There’s nothing better than cooling off on a hot summer day than with some fun-filled water balloon goodness! Whether you have younger kids or older kids, water balloon games and activities are the perfect way to bring lots of joy to any summer day. Water play is a fun way to beat the heat, that not only develops sensory play, but is guarenteed to bring on all the giggles and build lasting memories!
RELATED: Water play is a great way to engage your kids in messy play that feels familiar!
Why are water balloons so great?
Water balloons are simply the best! They are fun to fill. They are fun to hold. They are fun to throw. They are fun to pop. They are fun to splash with. And they sure make a fun summer supply to set up a simple and fun game outside.
But for some kids, especially young toddlers, water balloons can be a little tricky to manage (physically and emotionally). When my boys were young, they would get frustrated when they would slip out of their hands and frankly a bit upset when they got splashed. But in time, they got on the water balloon bandwagon and now love them!
If you’re on the fence about introducing water balloons to your child, know that after a little time to warm up (and cool down), your child will learn to love this fun and silly summer play.
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12 water balloon games and activities
Summer activities for toddlers and summer activities for kids can help to keep your kids busy, learning, and growing. Water balloons can be the highlight of any child’s summertime memories. Make memories with these awesome water balloon games and activities with your kids for endless summer fun!
Note: Any of these water balloon games and activities can be used with either reusable water balloons or regular latex balloons.
Reusable Water Balloon Sensory Play
Have you tried reusable water balloons? I put them to the test with our favorite plastic counting bears for a winning water-play combination you must try!
Alphabet Game with Water Balloons
This super easy game is a MUST that helps kids develop and practice alphabet awareness and letter recognition can be fun with this water balloon play-based activity.
Reusable Water Balloon Toss
This modern water balloon toss game is not only a great game for kids, but our new favorite water balloon game! Use sidewalk chalk to draw a start line for where your kids should stand, and then draw a set of circles with varying number of points for the water balloons to be tossed into.
DIY Toy Water Balloon Parachute Steam Activity
A fun way for your toddler, preschooler, and even big kids to experiment with weight and gravity using water balloons to create a parachute.
DIY Water Balloon Flip Flop Craft
Let’s talk fashion! Use up all the leftover water balloons this summer with these adorable water balloon flip flops that make the perfect craft and accessory.
Frozen Dinosaur Eggs Sensory Play
Strengthen fine motor skills with these simple and adorable frozen dinosaur eggs for your kids to crack away at the eggs to reveal mini dinos!
Water Balloon Basketball
Cool off with a reinvented basketball game that uses water balloons instead of balls to practice number recognition and counting each time they land in the basketball hoop! This water balloon basketball game is sure to be a slam dunk!
Water Balloon Launcher
Fill an empty bucket with lots of water balloons and work together as you build this fun and exciting water balloon launcher that will keep everyone cool from the summer heat!
Water Balloon Math
Looking for ways to keep up the counting and math practice this summer for your preschooler or older children? Use water balloons to make math more fun with a splash as they count and add up the point value that corresponds to the hula hoop they land in!
Water Balloon Painting
Combine water balloons, art, mess, and a lot of fun with this creative outdoor arts and crafts project that will produce a vibrant and colorful masterpiece!
Water Balloon Phonics
Practice letter recognition and early reading phonetic awareness using water balloons to play and learn this summer.
Water Balloon Pinata
Water balloon pinatas are a blast! Hang filled water balloons and use a baseball bat to take turns giving the pinata a whack until the water balloon pops! This wet and silly take on the classic game is a fun twist to play at your child’s next birthday party.
Water Balloon Yo-Yos
Create a simple and fun water balloon yo-yo for your kids to play with as they practice hand-eye coordination.
Water balloon play benefits
So we know that water balloons are fun, but did you know they offer so many great benefits to kids?
- Hands-on sensory play
- Increases hand strength
- Improves gross motor skills
- Increase hand-eye coordination
- Widens sensory awareness
- Strengthens fine motor skills
RELATED: Is summer making you a little crazy? Find the Good with this 30-day summer challenge!
Best type of water balloons
As great as water balloons can be, the mess they create can be every parent’s worst nightmare. Truthfully, I dreaded the idea of water balloon games and activities. The thought of little pieces of latex scattered all over my backyard can almost be enough to avoid the idea of water balloon games and activities altogether.
But there’s good news! Cooling off with water balloons doesn’t have to be a mess. I recently discovered a better option!
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Reusable Water Bomb Balloons
Who doesn’t love something reusable? Instead of using latex balloons that leave a mess, these reusable water balloons are less wasteful on the environment and better for your wallet in the long run too!
Tips for choosing the best water balloons
With plenty of water balloons to choose from, it can feel overwhelming to know what to choose. Here are a few helpful tips for picking the BEST ones:
- High-quality – if using regular balloons, look for ones made of a higher quality latex so that they don’t pop too quickly!
- Fillability (is that even a word?!) – invest in balloons that are quick, easy, and efficient to fill
- Magnet placement – if using reusable water balloons, check to make sure the placement of the magnets is safe and secure
When to play water balloon games
Water balloon games are the PERFECT way to cool off on a hot summer day. Whether you are looking for a way to turn down the heat on a scorching hot day or are planning a party, there are so many fun water balloon game ideas to get everyone having a blast (and a splash)!
Use these water balloon games for a good time with all of your party guests at family reunions, birthday parties, or your next summer party extravaganza.
Water balloon play makes learning fun!
Water and sensory play is important. Experts recommend exposing children to new and different sensory experiences to help develop sensory-motor awareness and curiosity through interactive play-based learning.
There are so many ways to play with water balloons:
Bring on the smiles, joy, and laughter this summer with water balloon games and activities! Treat your toddlers, preschoolers, and big kids to good old-fashioned summertime fun on the next super hot summer day. Sit back as your kids fill, squeeze, pop, and splash with water balloons all afternoon!
Frequently Asked Questions
Water balloons are a great way for kids of all ages to explore their natural curiosities of learning through sensory-motor play. Sensory play helps kids to learn through interactive, hands-on, play-based learning.
There are so many ways to play with water balloons. Kids can pour, squeeze, squirt, and throw water balloons. They are a great source for developing and strengthening fine motor and gross motor skills.
Water balloons are so versatile! Kids can play different types of friendly games and activities to engage in learning and development. Art, competitions, and counting are some of the activities kids can play.
