18 Water Gun Games That Will Make You The Hero Of Summer

At some point in their childhood, everyone experiences the madness and fun of a squirt gun water war. If you’ve reached adulthood without ever being in a water gun fight, I am so sorry for your loss.

But not to worry, you’re never too old to become a water warrior.

And if you think water guns are just for traditional water gun fights, think again. There are tons of different kinds of water gun games to try. Whether you’re a long-time pro, a newbie, or a parent looking for a way to keep the kids occupied, I think you’ll enjoy this list of 18 water gun games.

TARGET PRACTICE

Carnival Style
What you’ll need: 6 sturdy plastic cups, table
Set plastic cups upside down to form a pyramid (3 cups on the bottom, 2 on the next level and 1 on the top) on a table. That’s it! Players can now take turns trying to knock down the pyramid by shooting it with their water guns.

Just Beachy
What you’ll need: Beach balls, string, marker
Hang beach balls from tree branches, the roof, etc. Write different point values on the beach balls (5, 7, 10, 12, 15 points) where the higher point value is harder to hit. Line players up and have them try to hit as many targets as they can with the water gun filled up only once.

Up in the Air
What you’ll need: Helium filled balloons, string, weights
Tie each balloon to a weight using a string at least 4-5 feet long. Try to hit the balloon with the water stream from as far away as you can get.

King Pong
What you’ll need: Empty water bottles, ping pong balls, rocks or dirt
Remove the labels from water bottles and replace with colorful tape or paper. Fill with rocks or dirt 1/3 of the way full to weight down the bottles so they won't move. Remove the caps and place ping pong balls on the openings of the water bottles. Line up targets in a row, pyramid, or some other formation. Mark off a shooting line with tape or sidewalk chalk for the players to stand behind while they try to shoot the balls off the bottles.

Fore!
What you’ll need: Golf tee, ping pong balls
Place ping pong balls on the golf tee. Have players try to knock each ping pong ball off the golf tee with spray from a water gun.

My Bubbles
What you’ll need: Bubble maker
Blow bubbles continuously and have players shoot them with water guns. Be aware players will likely end up shooting each other by accident (and then on purpose) in their efforts to shoot the bubbles. You can alternate who blows the bubbles to give your lungs a break.

RACE TO THE FINISH

Speed Cups
What you’ll need: Plastic drinking cups, string
Punch a hole in the bottom of each cup about 1/2 inch from the side. Tie the string onto a tree (or fence, etc.) and then thread the end of the string through the hole in the bottom of the cup. Tie the other end of the string a few yards away, fairly level. Players shoot at the inside of the plastic cup to make it move down the string. First player to get their cup to the other end wins!

Bottle Head
What you’ll need: large plastic bottles, scissors
Remove the labels from the plastic bottles and decorate to your liking. Cut a circle on one side of the bottles to serve as the target. Strap the bottle to player’s heads and have them shoot into other players’ bottles. Whoever gets the most water in the bottle by the end of the time wins.

Beach Ball Relay
What you’ll need: Beach balls, cones (optional), obstacles (optional)
Each team should have a water gun and a beach ball. Teams line up at one side of the playing field. At the other side of the field set up cones (or anything else to mark the turnaround point). One at a time, team members use their water gun to move a beach ball across the field and back. They then hand off the water gun to the next player in line. First team with all their players to complete the course wins!

Cream Up
What you’ll need: Shaving cream, 2 large beach balls, large plastic cups
Cover the beach balls with shaving cream. Set the beach balls on top of large plastic cups so they don't move. Divide the players into two teams and give each player a water gun. Teams try to shoot off the shaving cream from their beach ball using their water guns. First team with a clean ball wins!

FREEZE OFF

Freeze Tag
What you’ll need: Just the players!
Played just like the game of tag but with a water gun. One player starts out with a water gun and they tag other players by squirting them with water. If a player is tagged they must freeze in place. Other players can unfreeze frozen players by crawling through their legs. When all players have been frozen the player with the water gun chooses a new player to use the squirt gun and all players are unfrozen for a new round.

Frost Yourselves
What you’ll need: Large t-shirts, gallon Ziploc bags, water
The night before, soak the t-shirts and place in Ziploc bags. Fill the bags with water and seal. Lay flat and freeze overnight. When you’re ready to play, remove the frozen t-shirts from the bags and give one to each player or team. Players must use their water guns to melt the ice around the t-shirt. First player or team to melt the ice enough to put on the shirt wins!

Melt Down
What you’ll need: Large pans, water, small plastic toys
The night before, fill pans with water and add the plastic toys. Freeze overnight. The next day, remove the ice block from the pan in one piece and set on the ground. Give each team or player a squirt gun and have them squirt water at the ice block until all the toys are free. First team or player to free all their toys from the ice wins!

TEAM PLAY

Water Ball
What you’ll need: Beach ball, 2 laundry baskets or boxes for goals
Teams must try to get the beach ball from the center of the playing field into the opposing teams goal using only their water guns. If a player touches the ball with their hands or feet, the other team gets the ball at the sideline.

Capture the Water Balloon
What you’ll need: Two water balloons
This is a twist on traditional capture the flag. Divide players into two teams. Each team must defend their water balloon while trying to capture and pop the other team’s balloon. Players can “freeze” their opponents by squirting them with their water gun. “Frozen” players can be “thawed” if they get squirted again with a teammate’s water gun.

Fortress Knockdown
What you’ll need: Plastic cups, table or flat surface
Give individuals or teams 25 – 40 plastic cups each and tell them to build a fortress with the cups. When the fortresses are complete, have the opposing teams or players try to knock down each other’s fortresses using only a squirt gun.

Boat Attack
What you’ll need: Kiddie pool filled with water, small boat, 2 pieces of string
Fill the pool with water and tape a piece of string across the top of the pool about 1/4 of the way from each side, high enough so that the boat can float underneath them. Place the boat in the center of the pool. Players use their squirt guns to move the boat and get it to pass under their opponent’s goal line.

Fizzy Necklace
What you’ll need: Alka-Seltzer tablets, string, needle
Make necklaces by putting a small hole through an Alka-Seltzer tablet with a needle and putting it on a string. Have players put on their necklaces and try to dissolve other player’s necklaces by spraying them with water.

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Use these water gun games to improve your skills or just kill time on a hot afternoon. After you're done trying them all, check out these ideas for other ways to stay cool in the Summer.