When you want to make water play even more fun, waterway play is a perfect fit.
You can connect milk cartons to make a long channel, build slopes to roll super balls and toys—there are endless ways to play.
This article introduces DIY waterway ideas and toys you can use for water play.
Most materials are upcycled and easy to make, and we also share ideas for creating a water table using items from 100-yen shops.
If you like, try incorporating them into your summer water play!
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Handmade water channels for water play. Fun waterway toys (1–10)
Plastic bottle waterwheel
Water wheels are fun to watch as they spin around and around, aren’t they? Here’s an idea for making a water wheel using a plastic bottle.
First, prepare a large plastic bottle and cut off the mouth.
Then cut the front and back sides down to about the middle, and make holes in the remaining left and right sides.
Attach a sponge hub to a bamboo skewer and insert the water wheel blades.
Pass it through the holes, and to keep it from slipping out, add sponges on both sides.
Finally, make a hole in the front of the bottle, insert a straw, and you’re done.
[PET Bottle] Water Table
Here’s an idea for a water table that creates a waterway using plastic bottles.
Make the base by attaching a wire grid to a garment rack.
Remove the caps from the bottles and cut openings so you can pour water in.
Since the cut edges can be sharp, be sure to cover them with vinyl tape for safety.
Arrange the bottles so that when one tilts under the weight of the water, the water flows into the next bottle, forming a channel.
It’s also a great idea to connect hamster pipes or tubes to extend the waterway.
Plastic bottle tower
How about making a plastic bottle tower you can pour water through from the top? Cut off the bottoms of plastic bottles and cover the cut edges with vinyl tape or similar to prevent injuries.
Then simply stack them one by one with the mouth facing down.
You can enjoy watching the water flow downward, or drop marbles or acorns through it.
You can adjust the height by the number of bottles—keep it low when playing with younger children, or challenge older kids to see how tall a tower you can build!
PET bottle waterway
Here’s an idea for making a long water channel by connecting plastic bottles.
Cut off the mouth and bottom of a plastic bottle, then split it lengthwise into two halves.
To prevent injuries, cover the cut edges with vinyl tape or similar.
After that, connect more bottles cut the same way, and your water channel is complete! If you want a large channel with a dynamic flow, use 2-liter bottles.
If you want a narrower, smaller channel you can extend over a long distance, use 500 ml bottles.
After playing, you can even repurpose it as a tool for nagashi-somen (flowing somen noodles), so give it a try!
A slide with water flowing
In this idea, you create a downhill slope like a slide using a water channel, and pour water from above with a 100-yen shop water jug.
You can add more water by pouring it in from the top.
If you let the water from the channel flow into a pool, you can scoop it up from there and circulate it for play.
Since water flows through the channel, objects will pick up speed as they go, and kids will surely love it.
If you set up two slides side by side, you can even race toys as they slide down!
[100-yen shop] Water table
Why not try making your own water table using items from a 100-yen shop? It’s surprisingly easy, so it’s great for DIY beginners.
First, build a shelf with joint racks and poles, and attach a wire grid to the long poles at the back.
Then just create water pathways using hamster tubes, funnels, and toy water wheels.
Use zip ties to secure everything.
If you add a tray on the shelf, you can draw water from it and create a circulation system.
Milk carton waterway
It’s an idea to make a waterway by connecting milk cartons.
Open the cartons and prepare lots of pieces by cutting off the bottom, the spout, and one side.
Then just connect them however you like and secure them with vinyl tape! It’s fun to make a straight channel, and you can also create curves or even deliberate dead ends.
It could be really fun to make a slider and send toys down with the water.
Let the children use their imagination to create a fun waterway.
Swirly Shower
Here’s an idea for a fun “Spinning Shower” that turns when you pour in water.
You’ll need one milk carton, four straws, and some cotton twine.
Cut off the spout of the milk carton, then make one hole in the lower right side.
Also make two holes on the upper left and right sides of the carton.
Insert a straw into the lower hole, and thread the twine through the upper holes to make a handle—that’s it! For the straw end that sticks out, cut a small slit and wrap tape around it to make it narrower.
Pour water in from the top and have fun watching it spin.
milk carton slope
As an easy-to-make water channel, let’s try building a slope using milk cartons.
The parts you’ll make are the rail portion of the slope, two pillars, and two bases into which the pillars will be inserted.
For all the milk cartons you use, cut off both the spout and the bottom beforehand.
Create the rail by connecting milk cartons that have been cut in half lengthwise.
For the bases, cut out the central area of the side that will face upward.
For the pillars, cut out openings at the top and bottom of the milk cartons so the rail can slide through.
Once the parts are ready, assemble them to complete the build.
You can adjust the slope angle by changing the height of the pillars to your liking.
Plastic bottle fountain
Fountains are a must-have, fun item for water play, aren’t they? This idea uses a 2L and a 350ml plastic bottle.
Cut off the mouth section of the 2L bottle and cover the cut edge with vinyl tape.
Make a small hole in the cap of the 350ml bottle.
After sticking vinyl tape on the lower part of both bottles, make holes through the taped areas.
Insert the ends of a long, connected straw into each hole, and your fountain is complete.
Fill the 2L bottle with water, lift it, and transfer the water to the 350ml bottle.
When it fills up, water will spout out from the hole!