Water Games Unit Study and Badge Resources
Summer has arrived and with it the hot weather. What better way to cool off then with a Water Games unit study. Earn your Water Games badge and and combine it with badges such as Water, Water Safety, Fun at the Pool or even Swimming if you wish.
7 Types of Water Games
Water games come in all shapes and sizes. Some require toys or supplies while others just need some water on hand. The Ultimate Camp Resource has one of the best lists of water games we have seen to get you started.
To Do: Learn to play at least one water game from as many of the following categories as possible
- Contest game: If you have a pool or swimmable water try contests like holding your breath the longest, swimming the fastest, or floating the longest. If you just have hose water and a lawn, try contests such as a water balloon toss or liquid limbo (limbo under a water stream from the hose)
- Tag game : If you have a pool try a game of Marco Polo or Sharks and minnows. Just have a hose some grass? Try playing tag with a soaked sponge, water balloon, or squirt guns. The person who is “it” tags people by hitting them with a soaking wet sponge, a water balloon, or a stream of water from a water gun.
- Sport game: Play a game of water polo or underwater hockey, otherwise known as Octopush.
- Race game: Hold swimming races such as freestyle race, pool noodle riding, raft racing, etc. If you only have a hose and some grass try relay races such
- Adapted game: Adapt a land game to be played in, or with, water such as water baseball, basketball, capture the flag, etc. For example you can play a simple game of Water Whack as a variation on baseball.
- Obstacle course games: String together slip-n-slides, mini pools, water balloons on strings to break, etc. to create your own water obstacle course.
- Cooperative game: Play a non-competitive game where you work together towards a common goal. For example, play PVC Cooperative Fill-up where you drill holes into a PVC pipe in a random pattern (size of the PVC pipe and number of holes will depend on the number of children playing). The idea is to transfer as much water from one bucket to another one farther away. Fill one bucket with water and place a mark on the second bucket at the level the water will be at if no water is lost in the transfer. Using a small cup, one person scoops water out of the first bucket and pours the water into the pipe. Another person puts their hand on the bottom of the pipe to stop water from coming out if it, and all others put fingers on the holes to keep water in the pipe. Once they the pipe is filled, they all move as a group to the smaller bucket and carefully let the water pour into it. Repeat, changing roles each round until there is no water left in the first bucket. Measure the 2nd bucket to see how much water was lost in the transfer.
Fulfills requirement #1
Water Games Around the World
Water Games are played all over the globe, anywhere there is water. Many games around the world are similar, but may be called by a different name.
To Do: Learn about water games in a different part of the world and play one or more of them. To get you started, here is a wide variety of games played by the indigenous people of Australia. Which of these games are similar to games we play here in the United States?
Fulfills optional requirement #7
Water Games Throughout History
The history of water games begins, for the most part, with the the invention of the swimming pool. Swimming races were among the original events of the modern Olympic games in 1896. This caused the popularity of swimming pools to spread. It wasn’t until the 20th century however that developments in chlorination and filtration allowed pools to be cleaned in an efficient manner. They became popular on an individual basis and water games as we know them today became a staple of nearly every child.
Brittanica has written quite a bit about the history of swimming and the water sports that evolved over the years.
To Do: Create a timeline of 10 major events that affected water games. Write 10 or more historical events on index cards and laminate them. Stretch a rope or string across the pool. Have a pile of clothes pins, enough for each card, on the side of the pool. Toss all the cards in the pool and then time the kids to see how fast they can retrieve them and clip them in correct order along the rope. Here are a few events to get you started.
- 2500 BCE – Evidence of swimming in Egypt
- 1st century BCE the Romans built the first heated swimming pool
- 1837 – first swimming organization was formed in Great Britain
- 1846 – The first swimming championship was a 440-yard (400-metre) race, held in Australia
- 1862 – The first competitive pools are built
- 1882 – National swimming federations begin to be formed
- 1885 – Water polo is officially recognized as a sport by the Swimming Association of Great Britain
- 1888 – Swimming becomes a nationally organized sport in the United States.
- 1896 – Swimming for men is included in the Olympics
- 1910 – First use of chlorine to sanitize a pool
- 1912 – Swimming for women is included in the Olympics
- 1947 – Above ground pools are marketed to homeowners
- 1950s – Hotels started installing pools as a desirable feature
Fulfills optional requirement 8
Adapting Games for Different Types of Water
What water games you can play really depends on the water that is available. Will you be playing in a pool? A lake? The ocean? On land? Sometime you have to think outside the box a little to adapt your favorite game to the water you have available.
To Do: Choose your favorite water game for a pool and adapt it to play in a lake or ocean where there is no pool edges to mark a boundary. What safety rules will you have to consider?
To Do: Make list of items you can use to play water games if you are stuck on land. How could you use sprinklers, hoses, squirt guns, or water balloons? Come up with as many ideas as you can.
Fulfills optional requirement 9 & 11
Water Balloon Games
Water balloon are one of the most popular ways of getting wet on a hot summer day. Inexpensive, portable, and no need for a pool make these little spheres of water the perfect way to cool off on a hot day.
To Do: Learn to fill, tie and save a water balloon by placing them in a bucket or container gently.
To Do: Play a water balloon game with someone, like a water balloon toss, water balloon fight, or water balloon dodge ball.
Fulfills optional requirement 5
Create Your Own Water Game
While there are plenty of popular water games, it is even more fun to make up your own. You can adapt a non-water game to include getting wet in some way or you can create something truly unique.
To Do: Create your own game to play in, or with, water. What type of game is it? How many people can play? Is there an age or ability limit? What items do you need to play? Teach someone else to play the game.
Fulfills optional requirement 3
Make a Water Toy
While some games just need water, others require various toys or equipment that you may not have on hand. Learning to make your own water toys expands what games you can play and can save you money as well.
To Do: Make your own water toy, like a pool noodle sword or a paper plate floating target to shoot with water guns. Try it out. Did it last well? Did it work the way you wanted? Is there a comparable toy on the market? If so, which one do you like better?
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