Ahh, Spring. Birds are chirping, flowers and trees are blooming. The weather starts to heat up…and next thing you know, Spring is taken over by Summer. Here in Nashville, Spring is more like a quick tease of mild temperatures and cool, sunny breezes before the southern heat takes over, fast. There’s really no in between.
For some of us, neighborhood or back yard pools quickly become the main attraction- but what if you don’t have a pool easily accessible? Well, don’t fret- that doesn’t mean you need to miss out on the water fun. Here are some of the best ways to beat the Summer heat with water play, without a pool:
Water Balloon Fights
Quite the classic, water balloon fights are easy to improvise and provide fun for the whole family. While this is one activity that requires some planning ahead, and may go quick depending on the level of competitiveness in your family, it’s a crowd pleaser. There are several kits available for sale, or you can simply get regular balloons and fill them up with water in the sink or with a hose. To make things more interesting, get different colors, create teams, and maybe even create a points system for furthest throw or least soaked player. The possibilities are endless, and the clean up isn’t too bad.
Sprinkler Races
This option kills two birds with one stone- water your lawn and create an enthralling water obstacle course (be sure to abide by any water ordinances, of course!). Different sprinklers will provide different challenges. One option is to set objects to be “rescued” down around the lawn, and players should take turns avoiding the water to catch them. Different items can be assigned different points. At the end of the day, who doesn’t want to just run through a sprinkler or two?
Trampoline Hose-Down
If your children are old enough to safely jump on a trampoline, try placing a sprinkler under the trampoline or even outside of it causing a “rain” effect. Depending on how big your trampoline is, you can enjoy sitting on the side catching some rays and getting splashed while watching the kids jump and slide. Bring beach balls, footballs, or even add a basketball hoop to the trampoline netting for a competitive edge.
Slip and Slides
Now this one is pretty self explanatory, and can be fun for the whole family. This is where sloped back yards get to shine, just make sure this is set up away from fencing or any hard obstacles. There are several types of slip and slides, varying from lengths, to with or without water splashers. To involve the whole family, develop a scoring system for most creative slide, longest slide, and more. Most importantly….wear well fitting bottoms.
DIY Car Wash
While this may take longer than the three-minute drive through wash, it will also be much more fun. Pick a playlist and dance along while taking turns, sudsing, scrubbing, rinsing, and drying. The trip to get supplies can also be its own fun activity- let the kids pick out the bucket, soap, rags, etc. Break out the lawn chairs and fruity drinks to celebrate the clean car as it dries in the sun.
What is your favorite kind of water play? Share with us! And don’t forget your sunscreen!
Also check out our guide to Nashville Splash Pads + Pools!
