Creative Water Play Activities for Hot Days (That Kids Actually Love)
Hot summer days will be here before we know it! Here are some super fun and creative water play activities that kids will love to do to cool off!
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Between the heat, the snacks, and the non-stop energy, we always on the lookout for activities that keep my kids cool, engaged, and (bonus!) burn off some of that wild summer energy. When it’s too hot to do much else, water play has become our go-to lifesaver—and let me tell you, some of these ideas are total game-changers.
Whether you’re setting up in your backyard, front yard, on the patio, or even your driveway, these water play activities are easy, fun, and perfect for little ones. Some require pretty little to no prep, and others might just make you the coolest mom on the block (see what I did there, ha)!
Why Water Play Is So Important for Kids
Before we discuss some fun water play activities, here’s why water play is so important for kids:
It’s open-ended: There’s no “right” way to play, so it works for toddlers, preschoolers, and even big kids. They can use their imaginations and just have fun with it.
It’s sensory-rich: Splashing, pouring, digging, and squeezing water all engage fine motor skills. Perfect for younger kids and infants.
It’s low-mess: Yes, they get wet—but it’s water. It dries. No glitter, no slime , no glue, just water!
It resets the vibe: Cranky moods + heat don’t mix. A little splash time outside works wonders for kids (almost as much as snacktime).
Let’s dive into some water play fun!
Ice Cube Rescue
If you have toddlers or preschoolers, this water play activity is for you!
It does require a little bit more preparation so be sure to read the instructions before starting.
The night before, freeze small toys (think LEGOs, dino figures, mini cars, etc.) inside muffin tins or silicone molds filled with water. Once frozen, pop them out and let the kids “rescue” their treasures using tools like plastic droppers, squirt bottles, and spoons.
On a hot day they can just watch them melt or try be creative and come up with other ways to melt the ice off their toys.
Tip: Add food coloring or dish soap to the water for extra sensory fun.
What you’ll need:
Small toys (parents make sure to watch little kids while they do this so they don’t put the toys in their mouths)
Muffin tins/Silicone molds
Water
Food coloring or Dish soap
Backyard Car Wash
Have you ever done a car wash as a kid?
Not driving through the car wash but set up a car wash area in your driveway? It’s so fun!
Have your kids set up a little car wash station and bring out their toy cars, bikes, scooters, or anything else they want to wash outside. Heck, they can even wash your car!
Set up a “car wash” with two buckets—one for soapy water, one for rinsing—and let them scrub away. Add towels for drying, and you’ve got yourself a full-blown pretend car washing station!
What you need:
Buckets
Sponges
Towels
Dish soap
Toys/bikes/scooters/cars to wash
Splash Pad at Home
Who needs to drive to a splash pad when you can create one right in your own backyard?
There are tons of affordable splash pad mats that hook up to your garden hose and offer hours of fun. Some even come with little sprinklers or game zones built in.
Set it up in the shade, lay out some towels, and let them run wild.
Splash Pad Options:
Splash Pad Extras:
Water balloons
Water-safe paintbrushes for sidewalk art
Mini slide into the splash zone
Great for toddlers and older kids. Also great for a quick way to cool off before dinner.
Sponge Bomb Toss
Water balloons are fun… until you’re picking up tiny rubber pieces all over the yard.
Which is why sponges are the absolute best!
Cut up colorful kitchen sponges into strips, tie them with a rubber band in the center, and soak them in a bucket of water.
Toss them around like water balloons—except they’re reusable, soft, and no cleanup needed!
What you need:
Sponges
Scissors
Rubber bands
Bucket of water
Game Ideas:
Toss-and-catch
Target practice
“Hot potato” with a soaked sponge
Bonus: Kids love squeezing them out over their heads, which turns into a full-blown giggle fest.
Water Painting the Sidewalk
This one’s so incredibly simple but somehow the kids find it to be so magical.
Fill up a few cups or buckets with water and give your kids paintbrushes, rollers, or even old toothbrushes. Let them “paint” the sidewalk, fence, patio, or outdoor furniture.
Pro Tip: Add a drop of food coloring or washable paint for a little extra color that washes away easily. Just make sure they are painting the sidewalk here and not outdoor furniture!
You can also challenge them to draw shapes, letters, or hopscotch designs. Great for toddlers who want to “paint” like big kids without the actual paint mess.
What you need:
Cups or Buckets of water
Paint brushes/rollers/old toothbrushes
Food coloring
Poolside Toy Sink Station
This is especially great if you have younger toddlers who aren’t quite ready for a full splash pad or pool.
Set up a water table or shallow bin near your kiddie pool and fill it with kitchen tools: colanders, ladles, plastic cups, and measuring spoons.
Add a drop of soap and let them “cook” or “clean” toys.
You can even turn this into a pretend café, bubble bath station or even a spa day for barbies!
What you need:
Water table or Shallow bin
Kiddie pool
Kitchen tools
Soap
Toys
Why Water Play Saves the Day
Hot summer days can drag on but water play brings life back to your afternoons.
Whether it’s a sensory bin filled with toys in ice, a backyard splash session, or just letting them paint the patio with water, these activities are simple, fun, and actually so easy to set up.
My favorite part about these creative water play activities is that they don’t require a bunch of prep, and even better, they get kids moving, thinking, and laughing!
So if you're in the “what do I do with them today?” summer phase, give a few of these a try. The best part? You can keep them in rotation all season long, and they never get old.
Let me know which one your kids loved the most (or if you have a genius idea we should try next!).
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