#296: Snorkeling

While it might be a bit cold in the ocean or lake right now, check out the swimming pools. Put on your snorkel gear and check out what the bottom of the pool looks like.


Make this a family activity: See if you can find snorkel gear for the whole family, or take turns.

This activity promotes curiosity, breath control and swimming skills.

#248: Canoe / Kayak Ride

Grab your lifejacket, an adult, your canoe safety kit, and go for a canoe or kayak ride before the water gets too cold to go out in a boat!



Make this a family activity: Take the whole family out for a trip down the river or around a lake or pond.

This activity promotes balance and coordination.

#217: Jet Ski

Let's go for a ride!




Have an adult take you for a ride on a jet ski. (In Canada, you must be 16 or older to drive one of these.)

Safety First: Wear a life jacket and follow your local water safety rules.


Make this a family activity: Everyone gets a ride!

This activity promotes water safety awareness.

#194: Chase Waves Along the Shore

Chase waves along the shore. See if you can stay dry.




Make it a family activity: Everyone chases waves.

This activity promotes speed, agility and prediction skills.

#181: Boat Ride

Go for a boat ride!



Safety First: Wear a lifejacket, boat safety kit, and an adult with you in the boat.


Make this a family activity: Take the whole family out on the water!

This activity promotes water safety awareness and a discovering a new vantage point for seeing the world.

#157: Run Through the Sprinkler

Welcome to summer! Yesterday was the first day of summer, let's enjoy it by running through the sprinkler.
Make this a family activity: Have the whole family run through. Who gets the wettest?

This activity promotes fun!

#151: Sailing

Let's go for a sail.



Safety First: Wear a lifejacket and go with someone who knows the water and all about sailing.


Make this a family activity: Take the whole family out!

This activity promotes learning about the wind and navigation and water safety skills.

#147: Splash/Spray Park or Waterslides

Let's get wet!




Check out your local splash/spray park or waterslides. While waterslides can be expensive, some towns have a splash/spray park or wading pool that is free. Snoop around and see what you can find to cool down.

Safety First: Bring an adult.

Make this a family activity: Get the whole family splashing and having fun.
This activity promotes fun and water/swimming skills.

#135: Skip Stones

Find a stone that fits nicely in your hand. A good skipping stone is flat on the bottom and slightly rounded on top.

Try to get the stone to skip along the top of the water in a lake or pond (smooth water without waves works best). If you throw the stone side-arm, it helps the stone bounce along the water’s surface. See how many times you can get it to skip.

Safety First: watch out for people and animals.


Make this a family activity: See who can skip their stones the most or the farthest.

This activity promotes motor control and angle calculation development.

#111: Race Sticks

Safety First: Rivers can be dangerous. Stay away from the edge as it is easy to slip in and get swept away. Bring an adult or stand on a bridge above the water.

Each person drops a stick in the river. See which stick moves the fastest. If you are on a bridge, drop your stick upstream and race to the other side to see whose stick comes out from under the bridge first.



Make this a family activity: Each family member races their own stick. Make teams.

This activity promotes judgment based on visual clues (where the water seems to run the fastest and will result in your stick moving the fastest and therefore winning).

#101: Look for Tadpoles

Tadpoles are baby frogs. They have front legs and a long tail. They may also be starting to grow their back legs--making them a bit funny looking. When baby frogs are still in the tadpole stage, they can't breathe above water like an adult frog can. They also are very good at hiding.



Safety First: Play safe around water. It is cold this time of year. As well, the banks/shores of ponds may be slippery. Take an adult with you.


This activity promotes knowledge about the Earth's animals as well as the life cycle of frogs.

#82: Search for Sea Glass

Sometimes people throw bottles in the ocean or sea. When they break, they either remain sharp (and bad for bare feet!) or become sea glass. If bits of broken glass stay in the ocean long enough, it gets worn down by sand and waves. Sea glass is what we call the worn down pieces. These pieces are smooth and no longer sharp. Sometimes you can find bits of pottery washed up on shore too. See what you can find on the beach.

Safety First: When playing or exploring near the water, make sure you have an adult with you and play safe!


This activity promotes environmental awareness and visual identification skills.

#59: Swimming

Let's go swimming!

If you are lucky enough to live somewhere where it is warm enough to go swimming outside--go for it. Otherwise, check out when your local indoor pool has public swim hours and have some fun in the water.

This activity promotes physical activity.