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Wet and Wild Water Games
by Martha Matthews
If your kids are board and you've run out of ideas, try these wild and
crazy water games to keep them occupied for the afternoon. Don't forget
the sunscreen.
SPONGE TAG
Ages: Five and up
What you will need:
A soft, big sponge
One bucket of water
How to play:
One person is designated to be "It". The rest of the players run. The
person who is "It" tries to tag them by throwing a wet sponge. Once a
person is tagged, that person becomes "It".
FROZEN
Ages: Eight and up (must be a good swimmer)
What you will need:
Pool
Whistle
Minute timer
How to play:
One person is designated as the referee. Gather all the players in the
shallow end of the pool. One person is designated as "It". The referee
starts the game by blowing a whistle and setting the timer for one
minute. The person who is "It" has one minute to tag as many other
players as he can. Once tagged, a player must stand frozen and raise his
hand. Before a frozen player can return to action, an unfrozen player
must thaw him out by swimming under water through his legs. A player
cannot be tagged and frozen if he is underwater. At the end of the
minute, blow the whistle and designate an unfrozen player as "It". Keep
the game going until everyone has had a chance to be "It". The winner is
the person who has the most frozen players at the end of his turn as
"It".
BALLOON VOLLEY BALL
Ages: Eight and up
What you will need:
A volleyball net or a rope over which the balloons can be tossed
An endless supply of balloons filled one quarter of the way with water
How to play:
This is a very messy game and is therefore ideal for hot days. Your net
or rope is stretched between two poles or trees just above head height.
You have two teams and one water balloon. If you put too much water into
the balloons they burst more easily. The object of the game is to lob
the balloon over the net and try and soak the opposing team. There is a
lot of strategy in this game over such things as catching the balloon
without it breaking it and lobbing the balloon to make it difficult to
catch. When the balloon bursts on one side, a point is awarded to the
other side. A new balloon is the brought into play.
DUCK, DUCK SPLASH
Ages: Three and up
What you will need:
A soft, big sponge
One bucket of water
How to play:
This game has the same rules as Duck, Duck Goose except you say "Duck,
Duck Splash " When you tag someone or "splash" them, you tag them with a
wet sponge.
WATER LIMBO
Ages: Four and up
What you will need:
One garden hose
How to play:
This game is fun for all ages. Get a garden hose and turn it on as full
as it will go. Put your thumb over the left or right half of the opening
to create one jet of water. Now you limbo (walk under the stream of
water) under the water stream. Each time the group walks under the water
you lower it. The losers are obvious because they get soaked.
SPONGE DODGE
Ages: Six and up
What you will need:
A soft, big sponge
One bucket of water
How to play:
Instead of using a dodge ball use a large sponge. Have players in a
circle with one person being in the middle. The object is to throw the
wet sponge at the person. If he/she gets hit then the person who threw
the sponge can name someone outside the circle to go to the middle. The
person who was hit then gets to throw the first sponge.
About the author
Martha Matthews is the Executive Director of Christian-Homemaking.com, a
web site with resources devoted to helping Christian homemakers manage
their home. She also has a popular free monthly newsletter for Christian
homemakers The Christian Homemaking Newsletter. To subscribe visit
www.christian-homemaking.com/newsletter.html
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