28 Water Party Ideas

Get ready to splash out this month with our water inspired ideas that are sure to turn any summer party into the event of the season. We've got recipes, décor ideas, games for all ages and loot bag items as well as gift ideas for the guest of honour. We're almost as excited about this edition as we are about summer being here.

Who needs a swimming pool when you've got this cake? We've got the recipe.

These neat nautical desserts are easy-to-make sweets. We've got the recipe.

Add a little underwater fun to your table with colourful ocean animal cookies. We've got the recipe.

Cool guests down with these fruity chocolate banana treats. We've got the recipe.

Cheesy sandwiches become sea-breezy snacks and look especially cool served in individual buckets. We've got the recipe.

No plates required for this European-style, finger-food fish & chip fave. We've got the recipe.

You've got the food, now it's all smooth sailing—especially if you try these tips on transforming your table into splashy spread. We've got eight ways to add some splash to your décor.

Your guests have enjoyed all your great treats and décor, but what about the activities? We've got three great age appropriate water game ideas.

No party is complete without a loot bag. Choose one big toy that will last rather than a bag filled with junk. We've got seven great loot bag ideas.

Appropriate for: 2 and up. Get smart. No promises about a future valedictorian, but babes in toyland will love to play poolside with Smart Splash Shape Shell Turtles. These mold-resistant, water squeeze toys offer a shape-matching component, promising a dash of fun anywhere they can make a splash, in a baby pool or otherwise. Mesh bag for storage included, too.

Appropriate for: 3 and up Toddlers and older tots will be completely charmed by the Wigglin' Water Snake, which offers 20 feet of H2O hilarity for any backyard. Depending on the water pressure you impart, the snake can offer a misty spray (great for younger kids), or a more serious surge for older ones. The Water Snake attaches to any regular garden hose and can be adjusted to any shape. It's ssssssssuper.

Appropriate for: Birth and up Milestone: Sense The Ocean Wonders™ Aquarium Soother soothes and captivates your baby with classical lullabies, ocean sounds and realistic swimming motion, right in the comfort of the crib. Three settings include up to 18 minutes of music and serene aquatic sounds. Mom can activate the aquarium with the remote control so baby is not disturbed. Read more about milestones and enter to win the Fisher Price Birthday Gift of the Month.

Appropriate for: 6 and up If you're up a creek without a paddle for an over-the-top gift idea, a 6-foot kids' kayak will get them up a creek with a (two-sided) paddle and encourage an interest in a new water sport wherever you like to row, row, row your boat . The kayak comes with molded foot rests, carrying handles and paddle holder and is stackable for easy storage.

Appropriate for: 12 months and up Yookidoo's Stack ‘N' Stream Fountain is perfect for wherever they're wanting to play with the wet stuff—backyard deck, beach, or bath. The base suctions to any flat surface and constantly streams water down the fountain. The boats and characters come to life (the car spins, a propeller turns, the sprout grows water ‘hair').

Appropriate for: 3 and up Let the outdoors inspire your own Group of Seven (or three, or one). Creativity Street's Watercolour Wands are perfect gifts for spreading a little colour around. The foam brushes come with paint inside each brush so all kids need to do is dip and draw. Roll out some paper on the grass and let the landscapes come to life. For once the spills and drips won't bother anyone.

Appropriate for: 4 and up It's awkward fishing for compliments, but you likely won't need to when you wrap up one of these fishing rods. These all-in-one rod and reel sets come with a line and soft touch handle (2'6” long). A real working fishing rod for their first foray into fishing, the kit also includes a fish-shaped practice casting plug so kids can practice their technique (while supervised). This gift is a total catch!

Appropriate for: 6 and up The Speed Splash (say that five times fast) from Splash Bombs is essentially a hand-held zip line with a water bomb attached. Kids fill the ‘bomb' with water, then hold each end of the handles and try and zip the ball back and forth to one another, soaking their opponent in the process. The greater the speed, the deeper the soak. It's the bomb.

Appropriate for: 9 months and up Your life is already a three-ring circus, isn't it? Add to the outdoor fun with a Boon Splat gift. This floating ring toss game lets babies work on their dexterity as they delight in throwing the ring on the base that can float anywhere: in a bucket, bowl, tub, sand or water table. We like that it's made with BPA-free, Phthalate-free and PVC-free material. So let the ringmaster training begin.

Appropriate for: 3 and up Develop their curiosity without the fear of condensation… and what it can do to floors or fabrics. These primary-coloured, plexiglass, water building blocks are made of hardwood and come in two shapes (four rectangle, four half-moons) per package. Perfect for stacking and of course, knocking down. A gift of these will seal in some water fun (whether they're playing indoors or out).

Appropriate for: 5 and up Pump, pump it up, a little bit louder…Technotronic's 90's tune may be old school, but Airheads Aqua Zooka is all 2011, baby. The Zooka is constructed of high-impact thermoplastics and has a range of up to 60 feet. The handle floats, meaning the aqua won't claim the Aqua Zooka.

Appropriate for: 2 and up Start them off on the right foot with an outdoor activity centre that's all about dish duty and whatever else they sink their hands into. A manual pump allows water to flow through the tap, which can pivot all around, and the play centre comes with accessories and requires minimal set-up. If the kids you're buying for have everything but the kitchen sink, you're set for a great gift.

Appropriate for: 3 and up A little grass never hurt anyone. Except for backyard boredom, the Gowi Aqua Quak Squirting Lawn Mower won't actually cut anything, but that's good enough for us. The knob on the handle of the mower turns the Quak's eyes and directs a spray of water to unsuspecting objects (like siblings). Easy to fill with water and easy to push around, they'll have tons of fun with the grass and weeds… until it's time to come in for the inevitable munchies.

Appropriate for: 2 and up By now you've probably figured out that flatulence jokes are funny for kids, so the name alone will make the recipient of this sprinkler a fan. Melissa & Doug's Tootin' Turtle connects to any hose through the back of its shell (or ‘turtle butt' as our 3 year old testers called it), and the water sprays evenly out the back. A less intimidating sprinkler for kids still getting used to being wet and wild, the Tootin' Turtle will be a total gas for anyone wanting to let ‘er rip outdoors.

Appropriate for: 5 and up Instead of pounding the pavement, they'll be fist pumping in the pool. Banzai's Jam 'N' Splash Pool Game will keep them slam-dunking and splashing in the deep, or shallow, end. The bottom of the net gets filled with water to keep it stable, and after that it's all about who can get the most baskets in the floating hoop.

Appropriate for: 18 months and up It's a splurge, but as a group or grandparent gift, the Little Tikes® Spray and Rescue Fire Truck will totally fire the kids up. Powered by their feet, with a real working fire hose that squirts, and removable/refillable water canister, the truck supports up to 60 pounds and has an operational steering wheel. Your rescue fantasy may have to wait…but theirs can be realized now.

Appropriate for: 3 and up Give a present that pops. Babies, kids and adults (we're talking more the XXX kind for us) never get tired of bubbles, so a machine that produces a flurry of small water spheres will really blow them away. The Gazillion Bubble Machine does exactly as advertised. Insert a bottle of bubbles and turn it on—a gazillion bubbles (unscientifically proven but anecdotally confirmed by Evan, age 4) will come blowing out.

Appropriate for: 5 and up This gives new meaning to the term ‘healthy competition'. Running, sliding, hurling their bodies outdoors all in pursuit of the fastest time down the water slide is a perfect way for them to burn off excess energy, exercise those muscles and enjoy some backyard fun. The Speed Zone Electronic Raceway has kids racing to make it under the flag before the timer flashes, and it displays their sliding time, so everyone knows the time to be beat. They may actually get hot, keeping cool.

Appropriate for: 3 and up They'll treasure this gift for years, and so will any parent (for allowing a few stolen moments of peace outdoors). Little Tikes' Anchors Away Water Play Table offers tons of action on the high seas—er, lawn. A battery-operated working fountain that constantly produces water, a squirting cannon and shark, rope-turned anchor and two included ‘pirate people' will offer enormous appeal to any young swashbucklers on your list. Made of durable plastic and easily assembled, the Anchors Away Water Play Table will totally ‘hook' them (get it?).