Water Toys:
Easy Fun and Games
For The Entire Family

Making, and breaking, some fun at home water toys is an easy way to have low cost, easy fun and games ready for the kids to keep them active and happy anytime they are home from school or on vacation.

Kids and water have always gone together as a perfect pair whenever you are trying to find some quick fun and games to relieve summertime boredom or at a lawn party for the crowd.

Try some of these quick stand-bys when you hear those three dreaded words: Mom, I'm Bored!

• Balloon Ball Toss
  This one is a great game for a girl/boy scout troop, church group or the neighborhood block party. Divide the teams into age groups first, have everyone pick a partner and your ready to go.

  Supplies Needed

• one large round balloon for each team filled with water
• two large bath towels or beach towel - one for each person

Each team player starts standing approximately 5 feet apart, towel held in front of them (hands on opposite ends) with one person holding the balloon in their towel. The person holding the balloon throws the balloon to their teammate - no hands please, using the towel as their sling to throw. The receiver catches the balloon the same way.

After each person throws the balloon once to their partner - Successful throw and catch - each person takes one step back and does it again, giving each person a chance to throw and a chance to catch.

All of the teams continue until one team only still has their balloon intact.

• Bucket Sponge Toss
  Although collecting points is the purpose of this game, the pure enjoyment of getting your opponent soaking wet is what makes this game so delightful.

  Supplies Needed

• 2 buckets (about 3-5 gallon size)
• 2 large car wash sponges

Each player starts with a bucket filled with water. Space the opponents approximately 10' apart (closer for real young kids).Place each sponge in their water bucket to get completely wet. Each person takes a turn playing "sponge toss" trying to make a basket into their opponent's bucket. A direct hit equals 2 points. Obviously when the wet heavy sponge hits the water it will splash your opponent. Even better, if the sponge is thrown to high to hit the bucket, it will "splat" the opponent instead.This hit equals 1 point.

Game is over at whatever pre-set number you decide on before the game.

• Water Toss Spikey Ball
  By using a few cheap household kitchen sponges, this spikey ball can be put together quickly and easily for a few hours of fast furious fun and games for all members of the family.

  Supplies Needed for one ball
  

• 3 new kitchen sponges approximately 3'X5"
• 1 pc. heavy duty string or cord about 12" long

Cut one sponge into strips approximately 1/2" wide X 5" long. You will end up with 5 strips total. Repeat with the other two sponges until you have 15 strips total.

Stretch out your string and lay it flat on your table, the ends on your right and left. As if it is a puzzle, push 5 pieces of the sponge back together (as if it was whole again) and lay it on top of the string vertical. You now have 2 1/2" of sponge above the string and 2 1/2" below the string.

Take 5 more strips and stack them on top of your first five. Stack the last five strips on top of the 10 pieces. You should now have one stack with all in a rectangular shape, 3 rows high.

With the help from another person, pick up the ends of the string and pull tightly around the sponge strips. While the other person holds your string tight, knot the string very tightly, very well. Trim off excess string. You should now have a "spikey sponge ball water toys."

Mix and match all different colors of sponges for team color effects. Use this in the pool or right out of buckets for a safe and simple throw toss water toys.

So if you have a pool and need some new water toys, or if running around the backyard grass is enough to generate some new exciting fun and games, the squeals of laughter and delight these games are guaranteed to bring a smile to anyone's face.

• Sudsy Snakes**
  This game is a great outdoor game for kids of all ages. With a few simple supplies and some "hot air" from your kids, these amazing snakes can be created just for fun.

  Supplies Needed

• 1 pc. 16oz plastic bottled water, empty (the tall thin variety works the best)
• 1 cotton dish cloth or cotton dish towel, cut a circle 5" wider than the diameter of the base of the bottle
• 1 heavy duty large rubber band
• 1 bottle of liquid dish soap

With some scissors (or adults only- use a sharp knife), cut the bottom off the empty water bottle. Remove the bottom.

Get your piece of fabric completely wet, wring it out gently and then place over the bottom of your bottle and up the sides. Affix the cloth with your rubber band about 2" up from the bottom of the bottle. When positioned correctly, the fabric is now the bottom of your bottle and the fabric curls up the sides.

Pour some of the liquid detergent into a small bowl. Dip the bottle bottom (and fabric) into the bowl of dish soap. Blow gently, with all that (hot air), into the top of the bottle in a continuous stream to create long "snakes" of bubbles.
**excerpted from blog.betzwhite.com

Return to "Fun and Games" from "Water Toys"