kids to do outside to get some of that energy out. Two, having a way to cool off when the summertime heat makes it harder to be outdoors.
Back in the days when we wanted to play some fun games with water balloons we first had to put in some hard labor to get the water into the balloons. Remember stretching the small water balloon opening over the faucet only to have it slip back off as you were filling it or break.
Eventually they made the nozzle that you could twist onto an outdoor faucet. That helped to speed up the water balloon filling process. Yet, even with an easier way to fill the water balloons there was still the tying of the water balloon. Arguably the worst part of water balloons (well, next to picking up all the little pieces off the cement and grass). There were many a sore fingers from tying tiny not very stretchy water balloon knots.
Luckily as the world has evolved so has the filling of water balloons. Nowadays you can easily fill hundreds of water balloons in minutes! If this is news to you then you need to check out these Zuru Bunch O Balloons on Amazon. These balloons come with the nozzle to help with filling but the nozzle is attached to a small tube that fills a balloon that already has an elastic to seal the balloon. After the balloons are the desired fullness you give the nozzle a shake and the balloons fall off the small tubes they are attached to sealed and ready to be thrown.
Hot Potato (And Other Versions)
For this first fun game to play with a water balloon gather all the participants into a circle. You can play a traditional game of hot potato where the water balloon is passed from person to person while the verse is being said. Whoever is holding the balloon when the verse ends is out. Out could mean they sit in the center of the circle or it could mean they have to pop the water balloon on their head. The choice is yours.
If playing with older kids instead of saying the verse and passing directly to the person next to you the kids could toss the balloon to someone else in the circle. They can keep tossing the balloon until someone misses it and it breaks or drops. Then that person would be out of the game. You could continue on until only one person is left.
Another version would be to toss the water balloon around the circle counting each time someone catches it. When someone drops it or the balloon breaks stop counting. Take the number the group got to and play another round trying to beat the top number of catches before the water balloon breaks again.
When playing the water balloon games where the balloon is tossed rather then just handed to the next person it’s good to have some rules. A rule might be that you can’t pass to the person directly next to you. Also, that the balloon has to leave your hands (this stops people from handing it someone across the circle)
Playing Catch With a Water Balloon
A good old fashion game of catch is taken to a whole new level when a water balloon is involved. Have each person find a partner and stand across from each other. Then toss the balloon to the other person. If that person catches the balloon then they take a step back. The game continues until the balloon breaks.
If there are several people playing this game it’s fun to have every partnership start standing next to each other the same width apart. Then as the balloon is tossed and steps are taken back you can compare which teams are getting the furthest apart. As a team’s balloon breaks they can sit down where they are so it’s easy to see who was able to get the furthest.
To have partners get wider faster have both people take a step back each time the balloon is caught. Also, some water balloons are a little more sturdy and tend to not always break when they hit the ground. If this is the case make the rule that if the balloon isn’t caught it’s the same as a balloon breaking.
Target Practice
For this next water balloon game use some sidewalk chalk to make a target on the cement. The target can be a bullseye or random pictures drawn. The idea is to give you something to aim your water balloon at.
After you have chosen a starting line for tossing each person can take a turn trying to hit the target. Be creative with scoring and how you decide who the winner is.
Towel Volleyball
This game requires a towel for every 2 people. You can set up a net like a real volleyball game. The ball is a water balloon and it is put into one of the towels for the pair to toss over the net. It has to be caught in a towel by another pair and sent back over.
If you don’t have a net don’t worry. This game is still super fun with the kids passing from one towel to another without a net. It takes a surprising amount of team work and skill to get the balloon out of the towel. Bring lots of extra balloons for this game because they are bound to pop a few!
When things get hot this summer send the kids outside to get wet. These fun games to play with water balloons are sure to keep them busy and cool this summer.