I have such fond memories of playing with water as a child - paddling pools at the height of summer, moats at the seaside, toys in the bath - all forms of water play and one of the simplest pleasures.
Water play is our 'go to', as it never fails to entertain, it's super easy to set up, and it often comes to the rescue on days when I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.
I'm going to explain why we love it so much and share some of our favourite activities with you.
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Water is the ultimate play material; it fosters imagination, helps scientific thinking and encourages co-operative play. Children of all ages can explore its potential, so it's a great activity if you have more than one child to entertain.
Water play is also a brilliant way to get the kids outside. With the constant lure of screens, finding time for outdoor play is now more important than ever.
I remember one sunny afternoon I gave my youngest a tub of water with some old herbal teabags and jugs to play with - he imagined he was a wizard, mixing potions and casting spells with a stick he found in the garden.
There are some amazing water tables on the market, but you don't need a fancy setup to enjoy water play at home. We have a clear 60 cm x 30cm tub for outdoor play, and use of the sink for indoor play, as well as this deep round tray, which I store in a cupboard.
What can children learn from water play?
There are so many concepts that water play can introduce, it's an extremely versatile medium and perfect for playful learning.
Problem-solving
Watching whether their pebble floats or sinks, how poured water always falls down, how a bowl can only get so full before it overflows, children learn scientific concepts such as gravity and capacity.
Water play is a very visual and practical way of making choices and testing theories. When children are given these opportunities to practice effective problem-solving they become more confident and independent individuals; they learn to overcome challenges, both as an individual and in groups.
Physical development
Scooping, pouring, tipping, handling tools - these are all opportunities for your child to develop the muscles in fingers and hands, and in doing so improve fine motor skills.
Transporting water, lifting buckets, paddling - these are all ways in which they can develop their gross motor skills.
Social and emotional development
Co-operation and team work, communicating objectives and games, these are all perfect opportunities to develop social skills. And sensory play is inherently soothing so can help children regulate emotions and deal with stress.
Language
Water play is a great way to introduce new vocabulary - so many descriptive and action words are associated with water - wet, cold, warm, liquid, pouring, drip, full, empty, spray, sink, float, splash...
Sensory play also encourages conversation, where your child will talk about what they are doing and create imaginary scenarios.
Understanding the world
Water play is an excellent way to illustrate topics such as animal habitats, global warming, and oceans as it is hands-on and encourages curiosity. It is ideal for demonstrating ideas to kinaesthetic learners (children who learn in a tactile way).
Our favourite tools for enhancing water play
There are many everyday objects you can add to water to make it playful and engaging - here are some of our favourites:
Measuring cups
Jumbo pipettes
Funnels
Soup ladles
Sieves
Corks
Stainless steel jugs
Stainless steel teapots
Ping pong balls
Spoons
Watering cans
Takeaway containers
Empty drinks bottles
Whisks
Squeezy bottles
Spray bottles
Paintbrushes
Sponges
Guttering
Some ideas for you to try
We love the simplicity of water play - a bucket of water and some pots and pans in the garden can give hours of fun, but it can be nice to mix things up a little sometimes. Here are some slightly different ways to play with water.
FLOWER POTIONS
Did you ever make 'perfume' for your mum using flowers in the garden? This activity was inspired by memories of doing this with my brother. It's a great way to use a bouquet of flowers that's past its best. Just remove all the petals and pop them in some water, along with some things to scoop and pour with.
WATER BEAD MARBLE RUN
All you need for this fun activity is a plastic marble run and some water beads. Water beads come as tiny balls that swell up when left in water. They last for several days so you get lots of sensory play out of them, plus they're biodegradable, so you don't have to worry about harmful chemicals getting into the water system.
WASHING DISHES
Young children love copying grown-ups, and pretend play is such a fun way to do it. Grab a handful of pots and pans (if you have some toy ones that's ideal), give them a clean dish brush and / or sponge and let them have fun pretending to do the washing up.
You can pop a little washing up in if they are old enough not to put things in their mouth and they don't have sensitive skin.
COLOUR-MIX
For this activity you just need to colour some water with food colouring or liquid watercolours and have fun mixing it. Pour it in slowly so it doesn't mix straight away. We added a handful of laminated fish to ours so they can "swim" around until the water turns green.
WATER PAINTING
Painting with water on the ground or on fences gives children total freedom to create. They can make as much mess as they want as it will soon disappear! You can have fun coming up with different things to apply the water with, such as paintbrushes, water pistols or squirty bottles.
Mix in a little cornflour with food colouring, or some ground up coloured chalk, and you have an amazing 'chalk paint' which will easily wash off.
CAR WASH
For some bubbly fun with cars, add bubble bath and invite your child to set up their own car wash. Provide sponges and brushes so they can give them a good scrub. A squirty bottle or tray of clean water is perfect for the final rinse.
To get the best foam, use a hand whisk over a large bowl and beat the mixture for a couple of minutes. This activity isn't limited to cars, it's a really fun way to clean any toy - add a mini squeegee and you could even have help washing the windows!
Love sensory play? Why not try creating a sensory bin.
What's your favourite way to play with water? Let me know in the comments!
