It isn’t summer until you’ve pulled out the water balloons! Today Travis and Veronika both wanted in on the action, so we included both toddler-friendly and bigger kid ways to play.

For Veronika, it was all about introducing this fantastic summer activity, since she was too little last summer. She was amazed watching me fill the balloons, and squished one around in her hands with delight as soon as the cold water filled it.

Try and teach your toddler to catch with gentle tosses back and forth. A hot morning means it’s no problem if one explodes in the process!

Then try a little target practice. I drew a chalk target on the patio, and encouraged Veronika to toss her water balloons right on top of it.

She wasn’t exactly on target, but she sure loved the splat they made no matter where they fell!

Big brother Travis needed something a little more sophisticated. Cue the water balloon pinata! I had envisioned making this out of five or six water balloons, filled and strung up from a tree.

But he was so impatient for the fun to begin we only had a two-balloon pinata. Take a whack with a baseball bat and watch the explosion!

After that I simply made Travis a big pile of filled balloons to do with as he saw fit.

He squished them, he squeezed them, he bounced them, he imagined they were a water balloon family, he smooshed them between his toes. And more!

What’s your child’s favorite water balloon activity? Please share in the comments!