I’m so excited to bring you a fun summer play activity that comes from my friend Erin, owner of LovePeaceBeauty.com. She has a plethora of creative things to do with your kids at home, and today she’s sharing her water table play ideas with us.
Summer is here and it’s the perfect time to get creative outdoors! This year, I finally indulged and bought a water table for my boys and I have no regrets! I will say, we have spent previous summers filling various buckets or plastic tubs with water and that works as well for the following water play ideas!
So if you’ve considered buying a water table, I definitely recommend it! We’ve only used it for water so far but I plan to use it for other sensory play ideas in the future. It is durable and provides so much imaginative play. There are also many opportunities for integrating learning. Recently, we talked about the different objects that sink and float…super fun!
Our water table came with a few toys but I’ve been brainstorming water table play ideas to keep my little guys entertained for a little bit longer.
Here’s the creative water table play ideas we’ve tried:
Reusable Ice Cubes
The plastic ice cubes can be used again and again and come in fun shapes are just perfect to plop in the water. They are cold and give kids an assortment of objects to shuffle about in the water.
Sponges
Squishy, squishy and fun! My boys squish the water into the buckets and sometimes scrub the outside of the house. They are perfect for those tactile sensory seekers like my toddler.
Paintbrushes
Similar to the sponge concept, my boys like to dip the paintbrush into the water and paint the driveway or the house. I picked up our paintbrushes at the dollar store and they’re good for rainy days as well!
Bath Loofah Sponges
I found a package of 4 bath loofah sponges for $1 at our local dollar store. These are great to toss in to keep water table play new and exciting. They are fun to squish and throw around.
Measuring Cups
The novelty of measuring cups amazes me! Such a simple water play tool that comes straight from the kitchen but provides a lot of entertainment as kids measure, pour, and get creative with the water.
Water Toys
Of course, toys designed for the pool or bath are also fun. We’ve ended up with just an assortment of objects and the boys especially like some of the most simple ideas like a shovel and bucket to transfer the water back and forth.
I hope these ideas inspire you to get outside and integrate water play into your summer fun!
Erin is a wife, boy mom times two, and elementary teacher turned stay-at-home mom. She is the creative behind the parenting and lifestyle blog, Love Peace Beauty where she strives to create a positive community for mothers. She can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Pinterest.