60 Splash-tastic Water Activities for Summertime Fun and Learning

2. Turn a plastic bottle into a sprinkler

No sprinkler? No problem! Upcycle a plastic water bottle and use your DIY sprinkler for all kinds of water activities.

Get tutorial: Build Your Own Sprinkler

4. Water ABC flowers

Grab the sidewalk chalk and plant a garden of colorful alphabet flowers. Then fill a watering can and “water” the flowers, calling out the letters along the way.

Get tutorial: Water the Flowers Alphabet Activity

6. Make and toss sponge bombs

Water balloons are fun, but they’re wasteful and messy too. These reusable “water bombs” are cheap, easy to make, and can be used for water activities over and over again.

Get tutorial: How To Make Sponge Bombs

Buy it: Sponges at Amazon

7. Build a water wheel

Brush up on your engineering skills and assemble a water wheel with paper plates and cups. Try it out in the sink, or take it outside and use a hose instead.

Get tutorial: Water Wheel STEM Activity

Buy it: Paper cups and paper plates at Amazon

8. Create a water blob

This trendy toy is all over the web, but there’s no need to spend big bucks to buy one. Instead, get some plastic sheeting and a hose and make your own.

Get tutorial: DIY Water Blob

9. Go fishing for numbers

Go fish! Float foam fish in a water table or kiddie pool. Add a paper clip to each one, and fish for them with a magnet on a string.

Get tutorial: Fishing for Numbers

10. Experiment with water filtration

STEM water activities are fun, educational, and perfect for summertime exploration. Scoop up water from a creek or lake, then see how different types of filtration work.

Get tutorial: Water Filtration Experiment

11. Play tag with spray bottles

Add a new twist to the classic game of tag. The kid who’s “It” gets the water bottle and chases the others down. If you’re hit by the spray, it’s your turn to be “It”!

Get tutorial: Spray Bottle Freeze Tag

Buy it: Spray bottles at Amazon

12. Make it rain

A little shaving cream and food coloring are all you need to perform this popular water science experiment about clouds and rain. Simple and fun!

Get tutorial: How Clouds Make Rain

13. Mix up bottle cap soup

Save bottle caps and paint letters on them. Then mix them all up in a big bowl of “soup” and let kids have fun scooping them out with spoons, ladles, or other tools.

Get tutorial: Simple Bottle Cap Soup Sensory Play

16. Rainbow water xylophone

This colorful, tuneful activity is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. Experiment with different water depths and mallet styles to make all kinds of beautiful music.

Get tutorial: Rainbow Water Xylophone

17. Play Duck, Duck, Splash

It’s so much fun to turn classic games into water activities. In this take on Duck, Duck, Goose, the tagged person gets a good splash of water before they run.

Get tutorial: Duck, Duck, Splash

19. Make a water cycle terrarium

This mini terrarium is a cinch to put together, and kids will be amazed to see how well it replicates the water cycle.

Get tutorial: Hands-On Water Cycle Fun

21. Build a LEGO dam

LEGO bricks are great on their own, but they also can be used for water activities. Use colorful bricks to build a dam, pool, or water course.

Get tutorial: LEGO STEM: Building Water Dams

22. Discover buoyancy and density

Take a nature stroll on a sunny day and pick up a variety of objects. Then bring them home and find out which ones float and which sink. Some of the results may surprise you!

Get tutorial: Sink and Float Water Play

25. Pool noodle sprinkler

You don’t need a pool to get wet with these noodles! Tape them together and poke some holes, then connect them to a hose for the coolest sprinkler around.

Get tutorial: Ultimate Pool Noodle Sprinkler

Buy it: 6-pack of pool noodles at Amazon

26. Race to fill the bucket

Teams race to transfer water from one bucket to another using a sponge. Everyone is sure to get wet, and they’ll also have a blast!

Get tutorial: Fill the Bucket Outdoor Water Game

27. Make rainbow bubbles

What kid doesn’t love to play with bubbles? Fill a kiddie pool with them, and create a rainbow using liquid watercolor paints.

Get tutorial: Rainbow Bubbles

28. Swimming pool Scrabble

How clever is this? Write letters on sponges and float them in the pool. Kids swim out and grab letters, then bring them back to spell the best word they can.

Get tutorial: Swimming Pool Scrabble

29. Glow up the pool

Fill the pool with glow sticks to keep the water fun going after the sun goes down.

Get tutorial: Nighttime Pool Fun

Buy it: Glow sticks at Amazon

31. Make a water wall

Attach pool noodles to a pegboard using zip ties, then pour water to see where it lands. Simple water activities like this one can keep kids busy for hours.

Get tutorial: Pool Noodle Water Wall

Buy it: 6-pack of pool noodles at Amazon

33. Create a water maze

A collection of PVC pipes and connectors make totally fun real-life building toys. Add water for an even bigger impact.

Get tutorial: PVC Pipe Water Physics

Buy it: 1.5” PVC pipe at Amazon

37. Walk the plank

A baby pool, two supports, and a board are all you need to set up this pirate walk-the-plank activity. Add an inflatable crocodile for added suspense.

Get tutorial: Walk the Plank

38. Set up a pouring station

Toddlers and big kids love playing with water and jugs. Set up a pouring station and let them go to town pouring and mixing. Add food coloring to turn this into an art activity.

Get tutorial: Pouring Station Activity

39. Ice cube transfer

Ice cubes, a bowl, and tongs are the only things you’ll need for this activity. It seems simple, but sometimes simple is all kids need (and ice cubes, of course).

Get tutorial: Ice Transfer Activity

40. Water drop race

This activity that shows students how surface tension works using water droplets is a hit with kids of all ages.

Get tutorial: Surface Tension Water Drop Races

41. Water obstacle course

Use all the materials you have—hoses, sprinklers, buckets, and more—to create a water obstacle course. Even better, have the kids set it up and manage how they move through it.

Get tutorial: Outdoor Water Obstacle Course

43. Wash dishes

This is another simple activity that kids love. Set up dishes and two bins for them to soap up and rinse, then dry them in the sun.

Get tutorial: Washing Dishes Sensory Bin

46. Paint with water

Get out all the painting materials and let kids go to town painting the patio, driveway, bricks, etc. By the time they’ve finished painting one area, they can go back and start again on the areas that have dried.

Get tutorial: Painting With Water

48. Race cars with water shooters

See how powerful water can be by using it to push toy cars down the sidewalk.

Get tutorial: Car Race

Buy it: Water squirters at Amazon

51. Paint with squirt guns

Set up an easel, fill squirt guns with colorful water, and go to town!

Get tutorial: Colorful Squirt Gun Painting

52. Make a river

This is a great way to maximize outdoor play or a sandbox. Use foil to create a river and use whatever you find in the backyard to create obstacles, bridges, and other features.

Get tutorial: Make a River

53. Take a sensory walk

This is a fun and easy thing to set up outside for kids during those warmer months. Get some low plastic buckets to fill with water and various other substances, and then make a chain of them for kids to walk through.

54. Throw a tea party

Who doesn’t love a good tea party, especially one that involves all of your favorite stuffed animals and buddies? Get a simple tea set and some plastic or paper bowls that kids can fill with water. Then, let their imaginations run wild as they act as the perfect host/hostess!

Buy it: Pretend Play Tea Set

55. Practice measuring

Cooking and baking with kids is always fun, but before you do, it makes sense to teach them to measure. Use colored salt or sand and water to practice measuring liquids and solids.

Get tutorial: Learning To Measure

Buy it: Rainbow Measuring Cups

56. Whip up a tornado

Grab some water, dish soap, vinegar, food coloring, and a bottle, and follow along to create your own storm!

57. Hold a rain gutter regatta

If you’re looking for a water activity for a group or organization, this staple of the Scouts is a great choice! Have kids make sailboats from recycled materials, then race them down the inflatable course. Kids blow on their sailboats to propel them down the lanes.

Buy it: Raingutter Regatta Inflatable at Amazon

58. Assemble ocean zone bottles

Learn the zones of the ocean with these clever bottles. Simply use food coloring to dye the water deeper shades of blue to represent the amount of sunlight that reaches each zone, then add a representative sea animal toy.

Learn more: Ocean Zones for Kids

59. Experiment with reusable water balloons

Reusable water balloons can be a lot of fun, and we especially like the idea of helping the environment by saving on waste. Purchase different types and then let your kids review them!

Buy it: Magnetic Reusable Water Balloons and Reusable Water Balls at Amazon

60. Race to fill and empty

This simple water-based relay race is easy to re-create. You’ll need empty water bottles, cups, and a bucket filled with water across from each of the racers. Then kids race to fill their water bottle and cross the line before their teammate races back to empty it.