Cool off with the kids by joining in some fun water games.
Sponge Tag
Blindfold one person and give him a bucket of wet sponges. Everyone else form a circle around him. Players have to stay in the circle and make noises. You could sing a song or make animal noises, or call out a name. The blindfolded person throws the sponges and tries to hit one of the players. When a player is hit, she becomes the person in the middle. If the person in the middle runs out of sponges without hitting anyone, he has to stay there for another round.
Balloon on a Spoon
Divide into two teams. Place a pile of water balloons in a bucket for each team. At the other end of the yard, place an empty bucket for each team. Give each team a spoon. On “go” the players carry a water balloon one at a time on the spoon and try to get it into the empty bucket without breaking it. The team with the most balloons after two rotations wins.
Waterhead
Give each player a paper cup and turn on a sprinkler. Have each player hold the cup on his or her head. The object of the game is to see who can get the most water in the cup by the end of an allotted time, say one or two minutes.
Pool Races
Have some good old-fashioned swimming races if you are lucky enough to have access to a pool or lake. Mix up the strokes, and throw in some funny things like who can swim the slowest or who can splash the most. The idea is to think of a few races that will level the playing field for less experienced swimmers.
Bucket Bobbing
Bobbing for apples makes more sense outside in the summer than inside in full costume! Try bobbing for other things, too, like pickles or grapes to mix it up a little.