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Korikori Wai - Water Play

Water play can provide a fun and exciting, or a relaxing and soothing, sensory experience for tamariki. Children can engage individually or as part of a group, participating as they feel comfortable.

As Summer continues, water play activities can be contained within a small trough or bucket, or more physical experiences with water might be having a sprinkler going in the backyard with children running underneath to cool off.

A small trough of water can be calming for children to swirl with their hands, and by adding just a few small accessories such as measuring cups or sponges, can enhance the sensory experience and support learning about mathematical and scientific concepts. Small water activities can be relaxing and soothing for children as they might choose to engage individually rather than as a larger group. Quiet water activities enable children to use their fine motor skills, such as hand-eye co-ordination, and strengthen their pincer grip as they use the small cups to scoop and measure water.

Having a more physical water activity such as a sprinkler, water slide, or “water wall” enable children to engage their physical skills to participate. Using gross motor skills, children can run, jump or hop in, around, over or under the water. This type of activity often enables a group of children to engage and therefore social interactions and awareness of others is also promoted.

To enjoy water play outdoors, don’t forget to check if there’s any water restrictions in your area, and practise sun safety.