Water games

Water Games

Beach Ball Balance Race

Required: Beach balls and swimming pool
Players: Small to medium groups

Each player will need one beach ball or you could play this game as teams with each team given a beach ball. All players will be in the water at one end of the pool. They are to balance their bodies on top of the beach ball by hugging the beach ball. On go they are to race to the other side of the pool and then back while in this position. They cannot loose their balance or unlock their arms. The first player back to the starting point is the winner. The game takes great balance and leg strength and is wonderful exercise for a hot summer day. Make sure that all players know how to swim to play this game. To be played as a team relay, the next player in line will be waiting in the water to take the beach ball once it touches the wall. All the other players will be outside of the pool in a line. The first team done is the winner.

Beach Ball Bumper Pool

Required: Beach balls, ropes and swimming pool
Players: Small to medium groups

Rope off one section of the swimming pool. Each player will be given one beach ball to balance themselves on with their arms hugging the ball and locked. All players will do this inside of the roped off area. On go, the players will swim around in this position trying to push others players against any rope or wall of the pool. If any player touches a rope or wall, looses his balance or uses his arms, they are out of the game. They cannot use their feet to kick other players. The last player that survives the derby is the winner.

Fill the Bottle

Required: 4 oz paper cups, 20 oz plastic pop bottles, clean bucket, finish line, sense of humor and no fear of getting wet
Players: Small to large groups

Set up number of teams possibly by number of people willing to get wet. On each team, one person lays on ground while holding a 20-oz plastic pop bottle on their forehead. Teammates run to bucket to fill up their 4-oz cup then they attempt to pour it into teammates pop bottle while standing over head. Then the next teammate will do the same until 20-oz bottle is filled. Once the 20-oz bottle is filled, the bottle person should run to the finish line without spilling.

Greased Watermelon Polo

Required: Pool, watermelon, jar of petroleum jelly or shortening
Players: Small to large groups

The object of the game is to get the greased watermelon to opposing team’s end Wall. “Grease up” a full-size watermelon (and 1 or 2 more for backup or to add a twist) with petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) or shortening (like Crisco) by spreading it all over the entire watermelon. Divide the group into two teams. Have teams start along “their wall” opposite each other, a rectangular pool works best. Drop, don't throw, the watermelon into the center of the pool. At the referee’s signal or when the watermelon hits the water, the teams move to get the watermelon. Players attempt to move the watermelon, without lifting it out of the water, to the opposing team’s wall/side. They can push it, grab and swim/run with it or propel it through the water. They may not lift it out of the water! If a player lifts the watermelon out of the water it is a foul, play stops and the “fouling” team goes back to their wall. The other team maintains possession of the watermelon where the foul was committed and play resumes. Players grapple for position and possession of watermelon, but may not choke, kick, bite, or strike other players. They may however “wrestle” the watermelon out of opposing players arms. Remember at this point that the watermelon will be quite slippery, and after 5 minutes the players will be too! If one team gets the watermelon to touch the opposing team’s wall they score a point. If a point is scored, replace the watermelon with another that is greased-up or grease-up existing watermelon for the next round. Play to whatever score you choose.

Variation: -Add a watermelon or two.

It’s a great game, though it can be tiring! Watch out for the big jocks who like to show off, they might hurt someone! Make up your own variations, and then eat the watermelon afterwards!

Hole In The Bucket

Required: One large trash can or 30 gallon tub, two receiving buckets, water source and two large coffee cans
Players: Small to large groups

Punch several holes into the bottom and the sides of your cans using a hammer and large nail. Large juice or bean cans will work also. Do this from the outside go into the can to prevent sharp edges on the outside. Make sure there are no sharp edges around the top of can, you can do this by hammering around the inside edge while against a hard surface. You can spray paint your cans with car paint ahead of time for different colored teams. Fill up a large clean container of water at starting point. At the other end of play field have a receiving bucket the same size for each team. Divide into teams and have one person at a time from each team do relay. Each person is to go to the large container, dip their can into it, put the can on their head or carry it in front of them, go down the field to their teams receiving bucket and pour what water is left into the bucket. Once they have done this they can run back to starting point and give the next person the can to do the same. The first team to fill their receiving bucket is the winner.

Jump Rope Water Splash

Required: Jump rope, plastic cups, and water Players: Small to large groups
Give each child a plastic or paper cup full of water. While two players twirl a large jump rope, jumpers one by one are to attempt three consecutive jumps. They are to do this while holding onto their cup of water and trying to do let any water spill. The child that has the most water left is the winner. You can keep playing until only one person has water left in their cup.

Over/Under Game

Required: Buckets of water, sponges, pitchers
Players: Small to large groups

Divide the group into two teams. Have them form a single file line facing the persons head next to them. At the head of each line put a bucket of water. At the other end put a pitcher with a line drawn on it. Give a sponge to the person at the head of the line where the water bucket is. That person has to dip the sponge in the water to soak in as much water as they can. They have to then pass the soaking wet sponge over their head to the person behind who then passes the sponge to the person behind them through their legs. The sponge makes its way back over the head of one person and between the legs of the next till it gets to the person standing next to the pitcher. That person must squeeze whatever water is left into the pitcher and run the sponge back up to the head of the line. When this occurs, everybody moves back one position and the person who was at the back of the line now is at the head of the line. Continue process till the pitcher is filled to line. Fun game on hot day. (Suggested to play outdoors)

Poison Pool Toss

Required: Splash Water Bombs, noodles, Finger Zingers, and other soft balls
Players: Medium to large groups

Great pool game for large gatherings. Divide the pool in half using a rope or net with players evenly distributed on both sides. If there is a deep end, make sure that players on that side are good swimmers. Have two baskets full of pool toys like noodles, vinyl balls, Splash Water Bombs, Finger Zingers and other soft-sided balls. With same number of toys in each basket, dump them in the water on each side of the line. On go, all players will try to throw the items to the other side of the line and try to keep their side of the pool free of items. You can give them 5 – 10 minutes to do so. When the whistle blows they are to stop immediately. The team with the least amount of items is the winner.

Shaving Cream Shoot Off

Required: Water guns, shaving cream, water source, hot day, and clothes to get wet in
Players: Small to large groups

Set up as many teams as you would like to have. Each team must have one large water gun filled with water and one team member willing to get wet. Make sure that all the designated targets don't have a shirt that has an iron-on design on the front, this prevents the game from being far. On the willing team member, squirt shaving cream on the front of their shirt. If you do the same design, it makes the amount of shaving cream the same for all teams. Each member of the team will get one squirt from the water gun to try and remove the shaving cream. You will rotate the team line until all the shaving cream is removed. The first team to remove the cream is the cream of the crop or in other words, "The Winners".

Sponge Toss Contest

Required: Large car sponges, large containers of water, receiving buckets, warm weather
Players: Small to large groups

Divide up into teams. You can have as many teams as you have equipment. Each team forms a line with teammates a little more than an arms length away from each other. At one end of the line is a large container of water with large sponges in it. The other end has a small bucket, which you could mark with a fill line where you want the finish point to be or just fill to the top. When signaled to start, teams are to race. The person at the large container is to throw a sponge to next teammate and that person to the next until it reaches the end of the line. The last person is to squeeze the sponge out and then run to the start of the line, dip the sponge in the large container and pass to next person. If sponge is dropped while being passed, it is to be thrown back to the start of the line and you are to continue again. After full rotation of line, meaning everyone has taken sponge out of large container and passed, the team with the most collected water is the winner.

Trash Target

Required: Splash Water Bombs, rain gear (cold weather), and trash can lids
Players: Small to medium groups

Set up teams and face off. The first player on each team will wear rain gear and hold trash can lid, a player from the opposing team will try to hit him with three water bombs. If the player is hit on the body, the other team receives a point. If he deflects throw with trash can lid his team receives a point. Next they switch and the other team has a turn. They continue until each player has a turn to throw and to deflect. Mark off a square that the player should stand in and cannot step out of , if he steps out his teams looses a point. The team with the most points wins.

Tugboat Relay Race

Required: Pool, two ropes and two floating rafts
Players: Small to large groups

Set up teams and you’ll need at least 4 people to hold ropes unless you have a sturdy fence to tie two ropes across the length of the pool. The ropes should hang across the pool within arms length of someone on a raft in the water. Each team will have one raft and one rope to use to cross the pool. Both teams will line up behind each team starter. The first person on each team will lay or sit on raft and using their arms only, pull themselves across the pool and back. The remaining pople on that team will do the same and the first team done is the winner.