11 Easy Backyard Waterpark Ideas

by Allison SutcliffeJuly 21, 2021

Avoid the crowds and beat the heat on the hot summer days by transforming your back yard into your own private water park oasis. Whether you’re looking for some simple summer activities—rainbow inflatable sprinkler, perhaps?—or a DIY project to get the kids pumped for summer, you don’t need to leave the house to have your kids slipping and sliding the day away. Read on for some easy backyard waterpark ideas of your own.

Get Drenched with Water Blasters

backyard waterpark ideas — MomEndeavors.com

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 create this backyard waterpark idea 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 backyard water park ideas 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 these backyard water park ideas a reality 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!).

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.

—Taylor Clifton, Melissa Heckscher, Allison Sutcliffe with Jesseca Stenson

Here’s What Families Are Planning for Summer 2021

by Erica LoopApril 29, 2021

Do you already have summer plans? Juicy Juice tapped OnePoll to survey 2,000 parents on their summer 2021 plans—and here’s what they found!

You certainly aren’t alone if you consider summer 2020 a wash. According to OnePoll’s survey, 62 percent of parents said last year’s pandemic-centric summer didn’t really count. With last year in the rear view mirror, fifty-eight percent of the survey’s participants reported having high expectations for the summer of 2021.

Plenty of parents have felt the stress of cyber-schooling, working from home and everything else 2020/2021 have brought to them. With that in mind, 64 percent of parents surveyed said this summer is a welcome relief from everything else in their lives.

In terms of summer-time plans, thirty-four percent of parents said they want to find a way to safely visit with family. One-third of participants are all in for a family roadtrip or are perfectly happy camping in their backyard.

Along with these warm weather activities, parents are also planning movie nights, game nights, picnics, playing classic games such as hopscotch and hiking.

The top summer activities families are planning, in order of popularity, include:

Beach day – 42%
Socially distanced barbecue – 38%
Camping trip (not in the backyard) – 35%
Pool day – 35%
Visiting family (safely and according to social distance guidelines) – 34%
Camping in the backyard – 33%
Road trip – 32%
Movie night – 29%
Play water games (water balloons, sprinklers, etc.) – 26%
Game night – 24%
Cooking with kids – 24%
Have a picnic – 20%
Celebrate a birthday – 20%
Eat watermelon – 19%
Setting off fireworks – 18%
Eat popsicles – 18%
Go to a lake (i.e., go fishing, go boating) – 17%
Drink lemonade – 17%
Play in the yard (hopscotch, sidewalk chalk) – 16%
Go on a hike – 15%
Crafting – 14%
Celebrate a graduation – 12%
Attend a family reunion/get together -12%
Celebrate an anniversary – 7%

Ilene Bergenfeld, Chief Marketing Officer for Juicy Juice, said in a press release, “Whether it’s camping in the backyard or taking a vacation, parents are looking forward to spending time with their families and planning safe activities to have a feel-good, fun-filled summer.”

Bergenfeld continued, “It’s also apparent that there are plenty of activities to do in your own backyard or within your neighborhood to create fun memories while staying safe.”

—Erica Loop

Photos: Courtesy of Juicy Juice/ Feature photo: Alexandr Podvalny via Pexels

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Target Is Selling a 20-Foot Water Slide & This Summer Is Going to Be Legendary

by Shahrzad WarkentinJune 16, 2019

Want to be the most popular house on the block this summer? It’s time for a Target run where you can score an epic 20 foot water slide every kid (and grown-up) will be clamoring to ride.

Sprinklers, water balloons and kiddie pools are all great options when you’re looking to cool the kids down on a hot summer day, but nothing will beat racing across a whopping twenty foot water slide.

Priced at $550, the Rave Sports Turbo Chute is quite an investment, but with water play this amazing you may never hear the words “I’m bored” all summer and that’s pretty priceless.

The slide isn’t available in stores, but you can order at Target online.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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13 Surprising & Adorable Things to Do with a Kiddie Pool

by Oz SpiesMay 2, 2019

With a little DIY magic, you can take an old kiddie pool from dumpster-ready to super fabulous. We’ve rounded up our favorite surprising and adorable ways to give the classic outdoor toy new life inside or outside of your house. Scroll down for fun tips and tricks to upcycle your kiddie pool.

DIY Ball Pit

Kids a good ball pit, but sometimes we get a little icked out by the germ potential. That's where this clever DIY kiddie pool ball pit comes in—it's easy to make, and the only germs swimming around in it are your kid's own. Chelsea at Lovely Indeed did all the research and can show you how to create the best possible ball pit, guaranteed!

Gone Fishing

Anne Caminiti- Momee Friends of Long Island

Here, fishy fishy. Set up an afternoon of backyard fishing fun by turning your kiddie pool into a pond. We love the double upcycle in this fishing game: old pool noodles get new life as fish and swim around in a baby pool. Swim over to Momee Friends of Long Island to learn how to make your own.

How does your garden grow?

This creative DIY upcycle will help you grow a green thumb. With an old kiddie pool, you can make a new raised garden bed before naptime is through. Plus, these garden beds are just the right height for veggie loving kids to tend to their own plants. Find out how you can make your own from Christy at Southern Plate.

Ahoy Matey!

Even landlubbers will love walking this plank. Sweeten Your Day Events used a kiddie pool ocean as part of an epic pirate-themed party but we think you can surprise the kids with a pirate day any day! See how it's done at Sweet Your Day's site.

Rainbow Magic

Fill a kiddie pool with rainbow soap foam for an afternoon of magical sudsy fun. We love that this easy sensory activity gives kids the chance to be inside of a rainbow. Slide over to Hello Wonderful to find out how to make your own rainbow bubbles.

To the Dogs

Give your best friend a bath in an old kiddie pool. Sweet Lucy here looks squeaky clean after her fun kiddie pool adventures. Pick up some tips and tricks on scrubbing your own furry companion at Take Lucy.

Water Balloon Blast

Fill a kiddie pool with water balloons, and you'll be winning at water fights. You can take the water balloon fun up a notch with Sunny Day Family's creative water balloon stomp idea. While Laura used a big plastic tub for her water balloon stomp, we think it'd be fun in an old kiddie pool, too. Stomp over to Sunny Day Family to find out more—including the fun inspiration for this kid-pleasing activity.

Beachy Keen

Bring the beach to your backyard with this clever kiddie pool trick. This version is the centerpiece of a beach birthday party, but we think this DIY sandbox would add fun to any yard. Learn more about this Birthday Beach Bash at Catch My Party.

Creative Combinations

We wouldn't have thought to pair shaving cream and pool noodles for sensory play, but now that we've seen this awesome idea from Simple Everyday Mom, we can't wait to try it! Using a kiddie pool makes for interactive play and easy clean-up. Let Sam at Simple Everyday Mom show you how it's done—and how you can build a little learning into this playful activity.

Artistic Genius

Brilliant art teacher Mrs. Y created this interactive art project using a kiddie pool and tennis balls. We love that this one gets kids' creative juices flowing, and creates wall-worthy modern art. Check out how you can set this messy painting project up at One Crayola Short.

Water Table

Looking for a water table on a budget? This DIY option is the most affordable water table out there. Check out how easy it is to make your own at Pink and Green Mama. You can add an extra-fun touch by floating homemade sailboats in the water.

Bubbles Bubbles Everywhere

Turn that kiddie pool into the worlds' biggest bubble container. With a hula hoop, you can make bubbles so big you'll blow your kiddo's mind. You can also make DIY bubble wands out of pipe cleaners and extend the fun. Follow the recipe at Project Nursery, and you'll be blowing bubbles in no time.

DIY Water Park

Combine a plastic slide and a kiddie pool, and you'll have your own pint-sized water park. Here are even more home water park ideas. We love the homemade slip n' slide!

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5 Ways to Beat the Summer Heat with Your Kids

By Laura Nau

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

June 25, 2018

Summer vacation is here! Depending on where you live, that means scorching hot and humid days. Knowing how to beat the heat and survive the hot summer days with kids is definitely something you need to know.

Water Games

What is summer vacation without water games? There are a ton of options to keep the kiddos entertained outside. Even if you don’t have access to a pool, there are other equally fun water-based things to do, such as running through the sprinklers, fill up and tossing around water balloons or playing in an inflatable pool, with a slip and slide or a water activity table. Summer is all about having a blast outside and water games are a childhood necessity to keep the kids entertained for hours.

Make Your Own (Healthy) Popsicles

I scream. You scream. We all scream for ICE CREAM!

Who doesn’t love ice cream and popsicles on a hot, summer day? If you are trying to feed your family more healthy options or at least limit their sugar intake, you can totally make your own cool treats.

For popsicles, mix together Greek yogurt and fruit in a bowl and then pour into popsicle molds. If you want a sorbet, blend frozen strawberries with some honey in a blender for a delicious strawberry sorbet.

Have Your Groceries Delivered

Depending on where you live, this may not be an option, but if it is, take advantage! Having your groceries delivered to your door saves you from having to load up all the kids in the car and go to the store. This is a sanity (and time) saver!

Make Sure Your Air Conditioner Is in Working Order

We learned this the hard (and expensive) way. This is probably a no-brainer for most people, but someone we have neglected it. Having your air conditioner serviced can ensure that it’s working properly. No one wants sweaty, cranky kids complaining about how hot it is when the air conditioner goes out. Trust me. It’s not pretty.

Find Fun Activities in Your Town

Search your town for fun, family activities. This may be weekly camps, a swim team, or activities at your local library. There are probably tons of activities that you don’t even know about. Make plans to get out of the house regularly throughout the week to keep you and the kiddos from going stir crazy. Check out your local Farmer’s Market for a great Saturday morning outing. Grab some food and cook dinner together.

You Can Survive the Summer with Your Kids

Summer can be a stressful time, but it can also be so fun! Finding ways to survive the hot summer days will make Mom very happy. And let’s be honest, we all know that if Mom is happy, everyone is happy!

Featured Photo Courtesy: Laura via Nau & Forever

Laura Nau

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

I'm Laura and I am a wife and mom living in Evansville, Indiana. I have a nine-year-old stepdaughter, three-year-old twin girls and an eight-month-old baby girl. Bless my husband with all these girls! I love sharing the humor in mommyhood as well as tips on health/wellness and fitness.

6 Ways to Turn Dollar Store Finds into Creative Activities

by Allison SutcliffeJuly 21, 2017

Let’s be honest, it’s hard (if not impossible) to resist the lure of the dollar bins. Don’t fight it. Give into the impulse buy guilt-free, because we’ve got easy ideas that transform items like shower curtains, pool noodles, and craft sticks into hours of play time for your wee one. Read on to find your excuse!

photo: Mom Inspired Life

1. Shower on the Creativity
Leave it to Danielle at Mom Inspired Life to come up with a creative way to use an on-the-cheap shower curtain to entertain your petite Picasso. Turning one into a canvas is where it’s at when it comes to outdoor artistry with your Little. Get Danielle’s tips and ideas here to make the most of your masterpiece.

photo: Hands on as We Grow

2. Let It Grow
Couple your coffee filter stash with a four pack of food coloring from the dollar bins, and set your aspiring artist off to create gorgeous blooms. Jamie at Hands On As We Grow can give you the run down on turning food coloring into liquid watercolors your mini Monet can use any time he thinks you need a colorful bouquet or a kid-made centerpiece for your dinner table. It’s that easy!

photo: Little Bins for Little Hands

3. Make Cool Discoveries
Sure those dollar store dinos work great in the sandbox. But we heart this creative twist on everyday play that adds a dash of STEM learning and countless hours to your Little’s dinosaur experience. Find out how to create your own excavation site using simple supplies you can find on the cheap from Sarah at Little Bins for Little Hands. Can you dig it?

photo: Developing the Whole Child

4. Overcome Obstacles
You’ve got pool noodles a-plenty in your summer fun time stash. And adding to your collection is so easy (and cheap!) this time of year. So we’re all about following the lead of Developing the Whole Child and using spares to create an outdoor obstacle course for your sweet tot to navigate. Find out how to set one up here.

photo: The Seasoned Mom

5. Take Aim
Summer time games on the cheap can be hard to come by (have you checked the price on water balloons lately?). But Blair at The Seasoned Mom is all about creating lasting memories without a big price tag. Check out her supply list for this simple sponge dart game before you hit the dollar store. Then send your crew out for a little front porch competition when you return.

photo: Happy Hooligans

6. Craft Stick People
Put the yarn and fabric scraps cluttering your craft room to good use making stick figures. We’re crushing on their simplicity almost as much as their cuteness factor. And your kiddo will love designing entire families of these folks. Discover the secret to creating your own adorable collection from Jackie at Happy Hooligans.

Which dollar-store-fueled activity piques your interest? Tell us about it in a comment.

— Allison Sutcliffe

12 Ways to Master Your Hide & Seek Game

by Christal Y.August 18, 2015

Searching for a new way to spend the afternoon outdoors? We went on the hunt for clever twists on a classic children’s activity and found 12 unique ideas that are guaranteed to keep your little seekers entertained. Incorporating everything from colors and sounds to water balloons, flip through the ideas below and prepare to look, listen, and learn!

Chalk It Up

Let the pavement become your never-ending checklist. Write out the clues like 4 rocks, 5 green things, 7 sticks, etc. Then draw fun shapes where your hunter can put his or her finds. Katherine Marie used this opportunity as a great way to get her kids recognizing numbers, colors and textures. Learn to make your own sidewalk chalk here!

photo: Katherine Marie

Which hunt do you plan on trying with your kids? Let us know in the comments below.

— Lauren Hill and Christal Yuen

CLIF Kid is dedicated to getting kids back outside to push their boundaries, feed their adventures and to nourish their bodies and minds. CLIF Kid is here to help kids be kids so they can be curious and courageous, and so they can get up and fall down and get back up again. And, it all starts with play.

5 Fun Things to Do After School

by writerredtriDecember 2, 2011

Back-to-school hasn’t been easy on any of us. Well, any of us who were left behind, that is. So even though our trips to museums and parks have slowed down, we’re still trying to fill our afternoons with fun. Here are a few ideas of ways to make the most of your post-school time with little ones.

Build a Chalk Track/City– Breathe new life into scooters, bikes and plasma cars by building a road system on your driveway or street with sidewalk chalk. If your little ones are speed demons, time them on the track and see who can complete the course fastest. If racing isn’t their thing, give them a list of “errands” to run and let them explore the imaginary city. Hint: Create your masterpiece while the kids are at school to maximize play time.

Water Balloonball– Even my little major leaguers get tired of the same old ball sports. While it’s still hot, enjoy cooling off with a twist. Head out for a game of baseball, but toss water balloons instead of balls—then even a miss is a hit. Just beware of the grass getting too slippery. Hint: Prep the water balloons while the kids are at school to maximize play time.

Hand Over the Camera– Turn an ordinary afternoon into something special by giving your kiddo a camera. Just doing the same old thing becomes fascinating when they get to decide what to capture. And you’ll be amazed how different the world looks through their eyes. (Big took the picture above—along with some really unflattering ones of me—while playing with his stomp rocket.)

Send ‘Em Hunting– Before the kids get home, set up clues around the house/yard that lead them to a special snack. You can bring the treasure hunt theme to life with goodies like Pirate’s Booty and chocolate coins.

Make a Rainbow– Go on a walk around the neighborhood and try to collect an object for each color of the rainbow. To make things a bit more challenging, have them look for objects that start with each letter of the alphabet instead.

What are some of your family’s favorite afternoon activities?

Amy Heinz uses her words to tame her three kids, as well as share ideas and funny parenting moments at her slice-of-life blog, Using Our Words.

Get Drenched with Water Blasters

Epic Sprinklers

Play Slip 'n' Slide Kickball

Inflatable Fun

Make a Giant Water Blob

Set Up a Water Obstacle Course

Whack Some Water Balloons

Bombs Away!

Make a "Kid Wash"

Make a Personal Splash Pad

Ready-To-Go Waterslides

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DIY Ball Pit

Gone Fishing

How does your garden grow?

Ahoy Matey!

Rainbow Magic

To the Dogs

Water Balloon Blast

Beachy Keen

Creative Combinations

Artistic Genius

Water Table

Bubbles Bubbles Everywhere

DIY Water Park

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Water Games

Make Your Own (Healthy) Popsicles

Have Your Groceries Delivered

Make Sure Your Air Conditioner Is in Working Order

Find Fun Activities in Your Town

You Can Survive the Summer with Your Kids

Laura Nau

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Chalk It Up

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