How A Water Balloon Pump Saved Our Summer!

Confession 1: When my three year old, Owen, sang during the end-of-year performance at his preschool, (proudly proclaiming “I DID IT!” at the end of every song) I was 90 percent excited about summer (Warmer temps! Popsicles! True Blood!) and 10 percent depressed. I had gotten quite used to my very inquisitive and rambunctious preschooler having someone else entertain him three mornings a week.

Confession 2: I can be a bit … ahem … lazy. Let me take that back. I’m not lazy – I’m exhausted. Not only do I have a three-year-old to chase after, but I also have an eight-month-old boy who has yet to learn the value of a solid night’s sleep. (My mantra this summer is “It gets better,” and I repeat on the hour every hour.) So, try as I might, coming up with things for Owen to do in the hot summer months is a bit like scheduling my next dental exam: I know I should do it, but I just don’t want to.

I’ve quickly learned that some of the simplest things can keep my three-year-old entertained for a good 30 minutes. Not every activity has to be Pinterest worthy and involve hours of prep time. For example, I often fill up the sink with water and bubbles and let him wash his toy cars. Or, I fill up a spray bottle with water and let him “clean” our windows.

Noticing a theme here? Water-play always seems to be a big hit around our house, so on his last day of school, I bought Owen a pack of water balloons knowing he would really enjoy them. That one little bag of balloons entertained him for an entire afternoon, but having not played with water balloons since high school, I didn’t realize what a total pain they are. After soaking myself about a dozen times with nothing to show for it (my husband took over after I gave up), I quickly regretted the purchase.

When Molly asked me to write a review for the Pumponator – a water balloon pump – I was so happy to oblige. Owen and I picked it up from William’s Store in Ingleside Village, a cute little toy store packed with toys that aren’t just fun, but also unique and encourage creative play.  I loved the large selection of books! And, William’s Store caters to kids with special needs, which I think is an awesome resource to have in our community.

Owen and I were so excited to try the pump as soon as we got home.

According to the instructions on the back of the pump, I filled it ¾ of the way full with water, primed it by pumping it five times, and then squeezed the trigger. Easy enough! The pump advertises a  tying tool, but to be honest, it didn’t work well with the smaller water balloons. My husband had better luck with it than I did, though, so it could have just been user error!

My oldest son really enjoyed filling the balloons, and my youngest enjoyed watching them explode on the side walk. All in all, I would consider the Pumpinator Water Balloon pump to be a good investment at under $20. It’s keeping my water-loving boy entertained (and cool!) during these hot summer days! Be sure to stop by William’s Store in Ingleside Village in Macon to see the Pumpinator and a wide variety of other toys!

Editor’s Note: One of the really cool things about these balloons is that they are biodegradable as well! Which also means you will want to use the filled balloons quickly- and then there’s not as much worry about clean up and damaging the environment. Yay! – Molly

Jamie Dickson is a freelance writer and mom living in Houston County, Georgia. Contact Jamie at dickson.jc@gmail.com for more information about her freelance writing services.