The hot weather has arrived and we’re looking for ways to keep the kids cool. Put the popsicles back in the freezer and hold off on that trip to the pool; we’ve discovered some ways to beat the heat in your own backyard.

Nothing says summer like splashing around in the water. So we here at Used.ca are all about upcycling, recycling and keeping stuff out of the landfill. We’ve rounded up a couple of DIY water projects you can make with stuff you already have.

Plastic bottle sprinkler

Before taking the blue bin to the curb, dig out a plastic bottle. This simple DIY sprinkler will be a crowd pleaser. Hang it from a tree branch for even more fun.

Materials

• Sturdy plastic bottle
• Tyvek Tape
• Drill
• Garden hose

Instructions

1. Drill holes in the bottle. Depending on how you want your sprinkler to spray water will depend on where you place the holes (we love the option of drilling holes so the water will spurt in all directions)
2. Attach the bottle to the garden hose with Tyvek Tape
3. Slowly turn the water on and enjoy! Summer fun doesn’t get any easier (or cheaper) than this

Water wall

Round up the kids and head to the garage. It’s time to hunt for some old buckets and bowls, water bottles, pool noodles and an old garden hose (anything goes when you’re building a water wall). Check your local Used.ca site to find a pallet or fence panel and you are all set up to build some fun.

Materials

• Plastic bottles, buckets, bowls and containers
• Old garden hose or any kind of flexible tubing (a pool noodle could work)
• Scrap board to use as a wall
• Drill
• Butterfly/wing nuts
• Duct tape

Instructions

1. Using an electric drill and some wing nuts, attach your collection of bottles to the fence panel or pallet
2. Cut up the hose pipe and connect  to a few of the bottles
3. Use good old fashion duct tape to keep the hose in place
4. Get the kids to play around with the configuration making sure that there are a few paths for the water to follow
5. Place the bowls and buckets to collect the water and start all over again.

Useful links

Here are some items we’ve found on the local Used.ca sites to get you started on your backyard water project:

• Wood pallet on UsedVictoria.com
• Garden hose on UsedOttawa.com
• Buckets on UsedPEI.com
• Drill on UsedWinnipeg.com