It’s only May, but the temps here in Spokane are looking more and more like Summer. Here are four easy and inexpensive ways to get playing outside with water, and soaking up the hot sun. Don’t forget the sunscreen!

Sponge Bombs

This game requires at least two kids. Each kid kneels in front of an empty bucket. The object of the game is to hurl soaked sponge bombs into each other’s buckets! The child with the most sponge bomb catches wins!

Water Balloon Toss with a Twist

Fill up a bucket full of water balloons, but instead of catching the water balloons with your hands, have one child toss the balloon and the other child catch the balloon with a plastic strainer. Whoever can catch the most water balloons without popping them, wins!

Fill a Bucket (with holey cups)

For this game, you need two or more kids. Each child (or team) will need a bucket of water, an empty bucket, and a paper cup that has been poked with holes .

The first child fills the cup with water from the full bucket and runs with it to the empty bucket to pour their water into it. Both kids continue to do this until they empty the original bucket of water and fill the second bucket. The child (or team) with the most water in the bucket wins.

Drip Drop Drench

This is played like Duck Duck Goose, but with a dripping wet sponge.

Place a bucket of water in the middle of the circle and choose a child to be “it”. Hand them a large sponge and have them put it in the bucket to soak up some water. They then remove the sponge and walk around the circle saying,”Drip, drop, drip, drop” while holding the dripping sponge over each child’s head. Once the person who is “it” picks the child of his/her choice, they squeeze out the sponge on that child’s head and say, “Drench!” Then they must run around the circle and try to sit down in the drenched child’s spot before being tagged. If (s)he makes it the child who was drenched becomes “it” and the game is repeated until everyone has had a chance to be “it”.