Water toys are a sure bet to get the kids off the couch, away from the video games, and into the great outdoors this summer. With so many next-generation ways to play with water, there's no need to seek out that neighbor with a pool or spend the day waiting in lines at the water park. The fun is portable, and available on any hot day right in your own back yard. Below you'll find some of the latest and greatest toys to help you win a water fight, go surfing, amuse the toddlers, or even turn your backyard into a miniature Six Flags Amusement Park.

The art of the water fight

Mix two parts water and one part ice and give your opponent the shock of a lifetime - a stream of freezing cold water. The AquaShock Arctic Blast can serve up that steady stream of chill, or blast out bursts of chunky cool slush that will leave your opponents running for cover. (Hasbro, $19.99)

The Bottle Shot is a necessity in any epic water battle. With its ability to take any bottled water as a supply pack, you won't have to run to the risky outside faucets for refills. Just duck inside the neutral territory of the kitchen and grab a refill from the fridge to go. (Hasbro, $7.99)

The AquaShock Sneak Attack 4-Way is the ultimate in sneaky, sniper-like shooting. It can shoot streams of water at 90 degree angles - left, right, up, and down - allowing you to stay shielded by hiding on one side of a house and letting the Sneak Attack shoot your opponents from the side. They'll never see it coming! (Hasbro, $9.99)

It's easy to drench your opponents while they refill their super soakers if you have the Max Infusion Backpack. It's a 100-ounce mobile water supply strapped to your shoulders. More importantly, it means fewer trips to dangerous water fight No Man's Lands - the area around the faucet. (Hasbro, $9.99)

Slip & Slide just got better

The Shark Attack Slip ‘N Slide is 20 feet of backyard adventure. At the end of the long, sleek shoot is an inflatable shark mouth that opens and closes without electricity. Time it right to make it through and get soaked in the waiting mini-pool. (Wham-O Inc., $39.99)

The days of counting "One-Mississippi-Two-Mississippi" to time the informal races are over. With the Aqua Blast Dual Racing Slide, two adjacent shoots let you race your buddy to the shallow pool of water at the end. The first one to splash wins. (Manley, $17.99)

The Skimboard Surfer lets you show off your surfing skills in the backyard. With a few inches of water on a modified Slip ‘N' Slide, you can ride the waves and duck under arching streams of water on a board instead of your belly. (Manley, $49.99)

For the little guys

Attach the hose to the Soak ‘N Splash Animal Park and you'll get an elephant that shoots water out its trunk, a giraffe that arches its neck to make a waterfall, and an alligator with a small pool for a belly. It's sprinkler fun for the little ones, who can weave in and out of this backyard safari. (Fisher Price, $39.99)

It used to be that you'd have to time the sprinkler to beat it before it tipped and sprayed water in your direction. Now, the Froggy Fun Sprinkler increases the difficulty - and fun - and shoots water in all directions. It's a hose with several frog-shaped sprinklers attached that shoot water up, out, and all around. (Manley, $12.99)

The SuperSpiral Sprinkler is old-fashioned fun with a ball, plus a healthy dose of spraying water. The water lifts a ball into the air and makes for a bevy of instant kid-friendly games - grab it first, touch the water without knocking the ball off, etc. (Little Tikes, $9.99)

The Ultimates

The Super Splash Water Park is a massive, all-in-one, summer paradise. Huge slides, a wading pool, water cannon, and rafts fill a 16' chunk of portable play land. (Little Tikes, $599.99)

The Banzai Falls Splash Blast Lagoon lets you climb up high and slide down a slick water shoot into the waiting pool. There's no way to stay dry in this inflatable water playground. Water blasts out from the top of the slide to ensure everything stays soaked throughout. (Manley, $229.99)

The Vortex Spin Slide and Pool is a multi-level, blow-up piece of kid heaven. It has curved slides, strait shoots, several mounted water guns, and a pool in which to splash the day away. You can take to the 18' tall slide and blast down into the awaiting splash pool, or stand on the side - either way, you're sure to get drenched. (Manley, $699.99)