Now that summer is here, these games will be fun for your kids to play at home in the garden or at their next party! What a great way to keep them cool too!
Splash
For obvious reasons, this is best played on a hot sunny day, in swimsuits and with towels at the ready. This will keep the kids entertained for hours! Begin by writing numbers 1 to 10 on separate bits of paper and place them in a hat or container. Next, ask a grown-up to bring out a bucket of water – make sure it’s nice and refreshingly cold!
One child is the ‘splasher’ and pulls one of the numbers out of the hat at random, without letting the others know what it is. The splasher then stands in the centre of a circle with a beaker of water, whilst the others take it in turns to call out a number. When the secret number is called, the child who says it gets a surprise soaking (screaming is optional) before becoming the splasher themselves.
Water Balloon Toss
The idea of this game is NOT to burst the water balloon. I know: weird, isn’t it?
First, fill up and tie your stash of water balloons and place them carefully on a towel outside until you’re ready to use them.
Next, everyone pairs up and then stands in two lines, facing their partners. One person from each pair is given a water balloon and must gently throw it to their partner who will try to catch it without bursting it.
After each successful catch, the thrower takes a step back, making the next throw a little bit trickier. The winners are the pair who manage to keep their balloon intact over the longest distance.
Source: 101 Things for Kids to Do Outside by Dawn Isaac.