Water is one of the easiest sensory play activities to set up for babies and toddlers and a great outdoor summer activity. Setting up water play activities can be as simple as using an empty plastic container, large bowls or anything you have around the home. The beauty of water play is not only can it be an easy activity to set up, it’s also an open-ended activity – there’s no right or wrong way to play. It’s about exploring and seeing what happens. Check out some ideas below to get started.
Just a few of the ways that toddlers learn through water play are:
- Cause and effect: They can explore what happens if they tip the cup, splash something, do toys sink? float?
- Encourage language skills: While they are playing, you can use all sorts of language to talk about the play including mathematical words (counting, measuring etc.), scientific words (float, sink) along with asking and answering questions.
- Pretend play: They’re not just ‘playing in water’ – you are creating a harbor with boats, washing toys at a vet, creating a car wash scenario etc. This is very valuable imaginative play!
- Sensory play: Children are feeling the water, watching it splash and pour, listening to the sounds it makes. While it is an enjoyable way to play and explore there’s also something about scooping and pouring water that can calm toddlers down (this works for older children, too).
