Kids often love water activities and games at camp for a variety of reasons: the novelty of the games or activities played at camp, escaping from the heat, and the sense of adventure many water games and activities provide. Here are some fun water ideas for next summer.
Spell It
Have you ever tossed a tennis ball into a pool? How about a few hundred of them, each with a different letter? Picture this: a splashing good time where campers dash through the water, scrambling to spell out their names or answer trivia questions with floating alphabets. It’s a brilliant blend of learning and play. For those a tad less confident in the water, use ping pong balls in a roped-off area instead. Created from activities submitted by Tricia Kline and Philip Drake
Stand Up Paddleboards
Now, let’s talk SUPs – Stand Up Paddleboards. Moving to a camp with a lake has its perks, and SUPs are a big one. Imagine paddling peacefully on the water, the sun warming your back. And for those looking for a group challenge, a 12-person inflatable SUP offers teamwork and balance in one massive board.
Underwater Easter Egg Hunt
Ever thought about an underwater Easter egg hunt? Fill those plastic eggs with plaster of Paris, and you can create a diving adventure for all skill levels. Fill some more than others to allow them to hover underwater at different depths. Those eggs could be exchanged for prizes, adding a dash of excitement to the search.
- Sold as 1 Each.
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Tug-Of-War
Tug-Of-War takes on a new dimension over water. Whether it’s a traditional rope across a pool or a canoe version with paddles, this game promises splashes and laughter.
Polar Bear Pool Breakfast
For a quirky start to the day, why not a ‘Pool Breakfast’? Place milk and juice on tables away from the pool. Toss Ziploc bags or watertight containers filled with breakfast treats and cereal into the water for campers to collect. You could add some weights to sink the “good stuff”. It’s a polar plunge with a delicious twist! Original idea submitted by Tori Houck.
Washer Hunt
Treasure hunts with washers of different values offer a dive-and-seek challenge. Mark them with a super-permanent marker or engraver, and watch the competitive spirit dive deep.
Waterfront Tools
When it’s time for a break from the water, switch out flimsy plastic sand toys for sturdy kitchen utensils. For sand molding, metal loaf pans and round cake/pie tins are perfect. And forget those plastic shovels. Instead, use wood or metal spoons. Don’t go cheap at the dollar store. Get the good stuff.
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Slip and Slide Kickball
For the thrill-seekers, ‘Slip and Slide Kickball’ combines sliding, splashing, and sports in one. But remember, it’s best for the young and carefree, not the ultra-competitive types.
Drip Drip Drop
Drip Drip Drop is a wetter, wilder version of Duck Duck Goose, with pitchers of water adding a refreshing twist to the chase. The camper walking around has a cup of water. At each seated person they drip just a little on their heads (duck). The person they want chasing them gets the entire cup poured on them (goose). The rest is played just like Duck Duck Goose. Quack!
Protect the President
Protect the President turns a water fight into a strategic mission, where teams use sponge balls to soak the opposing team’s ‘president.’ If you have ever played this version of dodgeball, you understand the concept.
You divide the large group into small groups. Each small group starts by electing one of their team members to be the president. Their goal is to keep their “president” dry while accomplishing a series of tasks like shooting a basketball, touching certain cones around the field, etc. Staff are equipped with hoses and water guns at specific spots.
The team that keeps their president the dryest while accomplishing all the tasks, wins.
Giant Bubble Machine
Feeling creative? Make a giant bubble machine with just a trash can, Dawn dish soap, and a leaf blower for an avalanche of bubble fun.
- Start with a trash can, a big old giant 50-gallon barrel trash can.
- Fill it three-fourths of the way with water.
- Dump in a whole bottle of dish soap, Dawn dish soap. For some reason, the green Dawn makes the most bubbles. I don’t know why. Dump that whole thing in.
- Dip a towel in the water and cover the whole thing with the wet towel.
- Strap it down with like some kind of strap, rubber band, or something that will hold it. Tape doesn’t work because it’s wet, but something that’ll hold the towel down like ratchet straps.
- Use a vacuum hose or a leaf blower with the little hose attachment. You can go through the towel part or drill a hole at the top that has it go down into the water. If using a vacuum, set it on reverse. So instead of sucking like a vacuum does, it blows out.
As it blows air into the water, it starts creating these bubbles through the towel and they just keep forming and forming and within five to 10 minutes, you have an entire mountain of bubbles everywhere. Let the campers play in the bubbles and have a good time.
Super Soakers
And who needs a Sprinkler when you have camp staff? Give them Super Soakers or other large water guns. A few well-aimed shots into the air create a rain of joy for campers below. Simple.
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Don’t Squeeze the Sponge
Lastly, ‘Don’t Squeeze the Sponge’ is a relay race with a twist: the less you squeeze, the more water you deliver to the finish line.
- Simply line up your teams.
- The first person grabs the sponge out of their team’s bucket and passes it back.
- As each person passes the sponge, it loses more and more of that precious water.
- The last person in the line squeezes all the water out into the pitcher at the end.
- Then they run to the front and dip the sponge into the bucket before passing it back.
- The first team to fill their pitcher wins.
You could place a ping pong ball in each pitcher, and the first team’s ping pong ball that falls out wins.
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Whether you’re in or out of the water, these camp games guarantee a splash of fun and a flood of memories! Let’s make this summer unforgettable, shall we?
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