Water Games for a Large Group of Children

Water Balloon Tug of War

• A traditional tug-of-war game can be a new adventure if you add water balloons. Start by dividing the group into two teams and instruct the teams to try to pull the rope free from the other team. When the losing team falls to the ground, the winning team throws water balloons at them. A twist on this game is to put a large circle of water balloons in the "pit," which the losing team will fall on to. Players can throw any unbroken water balloons at each other.

Jump Rope Splash

• If you find it hard to jump rope, try jumping rope while holding a cup of water! Jump Rope Splash is a fun variation on traditional rope-jumping that can be fun and challenging to young players. Each player holds a cup filled with water while jumping rope for as long as possible. Other players can take turns jumping rope with their cup of water. The player who has the most water in his cup after all the jumping rope is over wins the game.

Water Bowl Race

• Two or more teams are needed to play this game. Have one member of each team lie down with an empty plastic bowl on her stomach. The bowl can be any size, but each team must have the same size bowl. The other team members must quickly fill up the bowl with water by dunking cups into a nearby bucket of water or by filling their cups under a running hose. After the bowl is filled, the player holding the bowl must run with the bowl to the "finish line" without spilling any water. The team of the first player to reach the finish line with a full bowl wins.

Fill the Bucket

• Divide everyone into two teams and have each team form a line. The first player in line must have an empty bucket at his feet, while the second player in line holds a running water hose. The first player in line must stand 10 feet away from the second player. The player holding the hose must try to fill the cup the first player holds out to her. When the cup is filled, the player dumps the water into the bucket and goes to the back of the line. The player who held the hose now holds the cup and the next player in line holds the hose and the process is repeated. The team who fills their bucket with water first is the winner.

Drip-Drip-Splash!

• This is a variation of "Duck Duck Goose" with water. Players sit in a circle and one player walks around the outside of the circle, holding a cup of water. This player pours a drip of water on the head of the players and says "drip." She then dumps the remaining water onto a chosen player's head and says, "Splash!" This player gets up and chases her around the outside of the circle to try to tag her. If he doesn't tag her, it is his turn to walk around the outside of the circle with the cup and say, "Drip...drip...splash!"