Summer may be winding down, but the temperature is doing quite the opposite. What can one do to stay refreshed? Remember when cooling down involved no more than running through a backyard water sprinkler? That very same cool liquid can be used in many forms to deal with the hot, humid days.

There's no need to crank up the A.C. to the maximum because there is a better way to cool off. Water toys are a quick, easy and extremely fun way to enjoy the much-coveted summer months.

Water Balloons

Perhaps the oldest, most convenient and thrifty water toy is the water balloon. Most can remember using these sometime during childhood, and senior Chris Maynard continues to use them for his water fun.

"I like them because you can fill them with anything, such as soda or even Red Bull, and get people really sticky," Maynard said. "They're also great for sneak attacks: Drop one on someone from a balcony and they won't even know who hit them."

Best of all, water balloons can be purchased in mass quantities for very little money. Just be sure to pick up the remnants to ensure the safety of small children and animals.

Squirt Guns

Right behind water balloons are Super Soakers, the giant, pump-able, multi-colored machines capable of turning ordinary squirt gun fights into all-out water wars.

The squirt gun was invented in 1982 by Lonnie Johnson, who at the time was working on a heat pump project that involved the use of water. While experimenting with some tubing, he accidentally shot water through one of the tubes, and the squirt gun was born.

Senior Sherry Whiteley is fond of them because "it's super easy to just pound someone with water," she said.

Not to mention that it's fun to shoot at unsuspecting friends. One can easily be squirted by a Super Soaker without having any idea who the attacker was.

Inner-tubing

Whiteley is also a fan of inner-tubing, a fast, fun experience where one is pulled on a tire inner tube behind a speedboat. Whiteley goes tubing seasonally at her cabin on Puget Sound and really enjoys it because of the high speeds.

"It's also fun because you can knock people off of them if you go too fast or hit waves," she said.

Slip 'n Slide

An old-time favorite of many is the Slip 'n Slide, a unique contraption in which one slides down a carpet of water on a plastic sheet into a bigger puddle of water.

Geared mostly toward smaller children, the Slip 'n Slide is made to be used on the hottest of days, when sprinklers aren't enough and some slippery, messy fun is needed.

The Slip 'n Slide began its rule over water toys in 1961, when Wham-O Toys, which also created the Hula Hoop and the Superball, came up with the idea for the Slip 'n Slide. It quickly grew in popularity all over the world.

Maynard remembers playing on a Slip 'n Slide when he was a child.

"I used to play with Slip 'n Slides when I was a kid," he said. "I remember it always being really fun and wet."

Fun Island, pools and more

Wet is the name of the game with water toys. An especially fun and semi-grown up water toy is the Fun Island, an enormous inflatable raft that can seat up to 12 people and even comes complete with an anchor.

The only preparation involves blowing up the raft, and those wishing to partake must swim it out to the water. After that, sunbathing and hanging out are definitely the order of the day.

Another popular and inexpensive water toy is the kiddie pool. A longtime favorite of kids and grown-ups alike, anyone with a hose can have one. They can be purchased for approximately $12 and come in a multitude of colors, including purple, blue, pink and yellow.

Aside from the kiddie toys, an even more grown-up water toy is the jet ski. Darting around the water, making turns and creating white caps are all made easy by two of these skis. They are, however, fairly dangerous, and life jackets must always be worn. Also, stay out of the boating lanes.

For the most part, though, it seems that today's water toys haven't evolved too much from their childhood counterparts.

Water balloons, while not always filled with water, are still a big hit among many adults and teens. Super Soakers still get the job done when one is in the mood for combat-style cooling off. And even the more advanced toys, such as Fun Island or jet skis, can still be enjoyed by those who are old enough.

Bottom line: Get outside and have some fun in the water. Find unique ways of cooling off, because what better way to end the summer than with a splash?