Beat the heat and avoid summer boredom with a few games of Squirt Gun Races. With a few simple items you probably already have around the house. A squirt gun obstacle race course can be created that will keep your kids and their friends entertained for hours. Watching your kids play through the course will keep you entertained as well!
I love finding ideas like this that get my kids outdoors doing something active, away from TV shows, video games, and movies. The idea for this post was inspired by Allison from All For The Boys.
Here is what you need to get your Squirt Gun Races going.
- Sturdy string – Purchase here
- Duct tape – Purchase here
- Scissors – Purchase here
- Plastic cups – Purchase here
- Squirt guns – Purchase here
I used by husband’s drill to put the holes in the cups. If you don’t have a drill available, use a Philips screwdriver or pair of scissors to put the holes in the bottom of the cups. Be careful not to cut yourself. It didn’t take long before I had three stages in the obstacle course ready to go. You can create as many stages as you want.For the first stage of the obstacle race, I started under a balcony in our backyard. I wrapped the string around each pillar under the balcony and used duct tape to seal the ends to each other.
The second stage went from the balcony across the patio, past the pool to a grassy area in the backyard.
Once they crossed the patio and reached the tree it was time for them to hop in the shallow end of the pool.
Splashing water from the pool in the cups was considered cheating, they boys were only allowed to use their squirt guns to get their cups from the shallow end of the pool to the deep end of the pool. I loved watching them try swim water and squirt their water guns at the same time. It turned out it to be harder than they expected.
Once they completed the obstacle course, I had them do another round by going through the course again. For the second round they had to squirt the bottom of the cups instead of the inside of the cups until they got them back to the original starting point under the balcony.
Get creative to play additional rounds in your squirt gun races. Here are some ideas to get you going. Have the players play by:
- Using their non-dominate hand to play.
- Hopping on one foot.
- Have them balance a large paper clip on their head while completing the course.
- Cover one eye and have the player use the opposite hand to play.
- Cover one eye and have the player use the opposite hand to play, while hopping on one foot.
- Add a marble or quarter in each cup to make them heavier and harder to move.
- Play in teams of two, have the player with the squirt gun blindfolded, the other player tells the blindfolded player where to squirt the squirt gun. Have them change places and play the course from end to beginning.
If you have a large group of kids, time how long it takes for each of them to complete the course. Then compare everyone’s times to see who the winner is! You can also choose to play in teams instead of individuals. The possibilities are endless.
I hope you enjoy this activity AND the rest of your summer!
Thank you Allison from All For The Boys for helping to inspire the idea.
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This looks like a lot of fun! I am just preparing a summer school activity programme and I think this could fit in. Thanks!
Hi Dion,
This is a perfect summer school activity. The kids will cool down and have fun in the process. Glad you found it helpful! Hope you have a great summer, Tracy