Hope your summer is going well. Well, the intense heat of the summer is upon us. For my readers in Arizona, Texas, and the Middle East, they sure have been dealing with some intense heat recently. With four kids still under my roof, there is no shortage of requests to spend some time in the water. I do not know about you, but I find it helpful to seek out suggestions for things I am interested in doing. For example, I am planning our family’s summer ending getaway and I am already seeking out recommendations of things to do to make the best use of our time. So I thought for this blog, I would give you something a little different by sharing some creative and practical ways you can make good use of your time in the water, whether that is with your children, friends or co-workers. Here are 10 fun ways to Make a Splash, no matter how old you are!
- Water Balloon Baseball
Summer is baseball season! Have you ever played water balloon baseball? You should consider taking a break from the heat of summer by getting a water balloon game started in your neighborhood. Here is a link showing how college students are using the game to stay cool and blow of some steam—https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWSEara3BeU
- Sponge Darts
This is a new one to me but from what I understand, you would use chalk to draw a giant dartboard on the sidewalk or a driveway. Then, you would use wet sponge balls and have your very own “wet” dart toss!
- Water Balloon Volleyball
The great thing about water balloons is that they can be used for many things. Try this twist on traditional volleyball! Gather up some beach towels and break into two teams of two on each team. Each team of two holds the ends of a beach towel then uses it as a cradle to catch and heave the water balloon “ball” over the net to the other team. Whoever gets it to “splat” in bounds on the other side takes the point (you determine the number of points to win). For an extra challenge, put more than one water balloon in play at a time!
- Giant slip and slide
Do you remember the slip and slides of your youth? Did you realize adult slip and slides are all the rage these days? What have we been missing? A small word of caution, if you are on a slope, you might want to arrange some straw bales at the end and cover them with a tarp to provide a soft landing. I would hate for you to be injured and have to tell your co-workers how you got hurt.
- Car wash
I suggest this with a little hesitation, but if you are responsible enough and know when it is time to turn it off, you can still take advantage of the self-serve car wash. Put the kids in swimsuits and flip-flops and go to the car wash together. It can be a lot of fun (and I would suggest short-lived) while getting the bonus of getting your car sparkling clean at the same time.
- Paint with water guns
You will need liquid watercolors, water guns, roll paper or canvasses. Make sure you wear old clothes for this one! And do this in a place you do not mind having to clean up.
- Pool noodle sprinkler
This seriously could not be easier, and if you have ever whacked your foot jumping over a metal sprinkler, you will understand immediately why it is such a great idea. Take a pool noodle and stick a wine cork in one end. Use zip ties to tie off the noodle on both sides of the cork, and duct tape that end. Poke holes in the noodle at intervals, and then jam a hose in the other end. You then zip tie the noodle to the hose. Voila and now, you have an inexpensive sprinkler that will not stub anyone’s toes.
- That thing that fills 100 water balloons in one minute
Have you seen it? I have seen it and I want it. The ultimate water balloon filler. Check this out—https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0L5SAkgj98
- Water Gun Shooting Range
I love this idea and very simple to do. Use a pyramid of solo cups for water gun target practice! It is also fun to make this a competition.
- Water Bottle Hunt
For a spin on traditional “fetch” games in the pool, fill clear water bottles with water and drop ‘em in. They can be surprisingly hard to find, making them a real challenge that will keep kids busy. Not a bad idea right!
All in all, whether you are old or young (or somewhere in between), it is important to make summer a lot of fun with plenty of great memories. I hope you can see from my suggestions that you do not have to spend a lot of money to give yourself plenty of fun options. I would love to hear some of your creative ideas of how you are making a “splash” with your family this summer. Remember that there will always be “good” reasons why you cannot spend more time with your family, but one day you will look back and realize that the so-called “good reasons” you felt were so important at the time, really were not that important after-all.
God Bless,
Doug Hedrick