News And Events

Fun Ideas: Water Activities

Our Educators/Nannies are receiving a multipurpose water tray with some inspirational ideas on floating and sinking activities. Small water play provides opportunities for exploration, discussion, testing theories, practising fine motor skills, and having fun alongside others!

Here’s some fun water play activities for children/tamariki of all ages:

Infants

Bath time provides a relaxing way to feel comfortable around water; infants who are crawling/walking and sitting can enjoy shallow water in a paddling pool with measuring cups, funnels and small bowls; provide small shallow trays of water for dipping feet and hands; small bowls of water with sponges or soft brushes.

Toddlers

Set up a small water station on a sturdy low bench or on the ground with different sized bowls and measuring cups and add some herbs for a sensory experience; bucket of water with large paint brushes to ‘paint’ the fence or concrete; put water in recyclable sauce bottles to squirt; water the vegetable garden using hand-held small watering cans; make large ice cubes with flowers or craft items inside and place them in a bowl to melt to reveal the treasure.

Young Children

Water play can become more physical such as running under a sprinkler; make ice cubes and add in some foliage – freeze then observe them melting; put water into small spray bottles to create splatter patterns; create a paper boat to float in a tray of water or the bathtub; create bubble artwork - use a straw to blow bubbles in a bowl of water, few drops of washing up liquid and dye – once bubbles rise over the bowl place a piece of plain paper over the top to capture a bubble pattern.

The goals, strands and learning outcomes from Te Whāriki for water play include:

Belonging: Connecting links with the family and the wider world are affirmed and extended - Making connections between people, places and things in their world | te waihanga hononga. They know that they have a place - Taking part in caring for this place | te manaaki i te taiao

Exploration: They learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning - Using a range of strategies for reasoning and problem solving | te hīraurau hopanga. They develop working theories for making sense of the natural, social, physical and material worlds - Making sense of their worlds by generating and refining working theories | te rangahau me te mātauranga