Creative Backyard Water Park Ideas

No home pool? Well, the next coolest option for summer family fun would be your very own backyard water park! Impossible, you say? Not with these super-creative DIY ideas you can assemble yourselves, or these ready-to-order water slides, sprinkler kits, and themed inflatable pools we spotted online. Either way, you can look forward to the kids happily splashing the sunny hours away, while beating the heat in a safe and healthy way! (*this post contains affiliate links)

Two Types of Water Park Setups You Can Make

Looking to mimic an actual water park in mini size? Or just want a clever way to keep the kids cool even without a pool? See how below.

Homemade backyard waterpark pools to slides

Water Play Stations

This approach recreates the delightful look and feel of a little park with different water play stations.

Start with 2 or 3 kiddie pools as your base. Varying sizes and depths would be nice. Then just add on outdoor play elements you already have. Lay out rubber mats in your yard (1 – via Pinterest) and arrange playground sets, plastic chairs and tables, tubs or buckets, and a storage-bin sandbox. Also add colorful plastic toys, balloons and inflatables (2 – via Learning 4 Kids).

Sprinkler Slip-and-Slides

This approach doesn’t use a pool. But if you’re handy with hardware projects, then these 3 DIY slip-and-slide assemblies would be just your type of summer fun solution. Plus you’ll be watering your kids and your lawn at the same time!

With heavy plastic sheeting as the "slide" surface, you can try a tent-style assembly of water pipes (3 – Greenwood Hardware), one with pool noodles to run through (4 – Diary of a Preppy Mom, via The Thrifty Couple), or a series of plastic pipe archways (5 – Welcome to Nana’s) to keep the kids sprinkled as they slide along!