Spring lasted about 5 seconds this year, and now we’re experiencing near-scorching temperatures. What’s one to do with the littles when you’re cooped up at home and it’s blazing hot outside? A great way to cool off is with some creative water fun at home. You don’t have to take a long car trip to the beach or pack everyone up in the car for a pool trip to have safe, water fun this summer. Try some of these fun activities at home.
- Good, old-fashioned sprinkler fun – Remember running through the sprinkler and waiting to hear the ice cream man music ding around the corner? Make fun, summer memories for your kiddos (and make your lawn a little bit greener) by playing in the sprinkler together. Make sure to use water shoes and be wary of slippery grass to avoid any boo-boos.
- Water squirt – Whether you have a deluxe, double barrel super soaker or a few little squirt guns from the dollar store, it’s always fun to have a family water squirt. Team up and cool off with a showdown.
- Water balloons – You can get these at your local dollar store. Fill up plenty and have a water balloon toss. You can also play hot potato using water balloons to add an element of surprise (who will the balloon pop on?)
- Kiddie pool “bath time” – Fill an inflatable kiddie pool up in the backyard and bring out all the bath time toys. Kids love to splash in the tub for hours on end, and now you can relax and watch them from a more comfortable seat than the toilet.
- Car wash – Multi-task by filling up a bucket with some dish soap and water. Give each kiddo a sponge and let them go to town. Designate someone as the official car rinser. They can cool off in the hose while they suds up your car.
- Playing in the rain – As long as there is no thunder or lightning, put on old sneakers or goulashes and enjoy nature’s version of running through the sprinklers. Dance in the rain and splash in the puddles.
- Hose limbo – Use the water stream as your limbo stick and see how low you can go without getting splashed.
- Bathing family dog – You know your dog best, but if your dog is kid-friendly and not nervous about baths, hold the dog’s leash and let the kids help suds pup up.
- Watering the garden – Let the kids participate in lawn and garden duty. Arm them with hoses and watering cans and let them help water the plants. You can talk about gardening and how much water each plant needs as you go. Take it a step further and turn it into a science lesson about plants.
A few words of caution — remember that water makes things slippery, so always be cautious when you’re wetting down the grass in your backyard. Water shoes are a good idea to keep everybody’s feet protected without ruining regular shoes. Even though you may feel cooler playing in the water, make sure to be aware of the temperature so that nobody overheats. Make sure while you’re out playing in the water that you’re also drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration. And with summer heat comes the hot summer sun and sunburn. Protect your kids by applying water-resistant SPF 30 or above 30 minutes before splashing around outside, and reapply at least every hour (more frequently depending on how much water and sweat is dripping off your kids).
Sparkles! wishes you a happy summer!
