Wading Pool Water Games

By Kiersten Blanchard

Studio 5 Contributor

This time of year, you can find one in almost every backyard—a wading pool! These round, plastic pools are a summer staple—they can entertain for hours! A few, simple household items can step up that entertainment.

Studio 5 Contributor Kiersten Blanchard shares
“Wading Pool Water Games” for every age.

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Marco Polo Splashdown

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Bucket

• Blindfold

• Water source

HOW TO PLAY:

1. One person is designated as “it.”

2. That individual is blindfolded and given the bucket.

3. He/she fills the bucket with water and proceeds around the yard yelling “Marco?”

4. Remaining players respond by answering “Polo!”

5. The blindfolded individual tries to determine where individuals are based on their voiced response and then try to “Splash Down” someone to be the next “it.”

6. Bucket can be refilled multiple times until someone is caught.

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Water Squirt Ball

WHAT YOU NEED:

• A wading pool.

• Two (2) Squirt Bottles or Squirt Guns

• One (1) Beach Ball

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Two players kneel at opposite ends of the wading pool.

3. Place beach ball at the center of the wading pool

4. Once game is started, players try to squirt their beach ball toward the opposite end.

5. The person to successfully squirt the beach ball to their opponents side, wins.

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Drowned Dollar Toss

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Loose change

• Sand Filter Beach Toy

• Wading Pool or other body of water.

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Place floating beach toy in the center of the pool.

2. Try to toss loose change into the sand collector.

3. To increase difficulty, step back with each turn.

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Octopus Relay

(game idea taken from http://www.familyfun.com)

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Empty soda bottles

• Duct Tape

• Buckets (2)

• Wading Pool

HOW TO PLAY:

Each team gets an “octopus” — poke lots of holes in the side of a plastic soda bottle and cut the top off, covering any sharp edges with duct tape. You’ll also need buckets — same size for each team. Set up an obstacle course with chairs, toys, a sprinkler — anything handy. Each team fills its octopus in the pool, runs through the course, and dumps into its bucket whatever water hasn’t streamed out. The first team to fill its bucket wins. Our kids were so excited by this game, they started running before we placed the obstacles.

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Soggy Jog Relay

(game idea taken from http//www.familyfun.com)

WHAT YOU NEED:

• Soft, grassy area to run on

• Pair of loose-fitting sweatpants for each team

• Wading pool full of water

• Lawn chairs

• 1 to 10 players

HOW TO PLAY:

1. Line up the teams side by side, set the bucket of water between them, and position the lawn chair 20 feet away.

2. At the signal, the first child in each line dunks his team’s sweatpants in the water, puts them on, and then runs around the chair and back to the starting line.

3. There, he peels off the sweatpants (like a banana) and gives them to the next runner to dunk and don (inside out or right-side out), and so on

4. The first team whose members have all completed the task wins.

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