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When the summer sun makes everything feel like it’s melting – including your patience – there’s nothing better than a bit of water-based fun to cool everyone down. The best part? You don’t need a fancy pool or pricey gear. With a bit of imagination (and a decent hosepipe), you can create brilliant DIY water games for kids right in your own back garden.

So grab your towels, get the kids into their swimsuits, and prepare for some gloriously soggy chaos with these easy-to-set-up, endlessly fun water games.

1. Sponge Toss

Forget water balloons – sponges are reusable, less messy, and just as fun. All you need is a few large, absorbent sponges and a couple of buckets filled with water. Split into two teams, soak the sponges, and take turns tossing them into each other’s buckets from a distance. The team that lands the most sponges wins – and everyone ends up dripping wet, which is the real point.

2. Water Obstacle Course

Set up a garden obstacle course with a wet twist. Crawl under a sprinkler, jump over a hose, balance a water balloon on a spoon, do a slip ‘n slide, and finish with a bucket dump over the head. Time each contestant and cheer like mad. This is DIY water games for kids at its finest – competitive, hilarious, and guaranteed to cool everyone down.

3. Drip, Drip, Splash!

This is the water-based version of duck, duck, goose. One child walks around a seated circle of others with a cup of water, dripping a tiny bit on each person’s head. When they shout “splash!” they empty the rest of the cup over someone and run for it. You’ll need towels and probably a referee, but it’s a summer classic.

4. Cup-to-Cup Relay

Line the kids up in two teams. The first person scoops up water in a cup, holds it over their head, and tips it backwards into the cup of the person behind them – no turning around allowed! Continue down the line until the last person dumps whatever water is left into a bucket. The team with the most water in their bucket after a few rounds wins. Spoiler: very little actually makes it into the bucket, and that’s the fun of it.

5. Water Balloon Piñata

Fill several balloons with water and hang them from a sturdy clothesline or tree branch using string. Give the kids a stick or plastic bat, blindfold them (optional for the brave!), and let them take turns trying to burst the balloons. It’s a fun way to combine excitement with a splash – and it’s perfect for birthday parties or playdates.

6. Ice Cube Hunt

Fill a paddling pool or large container with water and throw in a tray or two of ice cubes. Add small plastic toys or coins to some of them before freezing. Kids then use their toes to hunt for the hidden treasures. It’s surprisingly tricky and makes for brilliant giggles – plus it’s a great sensory activity too.

7. Hose Limbo

Turn your garden hose into a limbo stick! One adult (or a willing older sibling) holds the hose while water sprays out horizontally. Kids must limbo underneath without getting soaked. Lower the water “stick” each round to increase the difficulty. Warning: it gets very competitive very quickly.

8. Water Gun Target Practice

Set up a row of plastic cups or empty bottles on a fence or garden wall. Give each child a water gun and see who can knock down the most. Add point scores to each target if you want to raise the stakes. You can also freeze mini toys inside ice blocks and let them ‘rescue’ them using just their water shooters – a cooling twist on problem-solving play.

9. Paddling Pool Musical Chairs

This is musical chairs but with a soaking wet twist. Set up small garden chairs or cushions in a ring around a paddling pool. Play music, and when it stops, everyone must grab a seat – the one left standing has to do a belly splash or sit in the pool. Total mayhem and totally hilarious.

10. Sponge Tag

A classic game of tag, but the person who’s ‘it’ carries a soaking wet sponge and has to tag someone by squishing it onto their back. The new ‘it’ grabs the sponge and the madness continues. This one burns off serious energy and delivers maximum giggles with minimum setup.

Make a Splash This Summer

There’s no need to fork out for water parks or inflatable pool slides to keep kids cool during the summer holidays. With just a few basic items – buckets, cups, sponges, and a hose – you can create a whole menu of DIY water games for kids that will keep them entertained for hours.

Yes, you might end up soaked too, but on a scorching afternoon, that’s not the worst thing. So embrace the splashes, join in the fun, and remember – childhood summers are made of memories like these.