Water Balloon Games for Kids to Play All Summer Long
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Water balloon games have always been memory makers, especially on those hot summer days. The anticipation for you to get out there with your friends and family, fill up the water balloons, and just have a blast made summertime all the more fun!
When I think of those summer days, I now think of my son and the traditions I want to teach him as he gets older. Water balloon games being one of them! What better way to bond a family than with a friendly water balloon contest?
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Water Balloon Necessities
To make water balloons quick and easy, they have some nifty gadgets these days. Where were these when us parents were younger?!
Water balloons that self-seal are the best invention when it comes to water balloon activities. There are 100 balloons attached to one point of entry that connects to a hose. Turn on the hose and you’ll have all 100 balloons filled with water in less than a minute!
You can also try some water balloon refill kits to help fill those water balloons faster. These kits have nozzles that you hook up to a hose and then insert into the balloon, instead of the ol’ fashioned way of attempting to roll the balloon opening over the hose itself.
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16 Water Balloon Activities for Kids on a Hot Summer Day
Those summer days when it seems too hot to go outside, but too boring to stay indoors call for some water balloon activities for kids. Whether you decided to have a family day of water balloon games or invite friends over for a little competition, there are several ways you can implement water balloon fun into your day.
Continue on to explore 16 water balloon activities that will surely make memories to last a lifetime.
1. Capture the Flag (AKA Balloon)
Capture the flag is a fun, active game. Just replace the classic flags with water balloons for a cool activity on a summer day. In order to win, you must not pop the water balloon before stealing it from the opposing team’s side!
2. Back to Back Race
Two or more teams of two members each can attempt this contest. As the two team members stand back to back, a water balloon is wedged between their backs.
The task? Get across the finish line the fastest without bursting the water balloon.
3. Bobbing Water Balloons
Just like bobbing for apples, fill a tub or outdoor kiddie pool with water. Then fill it up with water balloons. With two people playing against each other and their hands behind their backs, they must bob for the water balloons.
Using a timer, set a time for how long you will give the players to bob for the most water balloons. The person with the most water balloons collected after the allotted amount of time wins the game.
4. Baseball
Get creative with some water balloon baseball! One player is the batter while the other is the pitcher of the water balloon. The team who can successfully hit the water balloon scores a home run.
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5. Water Balloon Fight Party
The only way I knew how to play with water balloons as a child was through a water balloon fight party!
Fill a tub or some kind of bucket with all the water balloons. Place this bucket in the middle of the yard while all the players distance themselves equally away from the bucket.
As soon as the “go” signal is given, all players run to the bucket to grab as many water balloons as their hands can hold. Everyone scatters and attempts to wet one another by throwing water balloons!
6. Slingshot
A fun and competitive water balloon activity is one that involves a DIY slingshot! Using the slingshot, place your water balloon within and aim for the furthest point in your yard. The person who can shoot off their water balloon the farthest wins!
7. Water Balloon Drop
If you have a ladder, a water balloon drop is a good way to test the strength of your water balloon. Start by standing normally with your feet flat on the ground and drop your water balloon. Did it pop?
If your water balloon is still intact, progressively take your water balloon higher and higher up the ladder to see how high you can get before it pops. The player that keeps his or her balloon intact through the most drops wins!
8. Dodgeball
Following the same rules as the classic game of dodgeball, two teams need to be made. Each team takes on the challenge of throwing water balloons at each other.
If a member catches a water balloon thrown by the opposing team, the opposing team member who threw the water balloon must sit out. All rules of dodgeball apply here!
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9. Hot Potato
I loved playing hot potato as a child! The anticipation was too great. Incorporate this classic game with a water balloon instead while participants are formed in a circle.
The water balloon is tossed around while the music plays and as soon as the music stops, the person left holding the water balloon must smash the balloon over their head! That person is then out of the game and this continues until there is only one person left standing.
10. Obstacle Course
This would be a great addition to a summer birthday party. Using cones, rope, and a short balance beam, create an obstacle course in your yard that will surely have all the attendees laughing.
Placing water balloons on each participants’ head, they will then have to move around the cones, jump through the boxes made of ropes, and finally balance their way across the beam. The first person to finish without popping their balloon wins!
11. Pinata
An interesting twist to a classic birthday game is the water balloon pinata. Each player is blindfolded and offered the chance to take a swing at a large group of dangling water balloons.
Each balloon popped is a piece of candy for the swinger. The person to pop the last water balloon walks away with additional pieces of candy and bragging rights!
12. Water Balloon Roulette
Using a party roulette revolver, fill a balloon with water and insert it into the revolver’s balloon strap. The concept of this game is much like Russian Roulette.
The holder of the revolver places it with the water balloon beside their head and takes the chance that their trigger won’t explode the water balloon all over their face and clothes!
13. Spoon Race
Fill several water balloons just enough that the balloon is still considered tiny to be placed on a tiny spoon. Then, much like an egg race, participants run from one end of the play space to the other with a tiny spoon in their mouth and a tiny water balloon balancing on top of it. The first person to cross the finish line with their water balloon still intact is the winner!
14. Volleyball
Adding a twist to regular volleyball, two teams go up against each other using a towel instead of their hands. Each team will take the towel and each member of the team holds on to a piece of it.
Then, use the towel to launch the water balloons over the volleyball net back and forth. Can you imagine a team holding a towel while trying to run in the same direction to catch the water balloon volleyball?!
15. Yoyo
Fill a water balloon and attach a rubber band around the tied off area. Attach the rubber band around your finger and, using your yoyo skills, bounce the balloon off your palm like you would a regular yoyo.
Each person who pops their balloon is eliminated. The final player with their balloon intact wins!
16. Hula Hoop Water Balloon Toss
With teams of two, one player holds a hula hoop while the other player has the water balloon. The player with the balloon must toss it into the hula hoop without touching the hula hoop itself.
For an extra challenge, incorporate taking a step back each time the water balloon passes through the hula hoop without popping. See who can go the farthest!
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Oh, The Things You Can Play with Water Balloons
The activities shared here are sure to keep you and your family busy during the summer! Incorporate these water balloon game ideas often to keep the fun and continue making memories.
Whether you are throwing a twist on a classic game or incorporating rules for a new game, you can’t go wrong with some water balloon games. Start some new traditions this year with your kids!
Which water balloon activities are you looking forward to trying? Have you played any of these water balloon activities before?
