“I’ve Got Your Back” Water Game for Kids

Summertime presents all sorts of hot scenarios. Your own kids are bored and there’s nothing to do outside. Or, the neighborhood kids are all playing outdoors but they sure look hot and sweaty. Maybe you’ve invited kids over for a birthday party at your house? When it’s summer, and kids are outside, there doesn’t necessarily have to be a party going on to invite them to play in the water. You might not own a pool but that doesn’t mean the backyard fun at your house won’t be wet and wonderful!

When you play “I’ve Got Your Back”, you enlist the kids in a water game that keeps them exercising while keeping them cool. This twist on the old squirt gun fun uses a much larger “gun”. Use squirt bottles which allow a choice of “spray” or “stream” to amp up the squirt. Kids will shoot at each other on the “stream” setting to try to put the other kids “out”.

Kids must start with dry clothing on to begin the game. Have an idea in mind of how long you want the game to last then make decisions with that in mind. So, decide if each child should have three “tails” (short game) or even seven tails (much longer game).

Some people play the game where you attach the tails to each child’s back but that only gets his backside wet. Play the game this way or let each child decide where he wants each tail. This could be on his back, rear, chest, side of leg or other area – but not the head or face. Make sure streamers attached to the legs do not hang on the ground. If you attach the streamers to the arms put them on the back of the upper arm. Also, attach the streamers only to clothing – not to bare skin.

Cut crepe paper streamers to be about six inches long and use a single piece of tape to hold each one to their clothing. With the blow of a whistle, or the command “Go”, kids begin running, squirting and cracking up. Each child will try to squirt the tails off the others while protecting their own. As each child loses his last tail he is out of the game. The last person still sporting a tail will be declared the winner.

Another version, one that’s really fast so you can play again and again, is to name the winner the person who manages to shoot the first tail off of any of the other players.

It’s hot outside but kids at your house can have lots of wet, cool fun even if you don’t own a pool. Play the squirting game at birthday parties or just to cool off the kids at your house. Once you have the water bottles you can play any time you want.