9 of the Best Water Party Games

With summer on its way, it’s time to make a splash with our top 10 outdoor fun and games!

 

1. Water obstacle course

Kids will love racing each other around a water obstacle course, particularly if it’s a hot summer's day and they want to be in their swimmers! You can easily create a fun water obstacle in the garden using paddling pools and other garden objects. Get the kids to crawl through tubes while being sprayed by a garden hose, jump in a small paddling pool, throw a wet sponge into a bucket and even slide across the finish line.

 

2. Water race

A favourite summer party game at all picnics and parties, whatever the age! Divide the kids into teams with each team forming a line. At the head of each line is an empty bucket with a line marked across the middle. Some distance away is a bucket full of water. The first member has a plastic cup with which they must run to the full bucket and collect a cup of water. The player runs back and pours the water into the empty bucket. The first team to reach the marker on the bucket is the winner. Kids will probably get wet, so best to do on a warm day and have some towels handy.

Top tip: Add a little food colouring to the water to make it more fun.

 

 

 

3. Watering the plants

For younger guests, hand them each a watering can and show them all the different variety of flowers and plants and prepare them a little area to grow and water their own plants.

4. Water balloon target game

Kids will love any party game that involves water balloons! All you need is some water balloons and a bucket. Once you’ve filled up the water balloons, get the kids to take it in turns to throw the balloons into the bucket. The winner is the person who gets the most balloons in the bucket – award water pistols as prizes.

5. Tug of water war

Choose a grassy patch in your backyard, garden or park. Draw a line, using spray paint or chalk about 5ft long on the grass. Tie a knot at each end of a thick piece of rope (20ft – 30ft long) and measure the halfway point with a coloured piece of ribbon. Lay the rope along the line and divide the kids into two teams and place a sprinkler at the middle point where the ribbon is tied. Once the teams line up on either side of the rope, the tug of war game begins. The first team to pull a member of the other team over the line and into the sprinkler wins. 

6. Pass the water

Kids of all ages love this water game, so much so that it’s regularly in the top 10 favourite party games of all time! Here’s how to play it. All you need is some paper cups, water and some willing participants. Create two teams lined up one behind each other and hand everyone a cup. Fill the starting players cup with water, once filled the first player will raise the filled cup over and behind their head and pour the water  for the next player to catch in their cup. Once a player has poured their water, they'll join the back of the line an repeat. Whichever team reaches the finish line with the most amount of water in their cup wins!

 

 

7. Slippery water slide

This is so easy to set up and will provide hours of fun and tons of laughter. Take a water slide and spray the entire water slide with water and lay the hose at the top of the slide so the water continues to run down. Make sure there are no rocks or sharp objects sticking up to puncture the plastic or hurt children. Then, dressed in their swimming costumes or trunks, get them to slide down one by one – some going headfirst, feet first or even cross legged. Make it competitive party game by marking who gets the furthest on the slide.

8. Water balloon toss

Pair off kids into teams of two and line them up facing one another about 3ft apart. Give each team a water balloon. Players throw the water balloon back and forth, taking a step back after each successful toss, widening the distance between them. The team that can toss the balloon the farthest without dropping or exploding the water balloon wins.

9. Water limbo

Use a hose pipe to spray a jet of water horizontally and get the kids to take it in turns to limbo underneath. Lower the jet after each successful limbo and put on some calypso or fun party music to get the guests in the full summer swing.

Top tip: Don’t forget to put water pistols in the party bags!