HEY! Host this themed day in the summertime. Here's what we did:
- Water balloon Dodgeball: Dodgeball is fun. Dodgeball in the sweltering summer heat is heavenly fun. Split the group in two. Use athletic field paint to create a giant rectangle with a line down the middle that the two teams can't cross sides. At either end of the rectangle put a large bucket filled with the same number of water balloons. Students grab balloons and chuck them across the field to try and hit other students. To slow the game down play it so that whoever is hit with a water balloon has to sit out. To speed it up (the best way to play), let students get hit as many times as possible -- just assign a leader to each team to keep tally of how many times students on that team get hit. The team hit the least wins. It's a good idea to let students know they will be getting wet ahead of time so they can bring a change of clothes or a towel if they want to.
- Target Practice: Get a water balloon slingshot (we bought ours at Target in the summertime but you can find them online year round). Have teams choose 3 students to man the slingshot. Two to hold the sides of the slingshot taught and the third person to load the water balloons and shoot them. Have a fourth teammate stand with a giant bucket that tries to catch the water balloons that are shot. The teammate holding the bucket should be 30 feet or so in front of the slingshot (Depending on the strength of your slingshot). Mark a line that the shooters must stand behind. And mark a line that the catcher must stand behind. Give each team 10 balloons. Whichever team catches the most out of 10 wins.
- Slip and Slide: Get a 10 X 100 foot roll of plastic sheeting from a hardware store. Look for it in the paint supply section. Unroll it, preferably on a slight downhill angle. Put weights on the edges (like small sandbags or something that won't hurt people). Wet the slide down with water from a hose and allergen free laundry detergent. There's no reason for the slip and slide to be competitive. Students will have a blast either way. Make sure your hose is nearby, you may have to wet the slide down more than once.