12 Easy Ways to Set Up a Backyard Water Park

Get Drenched with Water Blasters

You know those self-serve water cannons at theme parks that let kids totally drench anyone who's innocently walking nearby? You can make one in your very own backyard! Your kids will love aiming and firing their personal water blasters at anyone who gets too close (don't say we didn't warn you). Get the instructions on how to make them from Sara at Mom Endeavors. 

Epic Sprinklers

From a pink elephant that squirts water out its trunk to a giraffe that spews sprinkles from its mouth, there's a veritable menagerie of sprinklers to choose from when it comes to watering your kids. Check out our faves here. 

Play Slip 'n' Slide Kickball

Kickball has never been more fun (or wetter)! Put a few Slip 'n Slides together, add kiddie pools, and you've got a kickball diamond your kids will be talking about for years. NothingToDo Crew has fairly easy (and under $70!) instructions on how to make the game field here. 

Inflatable Fun

Whether you want to blow up a sprinkler, a slide or a pool (or wow your kids with a combo of all three!), you'll find a plethora of options out there. Giant rainbow? Check! Ginormous water-spraying dinosaur? Why not? Full-on inflatable water park? Yes! Check out our list of some of the best inflatables out there.  

Make a Giant Water Blob

It's squishy and filled with water ... but it won't get your kids wet! This water blob will have your kids rolling, slipping, sliding—and just wishing some of that water would squirt out (but, if you make it right, it won't!). All you need to make this super-cool blob is plastic sheeting, parchment paper and an iron to seal the edges. Mom Becca Beach has the instructions on how to make it on her Youtube channel.  

Set Up a Water Obstacle Course

Obstacle courses are double the fun—and double the challenge—with water! For tips on designing one that’s guaranteed to be a big splash, visit Jodi at MeaningfulMama.com

Whack Some Water Balloons

What do you get if you combine baseball with a water balloon fight? Answer: water balloon batting practice—it’s one wild way to cool off! Head over to iCandyHandmade.com and play ball, err, balloon.

Want more water balloon games? From wet pinatas to water balloon jousting, check out this great list of fun water balloon games from One Crazy House.

Bombs Away!

Sponge bombs that is! You'll have lots of splashy fun and no balloon bits to pick up. Pop over to Inner Child Fun for the easy how-to (FYI: You only need sponge strips and rubber bands to make them!).

Make a "Kid Wash"

Ever wish you could run your kids through the wash like your car? Now you can! HGTV has a step-by-step tutorial for this super-fun activity—(which, by the way, is a sneaky way to rinse them off when they’ve been in the sandbox too!).

Construct a Water Wall

Control the splish, splash and sprinkle with a dump-and-pour water wall wee ones will be drawn to. Jackie at Happy Hooligans has all you need to know to set this up in your backyard.

Make a Personal Splash Pad

Splash pads are the latest thing! Lauren’s lucky little guy has his very own, for those oh-so-hot Alabama days. It’s a surprisingly easy and inexpensive project to build. At Little White House Blog Lauren and her husband Brett show you how, with a little help from son Baker. Check out Lauren’s Instagram for more on the family's farmhouse life.

Ready-To-Go Waterslides

If you don't mind shelling out a few bucks to give the kids some backyard thrills, options abound when it comes to home water slides. In fact, Target has quite a few of the slip 'n slide variety, all for under $40 bucks each! Want something a little bigger? Head to Amazon to find mega-slides that you can set up on a hill for extra speed.