| There are so many things your baby or toddler | | | | corks) |
| can learn through water play. And it is so | | | | |
| easy, no need to spend lots of money on toys | | | | What's developing and improving: hand-eye |
| and they'll be playing for hours. | | | | coordination, muscle tone, fine motor skills, |
| | | | counting skills |
| Some useful things you might need are | | | | |
| | | | - fill up different-size containers with |
| - different size pots and pans OR/AND | | | | water to different levels and pour the water |
| | | | out into other containers through funnels. I |
| - tubs you use for hand washing clothes | | | | would often use glass jars of different sizes |
| | | | and put them inside large pots so that water |
| - containers of different size and shape | | | | wouldn't spill all over the table when my son |
| | | | was pouring it out. IF YOU ARE USING GLASS |
| - funnels | | | | JARS TAKE GREAT CARE AND NEVER LEAVE THE |
| | | | CHILD AT THE TABLE UNATTENDED! |
| - scoops (use big plastic serving spoons. in | | | | |
| fact, many kitchen utensils often come handy | | | | - take 2 large pots, leave one empty and fill |
| in child's play) | | | | the other one with water. place several |
| | | | smaller plastic containers or glass jars |
| - wine corks (they float and the collecting | | | | inside the empty pot. The child can either |
| process can be quite enjoyable for the | | | | use a small plastic container, a scoop, a |
| parents) | | | | serving spoon or even a syringe to fill the |
| | | | empty jars and containers with the water from |
| - plastic syringe, small water pistol or an | | | | the large pot. |
| empty shampoo bottle | | | | |
| | | | - add some color to the water with food |
| - food coloring liquids of different colors | | | | coloring and learn colors while you are |
| (you can buy them in a baking section of your | | | | playing. They will also be learning how fun |
| supermarket) | | | | and interesting it is to mix colors. Stick to |
| | | | only a few colors and try to select primary |
| - tongs (try to find ones covered with | | | | colors such as Green, Red and Blue. Kids get |
| plastic or rubber as the metal ones can be | | | | confused very easily if you try to teach them |
| quite sharp) | | | | too many colors at the same time. |
| | | | |
| Obviously, water will be splashed, otherwise | | | | What we are learning: volumes, concept of |
| it wouldn't be so much fun! So, choose the | | | | empty/full, colors, color mixing. |
| area of play carefully. When my son was a | | | | |
| baby we did this sort of play either on our | | | | Imaginative play |
| balcony on hot days or in the bath tub. No | | | | |
| need to fill the bath with water, just place | | | | - one of my son's favorite games during bath |
| all the playing materials into the tub, strip | | | | time was "Rescue". We would use small dolls, |
| to a nappy and a t-shirt and play away. You | | | | rubber animals and toy soldiers and if they |
| can even climb into the bathtub with your | | | | fell into the water we would Rescue them by |
| little one if the tub is big enough, try it, | | | | putting them back safely into the toy boats |
| it's fun! | | | | and ships.other things you can do pretend |
| | | | playing with water: |
| Once my son got a little older we would play | | | | |
| with water using large pots and containers | | | | - play "fishing" in the tub (make a fishing |
| placed on a table and I would just cover the | | | | rod out of a small and smooth tree branch, |
| floor under the table with a large plastic | | | | thick knitting needle or even a pencil and |
| tablecloth. | | | | some rope) |
| | | | |
| Some of the things you can do (please don't | | | | - giving dolls a bath, washing their hair |
| limit yourself to any lists, use your | | | | |
| imagination) | | | | - washing the dishes |
| | | | |
| - "fish out" wine corks (or other floating | | | | - etc. imitate anything that mum does around |
| objects) with a scoop, tongs or just fingers | | | | the house or help mum for real. you can give |
| | | | the child a clean sponge or a mop with a |
| - try counting them out loud when you place | | | | short handle. |
| them into a container | | | | |
| | | | - in the bath pretend it's raining while you |
| - fill up and squirt water with a plastic | | | | pour water through a strainer |
| syringe, try aiming at some light objects | | | | |
| that could fall when you get them, like toy | | | | So go on, start splashing - water can be fun |
| soldiers or cars (or even those useful wine | | | | all year around! |