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Enjoy the summer! A roundup of water gun games

When you play by the river, the sea, or at a pool, what do you usually do?Of course, it’s fun to change into a swimsuit, jump right in, and swim around, but having a few simple toys gives you even more to do—and makes it even more fun.So in this article, we’ll introduce games you can play with water guns!Some of them are perfect for enjoying with little kids in your own backyard.On hot summer days, stock up on water guns and have a lively time playing together with family and friends!

Enjoy the Summer! Water Gun Play Roundup (11–20)

Treasure Hunt

Use water guns to cleverly work together to retrieve colorful, fun toys embedded in blocks of ice.

Because the ice is clear, you can see what’s inside—but you can’t get to it right away.

This idea lets you enjoy that tantalizing frustration and the fun of figuring out how to conquer it.

How can you melt the frozen ice? If you keep spraying the water gun at the toy you want, the ice will melt, a hole will open up, and you’ll reach the toy.

If you prepare a large block of ice, lots of friends can play together at summer festivals and the like; if you make smaller ones, you can easily enjoy it at home.

PET bottle water gun

Let's make a water gun with a plastic bottle
PET bottle water gun

If you’re looking to add a little something new to water play at daycare or kindergarten pools, this “plastic bottle water blaster” is a great pick.

All you need are a plastic bottle and a straw, so it’s very low-cost.

It’s easy to make: punch a hole in the bottle cap just big enough for the straw, then insert the straw.

Fill the bottle with water and squeeze—water shoots out.

Decorate each bottle with permanent markers—drawing time is fun, too.

It’s a reusable water blaster, so it’s eco-friendly as well!

Shootout showdown

July 22 is Marine Day: Water gun battle tournament at the beach! [Niigata City] (07/23/21 08:18)
Shootout showdown

Instead of small squirt guns, water guns that use air pressure to shoot water are popular.

Large toy stores in the suburbs have a variety of water guns lined up.

The basic principle is the same for high-pressure washers and PET bottle rockets, too.

A head-to-head “shootout” with a water gun that can send water far is sure to get everyone excited! If you’re going to get soaked anyway, you might as well play in swimsuits at the beach or pool.

Just be careful not to get carried away and bother the people around you.

barehand water gun

How to make a powerful water gun! Perfect for bath-time fun!
barehand water gun

There’s even a theory that the roots of toy water guns trace back to practical fire extinguishers.

Come to think of it, those big water guns do seem like they could serve as extinguishers.

Speaking of shooting water, many of you have probably played with a hand-made “water gun” in the bath or pool.

You press your hands together, leaving a small gap at the thumbs.

By squeezing your hands, you can shoot water out through that gap.

One of the joys of summer is, of course, the pool.

It’s great fun to challenge your friends at the poolside to see how far you can shoot water with this bare-handed water gun!

SUP water gun

Lake Motosu SUP! Water-gun fun while gazing at Mt. Fuji! A wild bulldog! SUP dog
SUP water gun

SUP is an activity where you stand on a board floating on the water and have fun.

You can freely enjoy activities like fishing or yoga.

So why not try playing with water guns too? Even simple steps like refilling and shooting water might be surprisingly tricky while standing on the board.

Heading offshore with friends and having a water-gun battle on the water could get pretty intense! Just be sure to wear a life jacket to avoid danger, and take plenty of care to prevent injuries.

Playing Splatoon

Giant Pool Waterslide & Splatoon 2 Water Gun Parent-Child Showdown! Skit Play & Pretend Play – HaneMari Channel
Playing Splatoon

What comes to mind when you hear Sigourney, Bizen, and Miura? If you hear Inkling and Judd, you’ll probably go, “Oh, it’s Splatoon!” The video game Splatoon is a worldwide hit.

It’s had a big influence on the renewed popularity of water-gun play, too.

You can go all-in blasting away as your favorite game character, or lie in wait and snipe from a hidden spot—either way, it makes for the most fun pretend play! Kids and adults alike, come join in!

Enjoy the Summer! Water Gun Play Roundup (21–30)

Spinning Target Game

This is a game that tests your focus and control, where you aim to shoot down small targets using a water gun.

The targets are made from two sheets of paper in different colors, joined together with a straw in between, and hung in place by threading a string through them.

The goal is to flip all the targets over using water.

It’s not just about hitting them—figuring out where to aim and how strong to spray is a key strategy.

You can enjoy different rules, such as competing for the fastest time to flip all the targets, or a head-to-head mode where you try to turn as many targets as possible to your own color.