Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums General Discussion Ideas for squirt gun & water balloon party games?

Hi friends! Just wanted to see if anyone had any great ideas for games my DS6/7 could play at his birthday party. There will be roughtly 8-12 boys there ranging in age from 4-11 (mostly 6-9 though).

Each boy will have a water pistol that we provide, and they have all been invited to bring a super soaker if they have one and want to bring it. I will provide 100 water balloons--more if necessary for games you suggest (and if we can manage time to fill them!). We also have a Slip and Slide.

I figure they're mostly going to want to run around the yard and get one another wet. But I thought I should have some water-related games ready just in case all that good guy/bad guy stuff got old for them.

Any suggestions? I'm all ears/eyes!

(Oh, and please send your wishes for warm weather to the sky gods, would you? The unseasonably cool weather we've been having will be a big, BIG problem for us! Think 80s and sunny, please! Thanks all!)

'Slip and Slide' - DS really enjoyed that around that age. Kept the boys busy the whole time.

We find that a pinyata is always popular. Best hint is that you can put the candy in sandwich bags before you stuff it, which then become the party favors!

"Hunt" were you set up clues that they have to figure out to get them to the next clue is good. Or plain old hunt - I've hidden 50 bounce balls in the yard - how many can you find.

Water balloon game - in teams of two, they toss back and forth, taking a step back for each succesful toss. Whoever ends up farthest apart is the winner.

You can always feed them, that takes up some time and provides natural pauses. Pizza first, and cake/ice cream later. OR cake/ice cream and Pizza during 'pick up' time so the parents can be encouraged to linger.

Plan something quite and easy for afterwards.

Prayers for a warm, fun party.

Thanks, Grin!

Oh, how I wish for 80 degree days! We're supposed to be 97 today. We've already hit 98. Here's hoping you have some of our heat and we have some of your cool!


Add a sprinkler or two, especially if you can find those crazy ones where the water comes out in 4 or 5 places. Or, you can use those sprinklers that look like arcs that go back and forth and make it like a jumping rope game.

You can do things on the slip-n-slide like going down backward, or feet first or on the back or whatever you can think.

If you are up to it, you could fill the squirt guns with different colors of water (just food coloring) and do a variation of pin-the-tail on the donkey with the colored water. We used this with a drawing done on a vinyl backed tablecloth hung on the fence.

A variation on the water balloons is to do them first and see which team can stay the dryest the longest (or whoever is driest/wettest after a certain amount of time).

You could do a small kiddie pool with water and coins (either real money or fake coins) and do a grab bag kind of thing or blindfold them and see who comes up with the most or put small toys in there (favors?).

And, bubbles!

And, of course, watermelon seed spitting contests!

What great ideas! I knew this was the place to come for party games. Thanks! Keep 'em coming, please.

No ideas, but lots of well wishes for a warm and fun day

Thanks! (I especially appreciate the bump back up to the top!)