Here are ten simple water play ideas that you could try with your children.
Ten ideas for simple play with water
Water is one of the most simple sensory play materials, easy to set up, easy to clean up, and lots of fun for children to explore.
Take your pick from these ten water play ideas.
Water painting
A simple bucket of water is a super sensory tub – very young children need nothing more. But add some paint brushes or paint rollers and you can create some water paintings. Explore some wet-on-wet water painting or these easy watercolour techniques.
Bubble play
Add some washing up liquid, offer up a whisk, and see how many lovely bubbles you can mix up.
Super sensory tubs
To add some extra sensory elements: drop in some food colouring to your water bucket or bath tub. Sprinkle in some spices such as cinnamon or ginger. Shake in a little glitter. Add some flowers. Use herbs.
Sail boats
Make a little boat out of junk bits and pieces and go for a sail.
Measuring volume
Offer some measuring jugs, funnels and containers and explore volume and dimension.
Tea party play
Add a teapot, cups and saucers for some role play afternoon tea.
Super sensory bath time
Set up a super sensory bath time, and bring some songs along: Row, row, row your boat, Five little ducks, Thou shall have a fishy…
Water small world play
Turn your water tub into a small world: add shells, pebbles and pretend fish to make a rock pool or an ocean. Or add frogs to make a pond.
Wonderful washing up
Let your children do the washing up!
Car wash
Set up a car wash for your all your toy vehicles.
The ultimate guide to sensory play!
If your child loves sensory play, you need a copy of this! Super Sensory Invitations to Play is a delightful resource that encourages your children to explore the five senses through the year, using a wide variety of sensory materials. It includes 52 invitations to play, linked to the festivals and seasons of the year, and including water, ice, dough, rice, paints, sand, sensory tubs, and more.
They are easy, simple, and fun ideas that you can use right now to give a multi-sensory boost to your play and learning. It comes with a printable recipe book featuring all our favourite recipes for play. Get yours here!
Screen-free activities for children
Keep kids entertained and learning! Follow our 20 day+ of at-home, screen free activities for children here.
We did coloured water play today. Different coloured clear type cups with different coloured water in them. We enjoyed seeing what colours the water changed to when poured into each cup, I.e blue water poured into a green cup, then poured into a yellow cup. This was set up around a washing up bowl in the middle & then all the colours ended up in the washing up bowl with bubbles & toys to play with. 🙂 x
Fantastic Kate. I love how you added in the colour mixing element to the play.
I’m excited to read these upcoming posts with play-based learning ideas. I read the post too late in the day to try water-play today, but I’ll give it a go tomorrow. I’m interested in the wet on wet watercolors and the glitter bubbles.
Yes, join in any time Dallas. Hope you’ll share some photos with us too ~ Cathy
Thanks! We finally got to try a couple of the activities and had a blast with the glitter bubbles. I wrote about it on my blog here: https://forthejourney.net/2014/01/water-play
Heading over to visit you now Dallas!
Thanks for the inspiration, although I hadn’t planned to follow the plan to the letter, my daughter (2y5m) has gone off bath time.
Your blog inspired me to re vamp it, we had coloured ice cubes (ice bergs) and some different containers and spoons. I even went to the trouble to make it a calm environment with low lighting and a few candles! She (and I) loved it and was in for an hour and even then we had a few tears when it was time to get out!!
Thanks again, without reading this I wouldn’t have considered anything new and we’d of had another dull/quick bath!
Thanks for the inspiration, my daughter (2y5m) has gone off bath time.
Your blog inspired me to re vamp it, we had coloured ice cubes (ice bergs) and some different containers and spoons. I even went to the trouble to make it a calm environment with low lighting and a few candles! She (and I) loved it and was in for an hour and even then we had a few tears when it was time to get out!!
Thanks again, without reading this I wouldn’t have considered anything new and we’d of had another dull/quick bath!
That’s fantastic Lucy. I’m so happy you joined in and it’s had such a positive effect for you. Hope you’ll keep playing along this month ~ Cathy
Thanks for the funtastic ideas! We tried whisking to create bubbles. My LO decided to use her hands as a whisk and had so much fun .
Loved the idea of whisking up bubbles. Doofy loves them and likes “woodging” the bath to make more when he is in there. On the next nice day I will let him loose with the hand whisk!
We did human bubbles. Using a massive hulla hoop.
It took long to start up but turned out great. The children really enjoyed 🙂
Sounds amazing!