Certain things are synonymous with summer, and one that’s a sure hit with kids are water games! Cool, refreshing, and fun—water is the perfect element when the sun scorches on a mid-summer afternoon.

Whether it’s an all-day water event at your church or a single activity to help kids cool off on a hot summer day, use these wet-and-wild activities rooted in Bible stories or verses, to help kids have fun and refresh their faith.

Make a Splash With These 7 Exciting Water Games

1. Raindrop Relay

Age Level: 5 to 12

Bible Connect: Noah and the Flood (Genesis 7-9:17)

Materials:

• 4 buckets
• a plastic cup for each child
• a permanent marker
• water
• a sharp-tipped object such as scissors or a letter opener

Get Ready

Before the game, poke holes on the bottoms and sides of the plastic cups.

Draw a line with a permanent marker to indicate the halfway point on both the outside and inside of two buckets. (Tip: These lines can be removed later with paper towels and rubbing alcohol.) Fill the other two buckets with water.

Let’s Play

Invite kids to briefly tell the Bible story of Noah and the flood that covered the world, imagining what it must have been like. As needed, fill in details such as:

• It rained for 40 days and nights.
• Underground waters came out of the ground.
• Earth’s highest mountain peaks were covered with water.
• After the water receded, God put a rainbow in the sky as a promise to never again destroy the world in a flood.

Say: Let’s explore Noah’s story some more by experiencing our own “rainstorm!”

Form two teams, and have kids sit on the ground in straight lines. Place one bucket filled with water at the front of each line. Place a lined bucket at the back of each line. Then give each child a leaky cup.

On “go,” have the first child in line fill his or her cup and carry it over the heads of the other kids sitting in line before dumping the remaining water into the bucket at the end of the line. Then kids rotate forward in the line so the most recent cup carrier goes to the opposite end of the line. The game continues until teams fill their back buckets to the halfway marker.

Dry-Off Debrief

Ask:

• How did it feel to be constantly rained on during the game?
• How does this game remind you of what Noah and his family experienced when it rained for 40 days and nights?
• What do you think Noah and his family felt when they saw God’s rainbow in the sky?
• God keeps his promises. Why does that give you hope? 

 

2. Ice Cold Toes

Age Level: 6 to 12

Bible Connect: The Parable of the Hidden Treasure (Matthew 13:44-46)

Materials:

• a kiddie pool
• ice cubes
• water
• ice cube trays
• green food coloring

This game will help kids understand the value of the kingdom of heaven.

Prior to the game, freeze a dozen ice cubes dyed with green food coloring.

Fill the bottom of the kiddie pool with ice cubes and mix in the green ice cubes.

Have kids remove their shoes and socks. Challenge them to retrieve the green ice cubes—which represent the treasure—out of the pool using only their toes.

Dry-Off Debrief

Ask:

• What made it hard to get the treasure?
• How far would you go to have anything you think is a treasure? Why?

Read aloud the Scripture.

Ask:

• What do you treasure?
• What do you think makes heaven a treasure?

 

3. Dodge the Stones

Age Level: 6 to 12

Bible Connect: David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17)

Materials:

• various large obstacle items, such as plastic garbage cans, tables, and chairs
• boundary markers, such as orange cones
• buckets of water
• large sponges

Play this water game to help kids re-create the battle between David and Goliath. Quickly explain how David had to face a giant man, Goliath, who was over nine feet tall. David managed to defeat Goliath by throwing a stone, because David loved God and God was on his side.

Create a play area using boundary markers. Place large obstacles kids can hide behind within the boundaries.

Choose several kids to be “stone throwers,” and station them just outside the boundaries. Give the stone throwers buckets of water and sponges. Tell the other kids that the object of the game is to run from one end of the play area to the other without being hit by wet sponge “stones.” Play several times, and have kids switch roles so everyone has a chance to cool off by getting hit with the wet sponge stones.

Dry-Off Debrief

Ask:

• How did it feel to throw “stones” at others?
• What helped you dodge the stones?
• How do you think David felt when he stoned Goliath the giant?
• How could knowing that God is on your side help you face something that’s making you feel small?

 

4. Swim, Jonah, Swim!

Age Level: 6 to 10

Bible Connect: Jonah and the Big Fish (Jonah 1)

Materials:

• a swimming pool
• popsicles (one per person)
• bottles of water (one per person)
• cooler of ice

This is a great water game to play at camp or at a church pool party. You’ll need a lifeguard and extra volunteers to monitor safety. Beforehand, chill popsicles and bottles of water in a cooler of ice you’ll keep on-hand.

Select one person to be the “Big Fish.” Have everyone else jump in the pool and swim around, but tell kids they aren’t allowed to be within 3 feet of the sides of the pool. When the Big Fish shouts, “Big Fish!” they’ll try to tag others in the pool before they can touch the sides of the pool. The first person tagged is the next Big Fish. If no one is tagged, the Big Fish starts over.

Dry-Off Debrief

Gather everyone around you on their towels and hand out popsicles and bottled water to eat and drink. Read aloud the Scripture and wrap up by telling kids how Jonah prayed to God from the belly of the fish and God made the fish spit Jonah out. Ask:

• What did you like, or not, about getting away from the Big Fish? Why?
• How does this game remind you of Jonah’s story, when he was swallowed by the fish?
• How would you feel if you were Jonah, stuck inside of a fish?
• How can you ask God for help when you’re afraid, like Jonah did?

 

5. Seed, Seed, Grow!

Age Level: 3 to 5

Bible Connect: The Parable of the Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)

Materials:

• watering can
• water

This water game will teach preschoolers about growing in their faith.

This game is a wet version of Duck, Duck, Goose. Have kids sit in a circle on the ground and choose one child to be the “Gardener.” The Gardener taps kids on the head as they, “Seed!” When the Gardener says, “Grow!” and sprinkles a child’s head with the watering can, the Gardener puts down the can and runs from the selected child. If the Gardener is caught, they start over. If the Gardener makes it to the empty spot, the child who was sprinkled gets to be the Gardener.

Dry-Off Debrief

Ask:

• Name something a seed needs to grow into a plant.
• What happens to a seed if it doesn’t have water?
• What does God give us to help us grow closer to him?

 

6. Our Cups Runneth Over

Age Level: 6 to 12

Bible Connect: God Cares for Us (Psalm 23:5)

Materials:

• 1 cup for each child
• an oscillating sprinkler
• a garden hose with access to water

Kids will discover a visual example of God’s desire to bless them.

Read aloud the second sentence of Psalm 23:5.

Say: God wants to bless us until our blessings are overflowing! Let’s explore this amazing part of God’s love for us with an overflowing challenge.

Have kids each choose a spot around the perimeter of the sprinkler’s path. Challenge kids to fill their cups with water from the sprinkler—but tell them they’re not allowed to move from their spot. If children move, they have to dump the collected water over their heads and start over in a new spot.

Dry-Off Debrief

Ask:

• What made it easy or difficult to fill your cup?
• Thinking back to the Bible verse we heard earlier, what about the game is like or unlike how God blesses us?
• What are some blessings God has given you?

 

7. Catapult

Age Level: 6 to 12

Bible Connect: Judging Others (John 8:7)

Materials:

• filled water balloons
• a beach towel for every two kids

This game offers a picture of what it’s like to judge others.

Have kids form pairs with each child holding one end of a beach towel. Then group two pairs of kids 10 feet apart. Place one water balloon in the center of one pair’s beach towel, and have the kids launch the balloon to the other pair of kids. Tell kids to catch and launch the water balloon using only the towel. Continue tossing the water balloon back and forth between pairs until it falls and breaks.

Dry-Off Debrief

Have kids stay in pairs to discuss any times in the game that felt unfair or like the pairs were against each other. Then invite kids to share a time they felt broken because someone judged them or seemed against them. Have pairs brainstorm how they could look for ways to include others and show kindness, as Jesus does, rather than excluding and judging.

Looking for more ministry games? Check out The Giant Book of Games for Children’s Ministry! Or you can also check out these ideas!