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

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.

HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES

HANDS-ON ARTICLES

Build a Gnome Home

Spark your child’s imagination and creative thinking skills by building a whimsical gnome home. Make a single home or an entire village.

Milk Carton Bird Feeder

Have an empty milk carton on hand? Spark some creativity and fun – and put it to good use – by creating a DIY bird feeder.

Lava Lamp Experiment

Making temporary lava lamps is a fun, colorful and easy science experiment sure to keep your kids engaged.

DIY Kinetic Sand

Kinetic sand is an easy project that allows kids to explore their senses, build fine motor skills and strengthen their imaginative play muscles.

Take Things Apart

Explore the inner workings of old machines. For Ages: 6 and up

Winter Break Play Activities (Part 1)

Winter break means lots of extra free time for kids. Here are five fun winter craft and activity ideas to keep kids busy for an entire week.

Winter Break Play Activities (Part 2)

We’re keeping the fun going with even more fantastic winter-themed activities to keep kids busy and learning over this long winter break.

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Make your own projectors using simple materials you likely have at home. Then create your own shadow show!

Playful Parenting: Bringing Play to Every Day