Summer is almost here and that means a ton of summer fun and awesome water balloon games! Our family LOVES water balloons and buys them in packs year round!
Maybe it’s the childhood nostalgia, or the fact that even as an adult they are still SO much fun; either way we find them to be the perfect thing for a hot summer day!
My little guy loves throwing them and giggles the entire time he chases us around. They are such a fun way to spend time together and there are so many ways to play with them!
We are always looking for outdoor activities for toddlers and these ideas are the perfect way to include your toddler in some water balloon fun!
Water Balloon Games For Toddlers
1. Throw The Water Balloon At The Letter/Number
This fun game is the perfect activity for a hot summer day! It combines water play, hand-eye coordination and letter and number practice!
To set up this game, you just need filled water balloons and letters or/and numbers. I have done this with my son and sidewalk chalk is a quick and easy way to write down letters and numbers for your little one to throw water balloons at.
Another option is attaching signs with different letters and numbers to trees to make it a little more tricky! There are so many fun ways to use water balloons to practice letters and numbers! You could write down a few letters at a time and tell your child to look for a certain letter.
After they locate it, they throw a water balloon at it (think water balloon target practice). For letters, you could write the letters in their name and say each letter in their name and have them throw a water balloon ballon at them.
This is a fun way for younger kids to learn the letters in their name, while also enjoying the summer heat!
Have an older sibling? You could write down sight words and have them identify the word you said before they throw the balloon at it. I
f you are practicing numbers, you could write all the numbers from 1-10 and say a number and have your child identify it. If your child is still working on numbers, you could draw a quick little picture next to that number with the amount.
For example, for the number 4, you could draw four little starts under the number. Then your child could walk around counting until they find the number they are looking for. You could modify this for an older sibling by having them hit a certain point value.
An example of this- “what two numbers would equal 10?” and then they would have to find the two numbers and throw water balloons at them. No matter how you play this game, it’s super simple and perfect for summer days!
2. Stomp The Water Balloon
Looking for a fun way to get your little one some physical activity during a hot summer day? Stomping on water balloons is just the game!
It’s as simple as it sounds! You need a lot of water balloons and some cute little bare feet and you are ready to have some water fun! This is one of my son’s favorite and the giggles that come out after each water balloon popped is my favorite.
For younger kids, you might want to hold their hands when they stomp on the water balloon- balance can be tricky!
Another option is having your little one sit on the water balloon, this also is a fun way to pop the balloon and get a ton of giggles! This is the perfect game for a summer day where you want cool off and have fun!
3. Water Balloon Basketball
When it comes to throwing a ball into a basket, my son seems to find any and all possible options around him.
A dirty pair of socks and a garbage can? He will for sure try to throw them in there! Kids are drawn to throwing things in baskets and that’s why this game is so much fun!
It’s a pretty simple way to have some water balloon fun and takes minimal set up! All you need is a laundry basket or empty bucket of some sort (see above on how a garbage can would work haha) and a lot of water balloons!
The object to the game is to throw the water balloon into the bucket/basket like you would with a basketball. This is such a great game for kids of all ages and even big kids will have fun playing! Another bonus of this game is that it is a great way to practice hand-eye coordination and have fun during summer heat. It’s a slam dunk game for sure!
4. Water Balloon Walk
When it comes to fun water balloon games, this one might be my favorite! It’s such a silly and fun way to enjoy water balloons and will make your little one laugh for sure! The goal of the game is to walk with a water balloon between your knees.
This will make the player walk super funny and most likely you will have some water balloons pop along the way. This would be such a great game for summer parties or birthday parties and the best part is that all it requires it lots of water balloons!
If you want to play the game with the whole family or at a party ( and add a fun twist) you could make a start line and finish line and turn it into a race and the first player to make it the finish line wins. No matter how you play this, everyone will have so much fun and keep cool!
5. Water Balloon Sensory Bin
This has always been my favorite summer way to have fun in the dreaded summer heat (I’m talking 90 plus kind of days). Water balloon sensory bins are such a great way to cool down a little one and give them a fun sensory experience.
To make a sensory bin, all you need is an empty bucket or container of some sorts (I LOVE using a kiddie pool for this) plenty of water balloons, and water. Fill the bucket with water and a ton of water balloons and let your child explore.
Other fun variations on this would be adding a ton of different color balloons or things your child could use to interact with the balloons like a spoon or toys. You could also get a little wild and add water balloons to your child’s bath.
My son goes nuts when we add anything different (literally anything- throw a cup in there and there is pure excitement) and water balloons are no exception. This is a great idea for rainy summer days!
My son loves having his kiddie pool filled with water balloons and he brings his little dinosaur figurines in and pretends they are jumping from balloon to balloon. This are so many fun ideas out there, this will for sure be one your child’s favorites!
6. Water Balloon Piñata
Looking for a fun twist on the classic piñata for your summer birthday parties? Water balloon piñatas are where it’s at! This is the ultimate way to cool down in the summer and is so simple to do! All you need is string or something to hang water balloons with, obviously water balloons and a baseball bat or something to break them with.
The fun part of using water balloons for a piñata is that you could hang a ton of them at different heights so that kids of all ages can play. Younger kids will love using water balloons because real piñatas can be so tricky to break!
I have been to many parties where the parent finally has to step in because after twelve kids there is barely a dent. With water balloons, popping is sure to happen almost immediately! When the water balloon pops, the fun begins!
7. Water Balloon Balance
Another fun game with water balloons is water balloon balance! Your little one will have the task of balancing a water balloon without letting it fall!
This is a great game to build on and can get harder and harder! For example, maybe your child starts with balancing a water balloon on their hands (their hands are little so even this is tricky!) Then maybe they try to balance it on their shoulder or under their chin and then maybe even their head!
There are so many variations to this game and is the perfect game for kids of all ages! I love games that older siblings can enjoy and a great way to make this a little trickier for big kids is by putting a hula hoop down and seeing if they can stay inside the ring while also trying to balance!
8. Water Balloon Hunt
If your child loves scavenger hunts as much as my son does, this fun game is the perfect game for you! The objective of the game is to find hidden water balloons and bring them back to a set location without popping them!
This is such a great way to spend a hot summer day and only requires lots of water balloons! A great way to play this is to set up a play area so your child knows where the balloons might be (for younger kids, this area might not be very big). Hide a bunch of balloons in this area and let your child go and hunt for them.
When your child finds a balloon, they will pick it up and bring it back to the starting area (having an empty bucket works great).
The goal is to not pop a water balloon on the walk back and to find them all. This is a great game for the whole family and a great way to have some summer fun!
9. Water Balloon Color Match
I love games that combine fun and learning and this color match game does just that (plus I also LOVE minimal prep). This game requires a variety of colored paper and water balloons. Lay the different color papers out and have a bunch of different color filled water balloons.
Have your child see how many water balloons they can match up with the correct colored paper without popping them. This is such a fun way for your child to practice their colors and keep cool in the summer heat! If your child is still learning their colors, you could tell them what color it is and have them repeat you.
Then ask them if they can find the paper that matches the color balloon they are holding and model this if needed.
10. Water Balloon Spoon Race
The title of this screams water balloon fun! The goal of the game is to carry a water balloon on a big wooden spoon and have an intact balloon by the end.
What I love about this game is that it can involve everyone and toddlers will have so much fun being part of a family game, while also practicing hand-eye coordination!
This would be a perfect game for summer parties or for the whole family and could even be done as a water balloon relay race where you have to pass on the balloon to the next player.
The first team to get their water balloon to the finish line without it breaking wins. My little guy would have so much fun doing a relay with the whole family and I love that I could even help him balance the spoon as we walk back and forth. Even if you do this with just your little one, it’s so much fun and always makes me laugh!
11. Simon Says
This classic game is already so much fun and the fun twist of adding water balloons to it makes it even better! You play this game just like you would normally play Simon Says but add in water balloons.
For example- “Simon says pop the balloon with your elbow”. What I love about this game is that it gives your little one a chance to practice different things like body parts or coordination, while also having fun with water balloons!
You could even change up the game and see if your little one can give you a Simon Says! This is another fun game for the whole family and will for sure be one of your little ones favorites!
12. Jump Over The Water Balloon
Maybe my top favorite game out of this list and also the lowest prep- jumping over water balloons! My son LOVES to jump- like seriously he is jumping all the time and this game will be a favorite this summer for sure!
To play, all you do is start with one water balloon and have your little one jump over it. After that, you add another balloon to the line and continue on adding until you pop one. What I love about this game is that I can jump with my little guy and hold his hand while we jump!
I love games that are interactive and that let us have a ton of fun together and this game really takes the cake. The best part is that you get to cool down while playing!
