10 Backyard Water Play Ideas
Backyards have seen a lot of action during the pandemic and today is going to be a high of 92 degrees so here are ideas that will help everyone cool down, get in some sensory play, and build in some helping activities while also being mindful of wasting water. Toss on some sunscreen and enjoy these easy and fun backyard water play ideas!
1. Garden care
Need to water the plants anyway? Teach your kids to use the spray hose. Kid fun + knocking off a household chore = win! Our puppy James loves jumping through the spray!
2. Add a twist to bubbles
Want to shake up the usual bubbles game? Squirt bubbles with spray bottles to try to pop them. Your kids will probably end up spraying each other too and cooling off!
3. Classic sprinkler play
When I was a kid we spent a lot of time running through a traditional sprinkler that threw off a ton of water and resulted in a swamp. We have an inexpensive wiggly sprinkler (it's long with maybe a dozen wiggle water "arms") that the girls love. It throws off just the right amount of water—enough to water the plants and provide cool relief without resulting in a swamp or wasting a ton of water. And the wiggly sprays result in lots of happy squealing.
4. Wash the car
Hooray for another kid fun + household chore win! Fill a bucket with water and have your kid wash the car!
5. Wash toys
When Violet was a toddler she loved washing toys (trains, baby dolls, small plastic toys) and it's a nice low water use activity. I just put water in a large plastic bowl with a few suds, gave her a paintbrush, and she was good to go (see below; I can’t bear to delete this old photo!).
6. Water balloons
I always caveat this activity with this rule: you must clean up all the balloon shreds afterwards. If you want to win major fun parent points, opt for water balloons.
7. Freeze it up
You know those fossil kits where you chip away at plaster for a dinosaur or gem stone and it makes a massive dusty mess? Take a mess-free, cooler play from this playbook and toss some little items in a container with water and freeze it up. Then your kids can chip out the items! A bowl of chipped ice and ice cubes would also make a fun new landscape for little toys.
8. Make water prints
Use feet, sponges, stamps—experiment with making different prints on the patio or sidewalk.
9. Paint the sidewalk or driveway
Chalk paint is super easy to make and you will be the coolest parent ever for letting your kid paint on pavement!
10. Wash stuff that actually needs to be washed
Clothes need to be rinsed of sand and mud? Buckets or other household items need a gentle wash with water? One summer, my mother-in-law cheerfully suggested that Laurel join her in washing down our fences. Turned out to be a super fun project that made our backyard look a lot better too!
Fun backyard water play ideas that won’t waste a ton of water!