3 Fun Water Play Ideas for Preschoolers
Posted on: 16 August 2017
If you work at a child care centre, chances are you're always on the lookout for new activities to keep the little ones entertained and stimulated. Water play is an old favourite that's really popular with preschoolers, but it can start to get boring if you don't switch things up. With that in mind, we're sharing three fun water play ideas that we're sure you won't have tried before. Get ready to make a splash with your preschoolers!
1. Mixing Colorful Potions
What turns water play from boring to amazing in one drop? Food colouring, of course! Mix up flasks of water in all the colours of the rainbow, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink and purple. Next, let your preschoolers pick their favourites and mix them together to see what happens. To add to the fun, make sure you provide lots of different containers and tools - these could include plastic test tubes, ice cube trays, cups, scoops, droppers and bottles with different shaped nozzles attached. Your kids will learn about colour mixing and improve their fine motor skills.
2. Finding Treasure Inside Ice Blocks
Who says water play can't involve ice? Try filling a large plastic tub with water, throwing in a few waterproof toys, then popping in the freezer. Once it's frozen solid, set up a table with pitchers of warm water, tubs of salt, and plenty of pouring/digging tools. Then show your kids how to melt the ice using salt, warm water, and their tools. This is a great way to keep kids occupied for a longer period of time, and they'll have a great sense of achievement when they finally free their toys from the ice. For an even cooler effect, add a few drops of food colouring to your salt, and watch as kids are amazed by the pretty colours that are transferred to the ice.
3. Muddy Toy Car Wash
If you've got kids of your own, you'll know how much they love helping out with splashy, messy tasks like washing the car. If you don't want to let your preschoolers loose on a real car, this muddy toy car wash is a great compromise. Create plenty of mud by mixing soil, sand and water in a large tub. Then let your kids enjoy driving the cars through the mud until they're covered. Set up your car wash table with lots of warm soapy water, sponges, brushes and rags, and let everyone have fun getting their cars squeaky clean again.
Want to add some excitement to water play at your child care centre? Try these fun, unique ideas.
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