Summer Water Activities for Daycare & Camp

Beat the summer heat with these fun summer water activities and games for daycare and summer camp! From sprinkler fun to sneaky learning water games for preschoolers, there is no shortage of water activities for kids to help cool you down on those hot days, while also creating some magical summer camp fun. There is often minimal expense or tools needed with simple water games. Just ensure parents know ahead of time to pack bathing suits and towels, sunscreen and hats, and plan for a hydrating day of outdoor water activities at daycare or summer camp.

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Ice Freezing and Excavating

There is no shortage of fun that can be had with something as simple as freezing objects in ice. For toddlers and preschoolers, they will love the sensory and learning experience of “excavating’ items from ice. You can use themes such as dinosaurs, shells & rocks, or plastic flowers, or up the game for preschoolers and older kids by freezing pieces of lego that they can then turn into something fun.

Pouring station

What toddler or preschooler doesn’t love a good pouring station? Not to mention the hand-eye coordination benefits as an added bonus! Set up a giant tub or bin and add a plethora of pouring appartus’, such as mini water cans and buckets, juice jugs, plastic beakers, and more. Check out your local dollar store! You can also add food colouring to the mix and watch as colours mix together. Kids can see if they can pour from one vessel to another without spilling a drop. A pouring station can be so fun and keep kids busy for hours.  Busy Toddler has some excellent tips to help you get started!

Reusable water balloons

Kids generally love water balloons, but we all know how quickly they can disappear not to mention the mess they can make. Instead, invest in a couple good sets of reusable water balloons that last and let you create fun water activities for daycare. Some fun ideas for kids of all ages include water balloon hot potato; balancing games (see who can walk the longest with a water balloon balanced on their head!); water balloon relay games; and water balloon dodge ball for the older kids for an added element of risky play.

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Sprinkler Games

There’s no substitute for the original sprinkler. Whether kids are having fun simply running back and forth through the sprinkler, or you’ve added another element, this one is always a hit. Try incorporating a game such as Limbo (how fun does Sprinkler Limbo sound?) Or bring out the Twister mat on extra hot days and let kids have fun playing Twister with an added element of wet fun.

Slip n’ Slide

Similar to the sprinkler, the simple magic of the slip n’ slide or DIY backyard water slide can’t be beat. You can invest in one to use year after year, or even use a newer, smooth tarp. Up the ante for older kids by adding a few drops of dish soap to make it go even faster!

Science Experiments

Think of all the fun water learning games for toddlers and preschoolers. Food colouring and containers of water for colour mixing activities are definitely a hit. Likewise, a sink or float game can be a great hot summer water activity game. Kids can take a variety of objects (from inside or found in nature) and guess if they will sink or float, then record the results. Doubling as a great summer learning activity for preschoolers, sink or float is a classic fun game.

Water Gun Canvas Painting

Set up canvases outside (pro tip: place a tarp underneath), fill some small water guns with watercolour paint and water, and get to squirting and creating! Fireflies and Mudpies has a great post to help give you inspiration for this fun outdoor water activity – perfect for daycare and summer camp!

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Arctic Sensory Bin

Toddlers and preschoolers (maybe even camp counsellors & ECEs themselves) will love this daycare water activity that keeps kids busy for quite some time. Whether you’re looking to beat the heat outside or just want to bring some cool inside, this one is sure to be a child-pleaser with just a few items needed. Add in some ice for extra hot days, stock up on the baking soda and some arctic figurine animals, and you’ve got yourself another fun summer water activity for daycare! Fun Learning for Kids has the most beautiful inspiration for this activity.

Don’t forget to take pictures and record the activities in the Journal module of ChildFriendly so parents can see all the fun their kids are up to in the parent app!

We’d love to hear your own ideas for summer water activities for daycare and camp!  Feel free to add a comment below.

Don’t forget to find us on Pinterest where we save so many great activity and craft ideas.