10 Best DIY Water-Play Ideas for Kids

Here are two ways to let kids play with the magic of a self-created stream. For a race track, purchase a short length of a gutter (the kind on roofs) from your local home improvement store. Set the gutter up against the seat of a lawn chair in the backyard so that the gutter slopes down to the ground. See this post from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls for a simple example. 

Place a garden hose at the top of the gutter and turn on the water. Preschoolers can float leaves, dandelions and bathtub toys down the waterway. You can even set up two “tracks” side by side and hold a race.

Or, make a lazier river by shaping aluminum foil into a gutter shape and putting it directly on the grass in a place where the ground slopes gently. You can use the hose to create the waterway or let the kids pour water down the river with a cup or bucket.

Editor's note: This story originally published several years ago and was updated most recently in 2023.