Water Play

Kids love playing with water. But it's not just about the fun of splashing around and getting wet. Kids experiment, explore and discover while playing with water — Does this object float or sink? How does water flow through this funnel? What happens if I fill a cup with too much water? Here are some ideas for building a water play station at home.

What You’ll Need:

• Water
• Shallow containers
• Small toys (cars, figurines, etc.)
• Safe kitchen items (turkey baster, funnel, measuring cups, etc.)

What You’ll Do:

• Fill a shallow container (or multiple containers) with water
• Dump in a variety of toys so kids can fish them out
• Provide kitchen utensils so they scoop, pour and more

Added Fun! Give them a clean paint brush or roller and let them “paint” (using water, not paint) the sidewalk, driveway or fence.

What Kids Learn

• Coordination
• Confidence
• Critical Thinking
• Creative Thinking

How to Support the Play

• Try looking at how a child is doing something. Then describe what you noticed. “I see that you tried three times” and “I noticed you did it differently that time.”
• Try focusing more on the way a child is playing — the process and the doing — and less on the outcome. The magic of play happens during the journey.
• If a child gets frustrated, give them time to work through challenges before stepping in.