Tomorrow (Wednesday, June 20th) is the official first day of summer! I don’t know about you, but when I think summertime on the preschool playground, I think that it’s time for some serious water play!
Below are some water play activities I have done in the past and some others I would love to try:
1. Sponge Relay Race
Have a relay race where you use sponges to carry water from a full bucket of water to an empty bucket.
2. Sprinkler
You can’t beat running through a sprinkler on a hot day.
3. Mud Pie Kitchen
Mix up the dirt, water, leaves, bark, and whatever else you can find. It’s time for some delicious mud pies!
4. Ice Experiments
Try freezing some small toys inside of ice blocks/cubes and then do experiments to discover how to get them out.
5. Water Painting
Take paint brushes and a bucket of water outside and the children can “paint” the climber, swings, sidewalk, etc.
6. Soapy Slip ‘n Slide
Place a tarp over a smooth surface on your preschool playground. Add some hand soap and spray the tarp with water. I promise, this is a fun one!
7. Dribble Castles and Sand Castles
Use water mixed with sand to have a “day at the beach.”
8. Hula Hoop Bubbles
Put soapy water in a small kiddie pool. Have a child stand in the pool and use a hula hoop as a bubble wand to raise a bubble around the child.
9. Water Experiment
Sprinkle pepper on top of a dish of water and dip your finger in. Then try dipping your finger in soap before touching the pepper. What happened?
10. Color Mixing
Fill ice cube trays up half way. Add a few drops of food coloring to some of the cubes. Provide droppers and mix away!
11. Homemade Watering Cans
Use a half gallon milk jug with holes punched in the lid to water the flowers.
12. Queen Anne’s Lace
Pick some flowers and put them in a vase. Add a few drops of food coloring into the water and the flowers will absorb the color.
To see some of our preschool play equipment for water play, check out our Water Tables, Creek, and Water Log Troughs.
