When the summer sun is sizzling hot and the kids want to play and cool down, dig out the water balloon games! We have collected our Big List of Water Balloon games so that you can find the perfect game for you group.
This list fits in great with our other summer games Swimming Pool games, Wet Minute to Win it and 10 card games for kids this summer.
Let’s find you your next favorite water balloon game.
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What are the Best Water Balloons?
Before we get to the games let’s talk about what the best water balloons are and some more hints.
First, we love the Bunch O Balloons. These are so fast and easy. Just hook up the hose, turn the water on and in just minutes you can have a whole basket full of plump water balloons ready for fun. We use our laundry baskets to hold the balloons and it works well. You can get Bunch O Balloons here, Canadians here.
Next, we have the reusable water balloons. We were able to pick some up at our local dollar store. We also, ordered some on line to compare. These are great as they don’t break into tiny pieces that are next to impossible to pick up. They’re great for the environment too and can be reused a ton of times. The dollar store ones were a little hard to fill sometimes. They have a flap that covers the hole for water and is sometimes hard to push away when filling. On the other hand, once the water is in them, they are good to go. You can shop reusable water balloons here; Canadians here.
The other style of reusable ones are similar to the plastic Easter eggs you can get. They are two halves, held together with a flap. These are super easy and quick to fill. However, when it comes time to closing them, you lose at least half the water and are sometimes really hard to get shut. These are also faster to dry at the end of the day than the dollar store ones.
PRO TIP: I was given this tip by another parent. Have one parent or adult in charge of handing out the water balloon. This person only gives out another balloon in exchange for pieces of a broken balloon. It makes clean up faster.
Now let’s get to the water balloon games.
Water Balloon Games – Races
Back to Back
The first water balloon games is Back to Back. For this game players will need a teammate and one water balloon. The teams lines up at the start line facing away from each other with a water balloon sandwiched between them. Next, someone says “Go” and the racers are off. The first team to reach the finish line with an intact balloon is the winner. Alternatively, you could play where team have to keep moving with the balloon between their backs until there is just one team left.
Sit and Burst
The next game has players starting at a tart line with a basket of balloons at the other end. Players will race to the basket grab a balloon and head back to the start line. Now the player has to sit on the balloon until it pops. The first player to get their balloon popped wins.
Spoon Race
Get out those wooden spoons and have players hold a balloon in their spoon and race to the finish line. If a player drops a balloon they have to start over. The winner gets to throw their balloon at the second place player for extra fun. This last step is optional.
Fire Brigade
For this Water balloon game, players will need to be in teams of four or more. Players stand in a line an arm’s length apart. Place a basket of balloons at the beginning of each line and an empty one at the end. When the timer starts, players have two minutes to get as many balloons from the start basket to the empty basket as they can. Players must toss and catch the balloon from one player to the next. The team with the most intact balloons at the end of the time is the winner.
Egg Toss
The next of our water balloon games is the classic carnival game Egg Toss and it’s is prefect for water balloons. For this game, players need to be in pairs. Each team stands facing each other. All teams form a line up. One teammate starts with the water balloon. When the go command is given, the teammate the the balloon tosses it to her teammate. If the teammate catches it without breaking, they stay in the game. If a team drops or breaks their balloon, they are out. Now the remaining players each take a step backwards. The players with the balloons toss them to their teammate. Again, if the team is successful they stay in the game. If they drop or break, they are out. Again, players take a step back and toss again. This continues until there is only one team left. They are the winners.
To make this more challenging, give each member of the teams a balloon. To stay in the game, both balloons need to be unbroken and caught.
Crab Race
This water balloon race is an individual game. Each player starts on their hands and feet in a crab-like pose. Next, each player gets a water balloon to put on their stomachs. When everyone is all set, someone yells go and players race to the finish line. The first one there with an intact balloon still on them is the winner.
Round Time
For this water balloon game, players will need to be in pairs of two. To start, the players face each other. Next, they place a water balloon in between them so that only their stomachs touch the balloon. When all teams are ready, the race begins. Each teammate now has to make a full circle with their body, keeping the balloon between herself and her partner. The balloon can’t be touched with anyone’s hands. The first pair to have both teammates to do a full circle with an intact balloon wins.
Penguin Pass
This game is also for pairs of two. Each team gets one water balloon. The player who starts with the balloon has to put it on his feet. He may only take three steps, or waddles, with the balloon before he must pass it to his partner, using only his feet. The second player can also only take three steps before passing the balloon back to his partner. You can either make it a race to the finish line of see which team can last the longest.
Chin Pass
This game is for two or more teams of even numbers. Players start in a line. The first player gets a water balloon and tucks it under her chin. When go is said, the first player in the line must pass the balloon to the next player in line. The balloon must stay under someone’s chin at all times and no hands may be used. The second player has to pass it the third player and so on until it reaches the end of the line. The first team to get it to the end of the line wins.
You could also play this game where after the first player passes the balloon, she runs to the end of the line. This continues until there is only one team left or they reach a finish line.
Another way to play is if two players break or drop the balloon while trying to pass it they are out of the game. Keep playing until there is only two players left who are the winners.
Balance Ball
For this water balloon race, each player will need a pool noodle and a balloon. To start, all players place their water balloon on the end of their noodle. When go is said, the players race to the finish line, keeping their balloon on the noodle without touching it. If the balloon falls off, they need to restart. If the balloon breaks, they are out. The winner is the first player to get to the finish line.
You can also play that player have to keep moving with their noodles until there is only one player left with a balloon. You could also do this is in an obstacle type race where players have to go around, over and under objects with their noodles and balloon.
Nose Race
This game is played each player for themselves. To start, each player gets a water balloon. Next, they place it on the ground in front of them and get down on their hands and knees. When go is said, players have to race to the finish line, pushing their balloon with their nose. The first player to the finish line is the winner.
Group Games with Water Balloons
The next list of games is group games, meant to be played in teams. They’re great for groups large and small.
Dodge Ball
The first of the group water balloon games is has you playing the classic game of dodge ball with water balloons! Each team should have a basket or bucket full of water balloons. When go is said, each team can toss balloons across the center line. If a player is hit with a balloon, they are out. If a player catches a balloon, the player who threw it is out. The winning team is the team with the most players left when the balloon supply runs out.
Hot Potato
Another classic party game with a wet twist. Players sit or stand in a circle with one water balloon. A non-player will start music and players will pass the balloon around in the circle. If the balloon breaks, they are out of the game. The non-player chooses when to stop the music. The player holding the balloon when the music ends is out of the game. Play keeps going until there is just ne player left.
You can play this game with players just passing the balloon around until the balloon breaks. The player is out of the game and a new balloon is used. There is no music in this version.
Another way to play is to have players take one step back after they throw the balloon to make it more difficult.
Duck Duck Splash
Yet another classic game that can be played with water balloons is Duck Duck Goose. For this game, players sit in a circle and one player goes around tapping players on the head saying “duck.” Then they choose one player to be the goose. They splash the balloon on that players head. The goose now hops up and tries to catch the player before she can run around the circle and sit in the gooses spot.
Water Fight
This one is less of a game and more of an activity. Fill some baskets full with water balloons and then let the kids throw them at each other. You could say that if you’re hit your out, but the goal with this one is to have fun and get cooled off a little. To help with clean up, you could implement the rule that before anyone gets a second balloon, they have to fist bring you the pieces of a broken balloon.
Minefield
For this game, one team is trying to get their balloons from one end of the playing area to the other while the second team is trying to smash their balloons. Each team starts with the same amount of balloons. When one team has played all their balloons, they count how many they got to the end. Now the teams switch places. The team who gets the most balloons across the field wins.
Baseball
Grab a bat and play baseball with water balloons instead of a ball. Again, this one might just be for the fun of it instead of finding a winner.
Basketball
Use a water balloon instead of a ball. Have players be able to take only three steps with the balloon before they have to toss it to the other team. You can use basketball hoop or buckets for the baskets. If a team breaks a balloon, they lose control of the “ball” and the other team gets to start with a new balloon.
Tub Toss
This water balloon game is a little like basketball with a few changes. First, divide into two teams. Next, each team has two buckets—one filled with balloon and one empty. To play, players are trying to get the most balloons into the opposing team’s empty bucket. The balloons have to be fully in the bucket and unbroken. The winning team is the one with the most balloons in the other teams bucket (broken ones don’t count).
Spoon Knock Off
For this game, each team will need a bucket of balloons, an empty bucket and a large spoon. The opposite team will also need some balloons. To play, each member of the team needs to carry a balloon to the empty bucket on a spoon. The opposite team can use their balloons to knock the balloon off the spoon or throw at the players feet to try to make them drop their balloon. When one team is done, they switch positions. The team with the most balloons in the end bucket wins.
Butterfly Catch
For this game, teams will each need a butterfly net, a bucket of balloon and an empty bucket. Each team will toss a balloon to their player with the net who will try to catch it in the net. Once caught, the balloon needs to be put in the empty bucket. The team with the most balloons in the empty bucket wins.
You could also play that after every toss, the player with the net changes. Also, you could play that players just keep tossing the balloons until one team has no more unbroken balloons.
Other Water Balloon Games
Target Practice
To start this game, you need to draw a target on the sidewalk with chalk. You could also use hula-hoops or buckets. Assign each target a point value with the closer ones being worth less points and the further ones being wroth more points. To play, give each player a set amount of balloons and let them toss trying to get the best score that they can. The player with the most points wins.
Piñata
To make it more interesting, you could have other players hold the hula-hoops or buckets, increasing the splash factor.
Who doesn’t love a good piñata? In this case, fill a balloon with water. You could try using a regular sized balloon if you’d like. Next, tie the balloon so that it hangs in the air. (A swing set or a clothes line works well.) To play, one player at a time is blindfolded, snug three times and then given a stick or spoon to try to hit the balloon with. After three tries, if the player hasn’t hit the balloon, the next player gets a chance. You may need to have multiple “pinatas” on hand.
Don’t Step on It
The next of the water balloon games is best played on a smooth surface so the balloons don’t break in the grass. To start, one player starts by being blind folded. Now the other players set out 8 to 10 balloons on the ground. When the balloons are ready, the blindfolded player is spun three times and then has to walk across the area, trying not to step on balloons. This game is mostly for fun but you can keep track of how many balloon each player breaks and the player with the lowest number wins.
Throwing Contest
For a basic game, you could have a throwing contest to see who can throw the furthest. This could be made more fun by having a willing adult sit as the target. Kids will love this and the adult gets to cool off. Fun for everyone!
Catching Contest
For this water balloon game, players will need to get their hands all soapy. To play, an adult will toss a balloon to each kid and see who can catch it with their soapy hands. Everyone is sure to have a good laugh with this one.
Who Am I?
The next of the water balloon games needs a willing adult. To start, the adult will pick a character or person to be. The kids will now get to ask a question and get a guess to see if they can figure out who the adult is. If they guess correctly, they win. On the other hand, if they guess wrong, they get to throw a balloon at the adult.
Juggle
Have a juggling contest and see if anyone can successfully juggle. This one is a sure soaker.
Bride Toss
To play this game, one player will be chosen to be the “bride.” She will then face away from the group while holding a balloon. The rest of the players will gather, waiting for her to toss the balloon. When she is ready, she will toss the balloon over her head. Now the other players race to be the one to catch the balloon. Either the player who catches it or gets the most wet now becomes the new “bride.”
Bucket Head
For this game, each team will need one player who is willing to keep a bucket on their head. A colander could work too for max soak-ability. Give this player a set of safety goggles. To play, the bucket head needs to place the bucket on his head and try to catch the balloons that his teammate tosses his way. The team with the most caught balloons is the winner.
Tag
Play tag where if you are tagged, you are frozen and have to stay in place until another player hits you with a balloon.
Blanket Toss
In this game, players will need to be in teams of four and each team will need two beach towels. Each team will line up facing each other so that one pair is holding one towel between than a few steps away from their teammates who will be holding the other towel between them. To start, on pair has a balloon on their towel. When go is said, the pair will flick their towel upwards and send the balloon flying through the air to their team mates who will try to catch it. If successful, the teams will step one step backwards and play again. The team last lasting wins.
Number Balloon
This water balloon needs a little set up. Before filling the balloons, write with a Sharpie a number from 1 to 5 on each balloon. After filling them, scatter the balloons around in an area. When you’re ready, have an adult pick a number from 1 to 5 but keep it secret. Now have the kids run and stand beside a balloon. Next, the adult calls out the number. If a kid is standing beside a balloon with that number on it, they get to throw the balloon.
For the second round, choose another number and have the kids run to stand beside a balloon and repeat until all the balloons are done.
For larger groups, you could number the balloons form 1 to 10. You could also use the color of the balloon if there are enough different colors in the pack of balloons.
Web Ball
To start this game, have everyone stand in a circle an arms’ length between everyone. One player starts with a balloon and choses a player to toss the balloon to, calling out their name. This player chooses another player to toss to, again calling out the name. This continues until everyone has had a turn. It is important to remember who is tossing to you and who you are tossing to.
When the balloon gets back to the person who started, the balloon is passed again in the same order. When everyone is feeling confident, a second balloon will be added that will be tossed in the same order. Keep adding balloons until everyone is laughing and probably soaked.
Water Balloon Fun for Everyone
I hope you liked our big list of summer water balloon games! With this many games, I’m sure you’ve found a few to play. Say safe, wet and laughing.
With all these games, you’ll need to stock up on water balloons for sure! Shop Bunch-o-Balloons here; Canadians here. You can shop reusable water balloons here; Canadians here.
For more summer fun visit our Luau Game Party that is loaded with fun luau style and our Wet Minute to Win it Games. Check out our summer section in our Family Game shelf shop where you’ll find tons of fun for summer, original games and so much more like out Whacky Putt mini golf game and our Save the Pool Party escape room for kids!
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