Today, I’m sharing 25 of my favourite water play activities for you and your kids to try in your backyard. Some city parks have water features designed to allow for interactive play. Experiment with water levels, and discover what happens. Here are some fantastic ideas and activities for sensory play, which have been recommended by Georgina, SEN Resources Blogger and Director of Cheshire SEN Tutor LTD. Top 10 Sensory Play Activities & Ideas Have players (kids and grown-ups) sit in a circle. All the instructions are here on kiddycharts.com. Then explore our exciting range of Sand & Water Tables and Accessories. Try different ways of applying the water, using brushes, sponges or squirty bottles, and see what kind of results you get. Get the children to pop their Hard Hats on and use Diggers to transport and tip the sand into different zones of the sand table. It’s a good idea to invest in at least one water play table for your nursery (be it a small or large water play table), to give children the opportunity to play freely with water either inside or outside. Catherine Holecko is an experienced freelance writer and editor, who specializes in pregnancy, parenting, health and fitness. Sort the children into teams for a water relay race. Try them in the backyard or daycare spaces! Add shiny and bright objects such as Metal Pots & Pans to stimulate their senses even further – then bury Coins for a mesmerising reflective treasure hunt. Enhanced with brightly coloured water (just using a small squirt of paint! Enhancing your Early Years water play provisions can provide a range of learning opportunities for young children. Each year there are a group of settings and school that get to come along…, Water play shelf. You could also sprinkle in some Glitter for an added glistening effect! These sand and water play activities were inspired by ideas submitted by childminders. Sail the seven seas and search sunken ships for salvage with this excellent pirate play idea. And all you need is some glasses, kitchen roll, water and food colouring. Most secondary schools have them, but it’s not always clear as to what a head of... Connectives – 24 of the best grammar worksheets and resources for KS2 SPaG, Food poverty – How Shaw Education Trust operates food banks from its schools, Sexism online – What schools need to know about internet groups promoting extreme misogyny, Why I can’t wait to become a teacher and get in the classroom, Project based learning – How to implement project-based learning in the classroom, Primary RE resources – How to confidently teach about Islam in KS2, Teach Secondary Awards 2020 Winners Announced, Jo Morgan, Maths teacher, blogger, resource sharer and mum, Early number sense maths games activity pack for EYFS/Reception/KS1, Father’s Day 2020 for EY, KS1 and KS2 – 17 crafting ideas and resources for EYFS and primary, Reasoning in addition puzzles – Early number sense maths activity for Reception/KS1, ‘Square numbers’ task sheet – supporting resource for KS4 maths lesson plan, LGBT+ sexuality and gender identity – glossary of terms. Sail the seven seas and search sunken ships for salvage with this excellent pirate play idea. water play ideas and inspiration - summer and spring ideas for toddlers, preschoolers. Science Play; Just add some medicine droppers and your kids can play scientist. The fun never stops with sand and water play! Self-regulation in Early Years Online Forum, from Dr Mine Conkbayir and Ursula Krystek-Walton Mine Conkbayir Consultancy, Play Phonics with Sammy Sounds Play Phonics, Case Study – Gratnells SortED tray inserts help fight surface contamination at Trumpington Park Primary Gratnells, Award-winning Chatty Bats closes the language gap Clickety Books, The 1decision Early Years Portal 1decision. First Discoverers is a unique independent childcare resource run by Wesco. You could also insert some Dinosaur Footprints for an added mysterious effect! It is an incredible resource for anyone who works in childcare and wishes to further their knowledge, or simply anyone wishing to learn more about the children around them. We hope you have enjoyed exploring some more ways to be creative with water play. Required fields are marked *. To make our water and ice sensory play experience a little more fun we turned the ice blocks into boats with a few simple materials. These sensory activities are fantastic for babies, toddlers and preschoolers who need to strengthen fine motor skills, and learn through play. Bring the seaside to you with our sensational Top 10 Sand & Water Play Activity Ideas! May 6, 2012 - Ideas for the EYFS / Early Years / ECE / Preschool / Kindergarten classroom. The guttering and tubes connecting the various water stations seems to be a big hit, and there are plenty more ideas to be gained too. Try out some alternative sand and water play activities this summer with our fabulous top 10 sand and water activities list. Build your own Water Way or Water Wall with funnels, tubes and containers to create the ultimate water obstacle course – then let the children race ping pong balls down the tubes, pouring and scooping as they go! The Role of Prosocialness and Trust in the Consumption of Water as a Limited Resource. Sand and water are the most basic of raw materials and children can use them without being constrained by…, Stuck inside with restless kids because it’s pouring down with rain outside? Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. Read all about Tom’s first encounters with his faithful sponge mob here. Outdoor education is hugely beneficial to learners but it has always been difficult to monitor improvements in skill... A task sheet containing empty number grids, intended to accompany the lesson plan titled ‘Combining square numbers’ published in issue 9.7 of Teach Secondary magazine. Special Educational Needs in the Early Years, eCourse – A Complete Guide to Outdoor Learning & Play, eCourse – Childcare Activities for your Setting, Nature Activities for Kids: Ideas for Exploring the Outdoors, 10 Outdoor Craft Ideas for Nursery Children, Activities to Encourage Children to Share, 10 Environmental Activities for Early Years, Returning to School After Coronavirus Lockdown, Alistair Bryce-Clegg’s 5 Ideas for Kid’s Outdoor Activities, Playworker Role in Outdoor Play & Learning, It provides opportunities for exploration and experimentation. Enjoy a cascade of gushing water! What is Sand & Water Play? Scoop, sprinkle, shape – time to get messy with these sizzling sand play activity ideas! Painting on the ground with water is a fun activity that allows children the freedom to make as much ‘mess’ as they like – it will soon disappear! By using Verywell Family, you accept our, Bellurget Jean Louis / Image Bank / Getty Images, Tips for Enjoying a Healthy Walk With Kids, The 25 Best Toys for 6-Year-Old Boys of 2020, Fun Activities for Families to Try During Summer Break, The 23 Best Gifts for 2-Year-Olds of 2020, Snow Play Ideas for School-Aged Kids Who Don't Want to Stay Inside, Tips and Games to Teach Your Child to Swim, The 9 Best Outdoor Toys for Toddlers of 2020, The 25 Best Toys for 3-Year-Old Boys in 2020, No Winners or Losers With Non-Competitive Games for Kids, 25 Outdoor Activities Fit for Large Families, How Parents Can Teach Their Toddlers to Swim Safely, How to Encourage Active Outdoor Play With Chalk, The Role of Prosocialness and Trust in the Consumption of Water as a Limited Resource. All Rights Reserved. Part of our water play collection for babies and toddlers at myboredtoddler.com, Cool down these summer holidays with 30 of the coolest water based sensory bins. To recap, these include the following: Note that there are some extra considerations to factor in with certain water play games and activities, such as using appropriate clothing (ie providing overalls or a change of clothes), and ensuring that suncream is reapplied where necessary. Hatching Dinosaur eggs. There’s no better time to get outside and enjoy some superb sand and water play than when the sun is shining down in the summer! Technology and Innovation Magazine Order now! Using small hammers and paint brushed to hatch the dinosaurs from their eggs. Front Psychol. Let kids' imaginations rule as they come up with new ways to play (and get wet). Following on from our article on sand activities and games, and continuing the theme of outdoor play during the summer months, in this article we’re going to look at some of the creative and experimental water play ideas you can try in early years settings. Illuminate your water table! A fun spring activity for toddlers or summer activity for toddlers. Children love filling and emptying! 25 ideas for promoting discovery learning in water play. Bring the seaside to you! - Early Years Activity Plans User, Melissa C. This takes down the need to scour the internet for ideas. Use your imagination, raid the recycling bin and forage around for materials – bits of drainpipe are particularly good, along with old bath toys, funnels and plastic bottles with holes cut in them. Cuadrado E, Tabernero C, García R, Luque B, Seibert J. to help give you the best experience we can. Use this collection of inspiring ideas to find out how other educators are using tuff trays to invite playful learning opportunities! water play with sponges simple toddler water play activity. Enhancement in the sand/water area linked to Room on a Broom text this half term. Light up your sand! Fill the water table with ice cubes, and provide shakers of salt and lengths of string. Exploring capacity and using small scale tools in the wet sand. This is a really popular activity, and a particularly good one to have up your sleeve on a hot day. Add soap to the water to create a foamy madness of bubbles – then get the Sponges out to let the children clean their favourite toy Cars to their hearts content. To make a water wall you’ll need a vertical base (a piece of trellis is ideal) and various receptacles and tubes to attach onto it (either with ties or nails). See more ideas about Water play, Preschool kindergarten, Eyfs. It's like looking for a recipe on the internet, so many options that often times it is less overwhelming to look in a book on the shelf than stress about too many options. When you're done, use the sponge for a rousing game of sponge tag. Sand and water play are two staple sensory activities that should be found in every early years environment due to the huge myriad of learning opportunities they offer. From one you need to leave overnight, to one you also need to leave overnight…except, last night rather than tonight, you get the point. But if you’ve got the mental stamina to wait overnight for the results this one is a whole lot of fun. Everyone loves building a sand castle! Bury magnetic objects in the sand, such as paperclips, and give the children Magnets to help them find them. They are suitable for a broad range of ages and simpler than packing everyone up for a trip to the pool (but don't forget the sunscreen either way). Glitter, jelly numbers and numicon in the water tray. Try to construct your water wall so that there are a few different paths for the water to run down and collect at the bottom. Collect some glass bottles and jars, and fill them with water, adding food dye for extra visual impact. Improvised upon the shock revelation that a day of sunshine actually hit our shores, this photo-diary-style post from pre-schoolplay.blogspot.uk chronicles the children’s watery adventures when left largely to their own devices. Find out more at fourcheekymonkeys.com here. ), transparent pipettes, jars, tubes etc. This week I have been spending my time on the Wirral as part of a three year project that I am doing with the Local Authority. You can also collect water in a rain barrel for gardening and washing your car. Paint brushes, palettes, sponges and more, Modelling clay, dough and modelling tools. You could also add Food Colouring to the sand for a vibrant effect! This one requires some advance prep, but it's worth it. Make a splash with your children with wet and wonderful ideas for indoors and out, Self-regulation in Early Years Online Forum, from Dr Mine Conkbayir and Ursula Krystek-Walton, National Poetry Day 2020 – Dr Seuss KS1/2 Resource Activity Pack from HarperCollins, Behaviour management – How to use positive behaviour management in Early Years and primary classrooms, Positive behaviour management – How to use it in your classroom CPD guide.