I don’t like going to the pool. There, I said it. Maybe it’s just the age of my kids, but all the gear, all the sunscreen applications, all the flotation devices, all the sweat, all the tears, and ZERO relaxation. You can count me out. But, it is hot and some days, you just need water to make it bearable.
This one is for all my non-pool mamas who just want to sit in the shade and supervise this summer.
- Frozen Toys: This is something I usually do as a winter activity, but it can totally work in the summer, too. Pick some toys, figurines, or pom-poms that can get wet, toss them in a container and cover with water. Freeze overnight. Give your kid(s) some tools and let them hack away and free everything. In the winter, my daughter got frustrated at how long this takes, but the hot sunshine should help that.
- Ice Painting: Grab an ice cube tray and fill it with water. Use food coloring to dye each cube a different color. Cover the tray with aluminum foil and then poke holes with popsicle sticks and freeze overnight. Go outside armed with TONS of paper and paint! (You can also do this with Kool-Aid to make them yummy, too!)
- Play Painter: This is the easiest activity ever. All you need is a bucket of water and some paintbrushes. Paint the driveway, paint the fence, paint it all!
- Pouring Station: Set up a pouring station with different size cups, bowls, pitchers, measuring cups. Extra fun if you have clear containers and you can add food coloring to experiment with color mixing.
- Play Kitchen: This one is something I purchased and I don’t regret a single cent. This is a little play kitchen sink with dishes and plastic food. You add water in the bottom and then you have a running faucet. It recycles water the whole time, unless, of course, your kids insist on filling up cups and dumping the water on the ground… cause that’s what mine do. I literally keep extra water in a bucket or large cup right next to them so they can refill themselves.
- Dishes: You don’t need a play kitchen to play kitchen. Gather all of your plastic dishes and utensils. Fill a storage container with water and soap. Hand over a scrub brush and/or sponge and let them wash the dishes. My oldest is always asking to do the dishes and I can’t wait to do this with her this summer. I might even rub them in some mud first.
- Car wash: This is one of our favorites and can also be productive for the grown-ups! Get all of the vehicles out on the driveway; bikes, cozy coupes, scooters, shopping carts, literally everything. Turn ’em loose with the hose, buckets, soap, and sponges. Whenever I need to clean our cars, this is our activity and we always have a blast.
And, of course, there are the classics – water table, sprinkler, water balloons, and slip-n-slide, although that last one always makes me a little anxious. Water tables are also easy to spice up and keep the kids guessing. Toss in some pom poms, shaving cream, figurines, water beads, or plastic play food. Some of our other favorite water toys are droppers, sponges, plastic cups with holes poked in the bottom, and funnels.
Enjoy! Wishing you all a wet, wild, and cool summer!
