Free Summer Playtime with Water

It’s hot outside this summer, so let’s cool off (and learn!) with water. You don’t need a trip to a lake to allow your mobile infants and toddlers to splash about outside using small plastic bowls or kid-size buckets of water. PBS Kids for Parents (pbs.org/parents) reports that kids engage their creativity, sensory skills and problem-solving skills when they splash, pourand drop things in water. 

Let your toddlers play scientist by filling a kid-size plastic bucket or bowl with water on the porch, sidewalk or in the yard. Let them add whatever they find – sticks, grass, leaves – to mix in to create their own scientific experiment. What happens? Does the water change color? 

By supervising outside play with water, you become a parent-teacher by encouraging your child to experiment, discover and talk about their creations.

Help your toddlers learn about how water cleans objects. With a drop of nontoxic dish soap, water and a sponge, toddlers can have a toy car wash or any-toy wash. Add in a math lesson by helping very young children count what they have cleaned and dried with an old rag. Splash time outside will temporarily cool off kids and parents during hot months ahead.