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23 Easy & Fun Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

water play for toddlers

  • Outdoor Activities for Kids
  • Activities for toddlers
  • Activities for Preschoolers
  • Play based learning  
  • Sensory bins
  • Dramatic play ideas
  • Baby painting ideas
  • Benefits of messy play
  • Counting activities for toddlers and preschoolers

water play activities for toddlers and preschoolers

Easy Water Play Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

fun water play for kids

5 Little Ducks Activity

water play for toddlers - 5 little ducks

Sponge Water Bombs

water activities for kids - diy water bombs

Fish Ice Play

ice water play for kids

Lemon Sensory Bin

lemon water play sensory bin for preschoolers

Muddy Animal Water Play Activity

Muddy animal water play for toddlers and preschoolers

Colour Mixing Water Play

Colour mixing water play activity for toddlers and preschoolers.

More Fun Water Play Activities for Kids

water activities for toddlers and preschoolers

Pom-Pom Squeeze Water Play

fun water play for toddlers - pom pom squeeze water activity

Sensory Soup

fun water play for toddlers

Alphabet Slap

alphabet water play activity

Water Play Activity to Strengthen Fine Motor Skills

fine motor water play activity for toddlers and preschoolers

Washing Dishes Sensory Bin

washing dishes sensory bin water activity for toddlers

Water Transfer

water transfer STEM activity for toddlers and preschoolers

Summer Sensory Bin

lemon summer water play for toddlers

Glowing Galaxy Water Bin

glowing galaxy water sensory bin for toddlers and preschoolers

Feed the Ducks Sensory Bin

duck sensory bin water activities for kids

Ocean Sensory Bin

ocean sensory bin water activities for toddlers and preschoolers

Colour Sorting Water Bin

colour sorting water activity for toddlers

Water Balloon Tennis

water balloon tennis water activity for kids

Summer Flower Sensory Bin

summer flower water play for toddlers

Red, White, and Blue Sensory Bin

red white and blue pool noodle water play for toddlers and preschoolers

Sink and Float Activity

sink and float water play activity for preschoolers and toddlers

Foam Blocks and Water

foam blocks and water activity for preschoolers

Water Balloon Piñata

water balloon pinatas water activities for kids

Water Xylophone

water xylophone water activity for preschoolers

Vegetable Soup Water Play

vegetable soup water play for toddlers

Ice Block Shark Hunt

Ice block shark hunt ice play and water play for preschoolers.

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23 Exciting Water Activities for Preschoolers

March 14, 2022 //  by  Brittney Hallmark

Water play is a great pastime for preschoolers to explore, create, and enjoy! Water play can happen year-round, with a variety of preschool water activities to use to keep your little ones busy!

These are 23 of our favorite water activities for you to try with your preschooler! Whether learning, practicing motor skills, or just having fun, these will quickly become some of your favorite preschool water activities!

1. Pouring Station 

Simple and easy, this homemade pouring station is a fun way to get hands-on with water play indoors or outdoors. This is a great way for preschoolers to experiment with water and work on hand-eye coordination through pouring from one container to another. Just a tub of water and some random containers can pair together to provide tons of fun!

Learn more: Busy Toddler

2. Water Wall

Another fun water activity for a steamy summer day is the water wall! This activity would be ideal for a bored toddler or preschooler. Making a homemade water wall is quick and easy and only requires household items and water. Preschoolers will enjoy watching the paths the water makes down the water wall.

Learn more: Happy Hooligans

3. Floating Boats 

Floating boats are fun ideas for indoor play! This science activity is a fun way to let preschoolers build their own boat out of marshmallow peeps or sponges and toothpicks and paper. You could bring out other items to try to determine if the boats sink or float in containers of water.

Learn more: Make and Takes

4. Fishing in a Pool

Hot summer days are great for outdoor water play! Add cold water to a kiddie pool and let your little one practice catching floating foam fish with a small net. This is definitely preschooler and toddler approved and can provide lots of fun for them as they splash and play. But beware, they may have a water fit and not want to get out!

Learn more: I Can Teach My Child

5. Water Bead Sensory Bins

Water beads are all the rage right now! Little ones love touching these little gel beads and feeling them move in their hands. Fill a tub with these water beads and add objects that will help with fine motor practice, like spoons or strainers. Children will enjoy moving these water beads around and feeling them squish against their skin. This is a fun and simple water activity for preschoolers!

Learn more: One Lovely Life

6. Pom Pom Scoop

Little ones will enjoy this activity and will be provided with several learning skills. They can practice color recognition skills, fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination. Super simple to set up for parents and teachers is a big bonus too! Just get a bin and fill it with water, dump in some colorful pom-poms and hand them a spoon to scoop up pom-poms. Add the element of counting in by having them use the number on paper cups to add that same number of pom poms that they scoop up.

Learn more: Happy Toddler Playtime

7. Muddy Car Wash

Let little ones engage in realistic play by setting up a muddy car wash. Let them muddy the cars and play in the dirt and then take the cars for a spin through the car wash. Kids will enjoy using soapy water to clean the cars.

8. Colored Water Experiments

Adding food coloring to containers of water gives the containers of water a new color and allows for lots of fun when mixed or observed by children. They can use the colors to mix them to create new colors.

9. Water Balloon Math

Water balloon math can be great for kids of all ages. You can use different operations to create math facts and let students practice. They could write the facts after they solve!

Learn more: Virtual Book Clubs for Kids

10. Water Gun Painting

This water activity is fun for kids of all ages! Fill the water guns with water and squirt watercolor paintings or fill the water guns with paint. Either way, you'll end up with colorful artwork and tons of fun!

11. Ice Boats

Ice boats are fun and easy to make! Some ice cubes, straws, and paper are all you need to build your boats. Children could track how long they float and see how fast they can melt them!

12. Rainbow Water Xylophone

This STEM activity is always a big hit! Students will enjoy watching the colors and playing sounds on the glass jars. They can even make their own songs. Students could even add the food coloring to the water to tint the shades.

Learn more: Mama, Papa, Bubba

13. Pool Noodle Water Wall

Pool noodles are great for the pool, but they are great for a water wall too! You could cut the noodles or leave them their original length and have them twist and turn down the wall. Kids will have fun using funnels to pour water down the water wall and catch it in a container.

Learn more: Teaching Mama

14. Rainbow Bubbles

Soapy water plus a little food coloring make for some magical rainbow colors! Students can play in the suds and blow the colorful bubbles! Different sizes and shapes of bubble wands will add to the excitement of rainbow bubbles!

Learn more: Gift of Curiosity

15. Phonics Water Balloons

Water balloons can make all studying and learning a little more fun! Use them to build CVC words and have students practice blending. You could also do water balloon tosses to see if they can read and hit the words.

Learn more: Mess for Less

16. Pumpkin Washing Station 

The pumpkin washing station is fun and practical. Letting students practice using brushes and watering cans to clean objects like pumpkins. You could substitute other items for the pumpkins. This could be done indoors or outdoors in a sink or a container.

17. Sponge Water Bombs 

Water sponge bombs are fun alone or for a group of little ones! They can squeeze the water bombs and transfer water or have a water sponge bomb playtime. Preschoolers could even help make these little water sponge bombs.

Learn more: Messy Little Monster

18. Water Balloons 

Water balloons are fun for learning but fun for playing too. Water balloon fights are fun, safe, cheap, and easy. Let little ones help make the water balloons and get a little extra fine motor practice as well.

Learn more: Artsy Momma

19. Feed the Ducks Sensory Bin

Feed-the-Ducks-Sensory-bin-2.jpg

Rubber ducks are always a hit when there is water. Add them to the bath or add them to this sensory bin ! Practice catching items to transfer or pretending to feed the ducks are good fine motor skills for practice. Students can also count the ducks.

Learn more: Toot's Mom is Tired

20. Water Transfer Pipettes 

Water transfer is a fun and easy activity but try this twist: do it with different tools! Try using a pipette or a turkey baster. Fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination will get good practice as well. Students can also count the drops!

Learn more: Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

21. Pencil Water Bag Experiment

Fill a gallon size bag with water and do this pencil experiment. Push pencils through and let students see that the bag won't leak. This is a fun experiment that will get students thinking, wondering, and asking more questions as their curiosity sparks.

Learn more: Paging Fun Mums

22. The Shapes of Water

Water transfer is fun but using different shaped containers will add a different dimension to their thinking. You could add food coloring to the water to help them distinguish the visuals better!

Learn more: Stir the Wonder

23. Sink or Float

Making a sink or float bin will help students learn to make predictions test out their hypothesis, and they could even document it through an observation journal. Let students pick which items they want to test or have them collect items from nature.

Learn more: Laughing Kids Learn

Busy Blooming Joy

55 Fun Easy Water Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

  • Last Updated: November 7, 2023

By Audra Smith

Water play is a staple of early childhood learning. Children are able to gain and learn so much new knowledge and further develop their skills by exploring water play scenarios.

Of course, they don’t even realize that they’re actively learning, they’re just enjoying.

If I’m ever in a fix to keep my little ones (or bigger ones) busy on a hot summer day or need a fun activity outside, I immediately reach for the tap or hose!  Included are some of our favorite water activities for toddlers we’ve enjoyed many, many times.

Many of which can be done inside too – yup, toddler water play activities can be done indoors too, without too much loss of sanity…

They often save the day with my super inquisitive toddler – who has zero interest in sitting still to craft ! Set him up at the sink and he’ll play all afternoon.

So if you’re wondering how to facilitate engaging w ater activities for toddlers indoors and out, we’ve got you covered in this post.

benefits of water activities for toddlers

Table of Contents

How do you make water play interesting for toddlers?

In order to make water play more interesting and appealing to toddlers, include a few different tools or items of interest each time.  Try different container shapes and sizes to scoop and pour with, include bath toys, spray or squirt bottles, items from nature or paint brushes.

You can also provide a variety of colorful items to keep your toddler visually engaged or add drops of food coloring. A variety of different textures adds interest too, since toddlers crave tactile sensory play .

Water itself is inherently interesting to toddlers, you won’t need to try hard to keep their attention.  Simply focus on ways to enhance and extend this natural curiosity in the water activities for toddlers that you facilitate.

water play activities for toddlers

The Benefits of Water Play Activities For Toddlers

There are many developmental benefits to water play activities for toddlers. These span many areas of their growth and development, including, but not limited:

  • Fine and gross motor skills: as children grasp and manipulate materials and tools
  • Increased concentration: Water play lengthens a child’s attention span as they work to accomplish the objectives of their play
  • Cognitive concepts: Water play deepens their cognitive reasoning skills as they observe concepts such as cause-and-effect and problem-solving in action
  • Imaginative play: Playing with water gives them the opportunity to use and develop their imagination
  • Sensory expression: Children can learn to gather new information through their senses
  • Language development: Water play presents many opportunities to make observations, ask questions, and share insights with peers and caregivers

Water Play Activities For Babies & Young Toddlers

Water play activities are beneficial for children of all ages…yes, even infants and young toddlers. Water provides a unique sensory experience and is easily accessible for young children, too.

These water play activities for babies will give you a good starting place for ideas and are suitable for outside or indoors.

water play activities using soap

1. Soap Foam Sensory Bin

For this soap foam sensory bin , you will need flavored drink crystals like Koolaid (alternatively use food coloring or dye), dish soap, water and a blender.  Plus a large sensoroy bin and kitchen tools once you’ve made the foam.

To create the soap foam, first mix together dish soap and water in a ratio of 1:2.  Add in the drink crystals or food coloring, then blend.

Pour your soap foam into the storage bin and make another blenderful and carry on until you have as much as you need. 1 cup dish soap should make enough. 

Now provide your baby or toddler with kitchen utensils and other tools such as paintbrushes to extend their fun. 

water sensory bin with balls and cups

2. Balls and Cups Water Activity

This balls and cups water play activity for babies is as easy as it sounds and looks! Use balls and cups of various sizes, textures, and colors, and toss them in a large storage bin filled with water.  Set up for hits

If your baby is able to sit unassisted, you could place them in the bin too.  Or why not try it in the bath? Just keep them at arms length.

Your little one will love exploring their very own sensory baby pool!

frozen animal ice cube sensory bin

3. Animal Ice Cube Rescue

For this animal ice cube rescue bin , you need to freeze animal figurines and toys into ice cubes or blocks ahead of time. Then, when it’s time to play add them to a tray or bin.

You could use food coloring to make the ice cubes more appealing to your toddler as pictured above.

To extend the fun, add eyedroppers of warm water to the ice cubes to help them melt faster.

You could also include Disney toy figurines or other small toys for your child to rescue (or simply play with).

This fun water activity for toddlers works on problem-solving skills, fine motor skill development, and the ability to harness perseverance.

lemon water play activities for babies

4. Lemon Water Play

Let your baby or young toddler explore lemon slices with their five senses–yes, including taste!

I thought my 1 year old would hate the sour taste of lemon, or at least make that classic pucker face. Boy, was I wrong! She LOVED lemon and still does to this day.

You may be surprised by your child’s reaction to it, and it’ll be so fun to watch. Cameras at the ready…

To set up a lemon water play activity, simply add a small amount of water to a tray or baking sheet along with some lemon and lime slices.

This is a particularly good indoor water play activity as it needs very little water.  This also means it’s ideal for babies and younger children as there are no water safety concerns.  

For older toddlers, you can use a full bin of water with a variety of citrus slices and whole fruits for them to play with and explore. This is such a fun water play activity for toddlers of all ages and a great way to introduce new flavors into sensory play.

outdoor water activities for toddlers

5. Save the Ladybugs

Make ladybugs out of felt and draw on their spots or purchase ladybug figurines for this “ save the ladybugs” sensory bin . Simply add your ladybugs to water and provide a net, ladle, or tool of some kind for your toddler to rescue the ladybugs with…

My young toddlers adored this simple water activity!

To extend the fun for older toddlers, make a leafy “rescue hotel” for your ladubugs to recooperate in once out of the water.  You could draw leaves on a slab of acrylic, cardboard, or a dry-erase board or use some faux or real leaves.

water sensory play using sponge balls

6. Sponge Ball

Here’s another super simple water play activity for babies and toddlers that’ll enjoy time and time again.  Create some sponge balls for your child to explore the water with!

Squeezing and sqashing the sponge balls will help strengthen fingers and help develop the pincer grip . Of course, your toddler won’t even notice, they’ll be too busy having fun!

All you need are sponges and a string of some kind (elastic string works best), and scissors.  Then follow this sponge ball tutorial to cut the sponges up and tie them together to create the balls as pictured.

Once made these simple sponge balls will provide many hours of water play so are definitely worth the effort.  We always have a few floating around our house!

They’re also a fun alternative to a paintbrush, ideal for little hands to manipulate. Or use them inconjunction with finger painting . 

Doll Bath water activity for kids

7. Doll Bath

This has got to be one of the easiest water activities for babies and toddlers indoors. The bare minimum you need for this doll bath activity is a baby doll and a source of water. You can wash the baby in a sink, in the bathtub.  Or you can provide a bin or tub of water for the baby’s bath.

To increase the fun and add to the sensory experience, add some baby soap or bubble bath solution to the water.  My little girls love their babies and have always loved bathing them. An easy water activity for toddlers indoors or out that gives your child an outlet to express themselves through dramatic play.

Pumpkin Brushing and Washing activity for kids

8. Pumpkin Brushing and Washing

Here’s a simple water-themed fall activity . Or fall-themed water activity for toddlers – depending on which way you look at it!

To facilitate this pumpkin brushing and washing activity you need a pumpkin or two, a sponge or brush of some kind, plus a bin of soapy water. Then it’s time to wash and scrub!

Allow to dry, and then you can paint, turning this water activity into a simple fall craft .  My kiddos love to decorate the pumpkins by coloring them with sharpies or painting them with some washable tempera (or another non-toxic paint ) before washing it off and starting again…

This activity further develops your child’s understanding of cause-and-effect concepts and physically strengthens their grip and help develops their fine motor skills.

To extend the fun, use pumpkins of various sizes, gourds, or even squash. 

For more Fall inspired activities, try:

  • Cute Free Fall Handprint Craft Templates
  • 75 Not-so-spooky Halloween Activities For Toddlers
  • 25 Easy Fall Arts, Crafts & Sensory Activities for Toddlers

Bottle Cap Scooping outdoor water play ideas

9. Bottle Cap Scooping

Be sure to hang on to those bottle caps and applesauce pouch caps! We have a whole stash of them at my house for occasions just like this – bottle cap scooping is so simple yet so engaging.  Provide your child with a bin of water, and add the assorted bottle caps.

Make sure to use larger, plastic bottle caps and not metal, sharp ones. Bonus points if your bottle caps are of various colors and sizes.

This activity works on your child’s categorization skills, a pre-maths skills, as well as fine motor development.

Outdoor Water Activities For Toddlers

There are many water activities for toddlers that work well indoors aswell as outdoors.  There are also plenty that are best confined to outside!

Water can make quite a mess when a toddler is involved, or any child for that matte.  These are most definitely outdoor water activities for toddlers and are best executed in your backyard or garden.

10. Bubble snakes

My toddler and preschooler loved making bubble snakes – bit tricky for tiny tots as they do require quite a bit of puffing power.  However, they’ll be just as entertained by watching you make a snake or two. 

Here’s a quick how-to:

  • make bubble mixture – 1 part water to 1 part dish liquid
  • cut the end off a clean and empty plastic bottle and cover with a tight-fitting (preferably clean) sock 
  • dip the sock end of the bottle into the bubble mixture

You can also watch this video tutorial .

outdoor water activities for toddlers and big kids

11. Colorful Water Play

This colorful water play activity is an easy way to introduce color theory to your child as they experiment mixing different colors together.

Simply set up a table or two with lcups filled with water of different colors. There are a few easy ways to color water: liquid watercolors, food coloring, or tempera paint.

You could limit the colors to primary ones (red, yellow, blue) to help build their foundational color theory knowledge.  

Use cups that are easy to pour with, like pitcher cups and beakers. You could also supply eyedroppers and any other pouring tools or cups , just make sure everything is suitable for toddlers to use.

Sea Life water Sensory Bin activity

12. Sea Life Sensory Bin

This sea life sensory bin activity introduces your child to ocean animals in an easy-to-explore way. You will need a storage tub or deep activity tray for this activity, as well as ocean animal figurines, rocks, shells, and water to create your aquatic small world.

Add blue food coloring and/or ice cubes for a further sensory element.

13. Chalk Line Erase

This is one of the best outdoor water activities for toddlers and is hours of fun! You may be familiar with this one as it is’s one of our most popular from this list of easy outdoor activities .

All you need is chalk, paintbrushes, and water. Draw designs, shapes, and write simple words onto the driveway or outside verandah and provide your child with paintbrushes and a container of water for them to “erase” the lines with.

Older toddlers can help drawing the chalk designs on first too.

My kiddos absolutely love this simple outdoor water play activity – it’s perfecct for a warm sunny afternoon.  Even when the chalk lines are gone, will happily just “draw” with the paintbrush and water, watching it slowly disappear as the sun dries it up just to repeat the process again.

juice station fun activity for kids

14. Juice Station

This juice station is an outlet for exploring scientific concepts as well as an engaging dramatic water play activity ideal for kindergarten. Toddlers will love serving their little friends juice!

Fill plastic pitchers with colored water, citrus slices and ice cubes (frozen in different colors if you’re supper organized!). Color the water with food coloring so they can drink it if they want. (You can use juice but you may end up with a big sticky mess…) 

Then add various cups, stirring sticks and maybe some straws to complete the juice station. 

This outdoor water activity for toddlers is a fun one for you to engage in with your child. Let them serve you some “juice” for once!

Glitter Ice Water Play for little kids

15. Glitter Ice Water Play

Make your own beautiful glitter ice cubes to play with!

This glitter ice water play activity is a two-in-one: not only will your child enjoy playing with the ice cubes and watching them melt away into a glittery pool, they can also get involved in the creation process.

You need an ice cube tray or two (easily found at the dollar store), glitter or glitter glue, water, and a tub.

Make up your glittery solution, then pour into the trays and allow to freeze overnight.  Once frozen, pop them out of the tray and add them to the bin.

You can add water to the bin and watch them float around, adding warm water to speed up the process.  Or place paper or cardstock under them in the bin and see what glittery patterns they make as they melt.  

Dinosaur or Animal Washing Activity

16. Dinosaur Washing Activity

Every toddler loves a good dino activity ! And here’s a water play idea to add to the list.  For the simple dinosaur washing activity pictured, add toy dinosaurs to a large tub filled with water, along with brushes, and dish soap.

You could dirty up the dinosaurs first so they need a really good scrub. Or facilitate a painting activity first and make dinosaur tracks by painting their feet and stomping over some paper. Then wash off all the paint by ending with the dinosaur washing.  

For more sensory play with a dino theme, try these dinosaur sensory activities .

ice smash outdoor activity for kids

17. Ice Smash

Children of any age will enjoy smashing ice with toy hammers! Simply empty a large back of ice cubes onto the ground outdoors or in a tub and provide your child with a safe means of breaking up the ice into smaller chunks.

Then let them go to town on it.

This activity strengthens your child’s gross motor skills, and works to develop their understanding and ability of problem-solving.

Physical Water Activities For Toddlers

Young kids need to run around to burn off energy as well as practice their gross motor skills . Here are some easy and fun water activities for toddlers with a physical element, best done outside!

18. Water balloon pinata

It takes an awfully long time to fill water balloons and mere seconds for them to be destroyed!  To extend their lifetime and therefore play time try a water balloon pinata.

Simply hang your filled balloons somewhere high, like from the washing line or from a tree branch. Make sure it’s far enough out of reach to make it a challenge to reach and break them.

You can also add in some rules to extend the fun, supplying only one type of object to break the balloons with and not allowing chairs.

This is such fun outdoor water activity for toddlers on hot summer days – when the balloon breaks they’ll get a good soaking of cold water!  It will also be good for balance, hand-eye coordination and perseverence.

outdoor water activity for toddlers

19. Running With Water

A simple physical water activity and game for toddlers – transfer water from one bucket to the other set out either side of your yard, garden or play area.  Scoop up a cup of water from one bucket and race across to the other bucked and dump. Great fun to do individually or in teams.

20. Limbo Under The Water

A watery version of limbo, simply put the hosepipe, hold it up so your toddler can limbo underneath, or simply run if limboing is a bit too tricky.

A fun way to cool down when it’s hot – this one inevitably turns into a water fight in our house. Be prepared and dress appropriately!

21. Wash The Outdoor Furniture

Washing small toys is one thing, but larger items need bigger movements – your toddler will need to engage their large motor muscles. It can be really quite tiring for little people (and bigger ones) too! 

So if you’re looking for an engaging outdoor water activity for toddlers that wears them out and ticks a job of your to-do this one is must.

Spray bottles are perfect for the job – kids love using them and they’re great for strengthening hands and fingers.

(As does this simple twist-top board  or this  puffy paint spider web craft if you’re looking for more fine motor activities.)

Water Play Activities For Toddlers Indoors

Water play is such a versatile and open-ended type of play for children to learn and explore through. Often it’s best executed outdoors due to the mess, but this isn’t always the case. There are plenty of engaging, low-mess indoor water play activities for toddlers to explore.

Many are simple sensory bins with water as the filler.

Boat Sensory Bin activity for toddlers

22. Boat Sensory Bin

Here’s a fun outdoor or indoor water play activity for toddlers who will love helping with the set up of this amazing boat sensory bin , by making simple sailing boats.

You’ll need markers/crayons, paper and popsicle sticks for the sail, large empty lids for the hull and play dough to stick the two together.

Your toddler can help cut out and decorate the boats sail, then stick it onto the boat hull with the playdough. Then fill your sensory bin with water and your handmade boats and let your child enjoy playing with them.

A great one to take to bathtime too!

23. Water transfer with pipettes

Here’s another simple water activity that will help develop fine motor skills. Here your toddler will be working on their pincer grasp in preparation for holding a pencil.

The task is to transfer colored water from a large tub into upturned bottle lids.

Pipettes do take a bit of coordination to use. Try these ones from Learning Resources designed for young kids. Alternatively use teaspoons or small measuring scoops.

flower sensory play for little kids and babies

24. Flower Sensory Soup

For this flower sensory soup , you need water, flowers (fresh are ideal but artificial are fine to use as well), and kitchen utensils. Feel free to add some dish soap to create bubbles and enhance the sensory experience.

Using fresh flowers allows for a little more exploring. My kids love taking flowers apart given half the change, opening them up and pealing off the petals, leaves and all the other components.

You could also provide bowls or cups so your child can serve their “soup” – such fun dramatic play.

outdoor water play activities for kindergarten

25. Egg Water Play

This egg water play activity for toddlers is perfect for a warm spring day. You need two bins (or a sensory table like this one from Beright that accomodates two) plus plastic eggs, and various fine motor tools . The objective is to transfer eggs from one bin to the other, but leave your child explore all the materials however they see fit.

Things can get messy since the eggs and therefore water are being transferred from one bin to another, but if you’re feeling brave you could risk this one indoors.  

To extend your child’s curiosity, add eggs of various colors, sizes, and designs. 

If you want to add in some fun water play to the Easter season, this one’s a must.

For more sensory activities themed to the season, try these Easter activities for babies or these toddler Easter crafts .   

Pipe Cleaner Fishing Sensory Bin

26. ​​Pipe Cleaner Fishing Sensory Bin

This cute indoor water play activity targets fine motor skill development, perseverance, and builds intrinsic motivation: your toddler will love trying to cath their pipe cleaner fish!

For this ​​fishing sensory bin you need pipe cleaners and a popsicle stick or similar to act as your fishing rod.  Each fish is simply a single pipe cleaner bent into a loop, with a twist near the end to create the tail.

Once you’ve made the fish, put them in the bin filled with water and start fishing! 

27. Play with Ice Cubes in the Sink

This ice cube activity is as simple as it sounds! Simply provide your child with some ice cubes in a sink that’s easy for them to safely access and reach into.

If you want to extend their learning and lengthen the time of their exploration, you could freeze items like craft poms into the ice cubes ahead of time, or add food coloring to the water before it freezes.

glowing water play activities for kids

28. Glowing Sensory Bin

Glow sticks are certain to liven up any activity or experience, so why not try this vibrant and glowing sensory bin.   Take away the worry out of the dangers of glow sticks by using reusable light-up cubes .

You can keep this glow bin simple by just adding the light-up cubes to water, or add various tools to enhance the fun.

water activities for toddlers using foam pieces

29. Fun Foam Pieces

New and interesting textures are very exciting for toddlers so they’ll love get their hands on and exploring this fun foam pieces bin . Simply add pool noodles cut into sections and/or foam shapes to a large tub of water. 

fish bowl sensory activity

30. Fish Bowl

Here’s another fish-themed water activity for toddlers ideal for indoors. You need a plastic fish bowl or substitute with a clear plastic tupperware or bowl.  Then add some toy plastic or resin fish and your fishbowl water play activity  is all set up and ready to go.

Encourage your child to transfer the fish out of the fish bowl into cups or smaller bowls. If your kids are as curious as mine, you likely won’t have to do much encouraging!

This water play ideas is perfect for the early years as it can help little ones identify colors. As your child grabs each fish, tell them the color of fish to help them learn.  In time, you’ll be able to ask your toddler to grab all the red fish and place those ones in the red bowl and so on.  

Car Wash Sensory Bin

31. Car Wash Sensory Bin

To create this super cool car wash sensory bin , you will need a plastic bin or tub, toy cars (that can get wet), dish soap, a towel and some measuring cups and scoops.

You can facilitate this all in one large bin or a small bin with just a few cars. You could also do this at bathtime in the tub.

This is such a simple and engaging water activity for toddlers that you can do at any time of year with a wide rangs of ages!

For more easy activities involving cars, trucks, planes and trains, try these transportation crafts for little ones.

simple water play activity activity for toddlers

32. Packing Peanuts Water Play

Make sure to save those packing peanuts the next time you get something large in the mail. Packing peanuts slowly dissolve in water, so this is a really intriguing water activity for toddlers.

To set up the packing peanut sensory bin start by adding your packing peanuts to a dry sensory bin or tray.  In a smaller bin have some water, colored if you want and then encourage tour toddler to pour the water onto the packing peanuts with a ladle or measuring cup.

Then it’s time to watch what happens! Plenty of opportunity to observe and discuss what’s happening as the peanuts melt away…

A fun outdoor or indoor water play activity that will help develop concentration and fine motor skills as well as work on communication and language.

Vegetable Soup Sensory Bin

33. Vegetable Soup Sensory Bin

Time to make a healthy veggie soup! To set up this vegetable soup sensory bin , add various sliced vegetables such as cucumbers, carrots, broccoli, zucchini and so on, to your sensory bin.  Then provide kitchen tools and utensils such as a ladle and spoons along with bowls and cups.

To spark more curiosity within your child, slice up the various veggies into different shapes and sizes. Make sure the slices are safe and age-appropriate.

In this water play activity, your child will experiment with volume as they participate in scooping and pouring. But also encourage them to smell and taste the veggies! This is a great way to get them to try new foods – the more exposure the better. 

If you need any meal inspo, check out these easy toddler lunch ideas .

Cranberry Bog Sensory Bin

34. Cranberry Bog Sensory Bin

This adorable cranberry bog sensory bin will be especially exciting in the fall and winter months, but you could really do this any time of the year and substitute the fruit for whatever’s in season. 

Provide kitchen utensils like measuring cups, scoops, ladles and so on and let your toddler manever the cranberries around the bin for this delightful sensory activity.

Just watch little ones who like to put everything in their mouth as the cranberries could pose a choke hazard.

For more wintery, Christmassy activities, we’ve plenty more ideas:

  • 7 FREE Christmas Light Scavenger Printables
  • 55 Easy Christmas Crafts For Toddlers Age 2, 3 & 4
  • 25 Easy FAKE SNOW Sensory Play Activities for Kids
  • 10 {Free & Editable} Santa’s Nice List Certificates
  • 47 Easy Christmas ornaments To Make With Toddlers

water activities for toddlers indoors

35. Autumn Water Play

Cultivate the essence of fall in this exciting autumnal water play activity . Collect autumn or fall materials (artificial or real leaves, acorns, pine cones plus other materials in autumnal colors…) and chuck  them into a bin filled with water.

I’m going to have to try this one with my toddler this fall as we always come back with heaps of pine cones and fir cones on our walks.  I think I’ll add some gold or brown glitter to the water for an extra visual effect. Glitter finds its way into most of our activities!

ocean sensory bin activity

36. Ocean Sensory Bin

This ocean sensory bin is lovely for those that love the sea, or if you want to teach your little one about sealife. Add seashells, ocean animal toys, pom poms, pebbles, blue jewels and some greenery to your sensory bin, along with tongs and measuring cups. 

Then it’s time to play! Help your toddler learn and say the different animal names as they play with them in the water.

A simple indoor water play activity that has kept my toddler busy on multiple occasions.

easy DIY water sensory bin do to at home

37. DIY Water Sensory Bin

Create this DIY water sensory bin with bright and colorul things you already have at home.  Button, beads and craft pompoms are ideal – so this water activity is not for toddlers that like putting everything in their mouth….

However, if your toddler has passed this phase, this is your opportunity to utilize supplies, materials, and toys that you haven’t figured out how to use yet.

I clear out our craft closet regularly, allowing me to easily facilitate this fun water activity.  I get rid of random craft materials while providing my little ones with some engaging sensory learning. Everyone’s a winner!

Water Bead Color Sorting play for kids

38. Water Bead Color Sorting

This water bead color sorting activity is only suitable for toddlers that are past the age of putting everything in their mouth.  Even then, children need close supervision when playing with water beads.

The idea is to sort the beads by color.  You might have to lead the way at first. It’ll probably take them a few minutes to grasp the concept but once they do you’ll be amazed at what they’re capable of!

Color sorting is an incredible activity for a child’s cognitive development and works on their categorization ability, an important pre-maths skills. 

Water Play Activities For Kindergarten & Preschool

Water play is not only exciting for toddlers…bigger kids want in on it, too!

Kindergarteners and preschoolers have a longer attention span and increased ability to comprehend science and more complex activities. This openings up up many more possibilities for water play.

The water activities for toddlers for indoors and out listed so far will entertain those at kinderg arten and preschool.  But these ones are even more engaging.  Many also have a specific learning objective, e.g. letter or number recogntion, appropriate for this age. 

Skittles and Water Science Experiment

39. Skittles and Water Science Experiment

For this Skittles and water science experiment , you need a white plate (to best see the results), and Skittles or M&Ms, or something similar. Any brand will do!

Place Skittles around the outside of the plate in a circle, as pictured.  Feel free to put them in rainbow order or let your child choose a pattern and place them.

Slowly pour warm water into the middle of the plate. You’ll want to make sure to add enough water so that it touches every Skittle, but not so much that they become submerged. The goal is for the water to touch the edges of each Skittle.

Wait about 30 seconds and watch what happens!  Watch as the colors appear and run into the water and the Skittles seem to dissolve. The warmer the water is, the faster this will happen.

An intriguing water play activities for kindergarten with some simple science concepts to engage enquiring minds.

Alphabet Water Play Bin

40. Alphabet Soup Water Play Bin

To conduct this alphabet water play activity , you will need a bin or tray filled with water and colorful alphabet letters. Fridge magnets will do.

Provide a pouring cup of some kind and any other nets, scoopers, and tools to extend the fun.

My kids love to look for and take out the letters of their name and other basic sight words. This is a great opportunity to increase phonetic knowledge by sounding out each letter your preschooler picks out and handles. 

easy indoor water play activities

41. Sink Or Float

This sink or float experiment introduces your child to the significance and practice of making predictions, and the role that predictions play in the scientific process.

Arrange a few different items on the table, and have your child predict whether each item will sink or float once dropped in the water. Then, go through the group of items and test out whether or not they’re correct.  

Even with my now 6 year old, this is always a fun water activity! 

water play and color recognition activity for kids

42. Magic Shapes

This magic shapes activity is mesmerizing for kindergarteners and preschoolers! Cut out various shapes from paper towels, and have your child color the edges of each shape however they desire.

Once the shapes are colored, place them in a bin or tray with a small amount of water, and be amazed as you watch them float and exude their beautiful colors.

Ball Splash play for kids

43. Ball Splash

Fix a few short drain pipes or some PVC pipe around the sides of a sensory bin or water table to create this ball splash activity . Fill the table with water and ball pitt balls. 

Watch with pride as your child figures out how to send the balls through the pipes to splash them into the water!

Change up the height of the pipes and weight and/or size of the balls and discuss with your child what will happen and why.  This is a such a fun outdoor water play idea with plenty of opportunity to experiment with mechanics and other scientific concepts.

water bin activity with arctic animals

44. Arctic Sensory Bin

“A is for arctic” – this arctic sensory bin is the perfect water play idea for early years learning the letter A.

Simply grab some ice, arctic animal figurines, blue and green glass pebbles plus tools such as cups and scoops.

To extend the fun and learning, pair this activity with some books about arctic animals. Both nonfiction and fiction books will be helpful for your kindergartener, giving them a little knowledge to create their own dramatic play.

Dancing Grapes Experiment

45. Dancing Grapes Experiment

You will need grapes, a vase or tall glass, and seltzer water to conduct this dancing grapes experiment . In my experience, using smaller and more lightweight grape varieties works a lot better. No globe grapes for this activity!

Fill the vase 3/4th of the way full with seltzer water. Get the grapes ready by washing them and plucking them from the vine. Drop some grapes into the vase filled with seltzer water, and prepare to be amazed!

If you don’t have grapes, you can use raisins, corn, or any other lightweight fruit or food item. Remember if you want to give the grapes to the kids after the experiment to cut the grapes in half – they’re the number 1 choking hazard.

water activities for toddlers with Duplo Bricks

46. Water Play with Duplo Bricks

Young kids love playing with Duplo Bricks, Legos, or Mega Blocks so add water to their play and you have a simple and engaging water activity for toddlers and preschoolers.

That’s all there is to this Duplo Bricks water play activity! Your child will love building and playing with the slippery bricks and they can create all sorts of vehicles, animals and buildings specifically for the water.

Great for fine motor strength and building creativity.

For more activities designed for preschoolers, try:

  • 55 Fun Music And Movement Activities For Preschoolers
  • 15 I Like Myself Activities For Preschoolers {Free Worksheet}
  • 35 Simple Monkey Activities for Preschoolers
  • 55 Easy Dinosaur Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Montessori Water Activities For Toddlers

The Montessori approach to learning places an emphasis on self-motivation, natural materials, the development of practical skills, and so much more.

Hands-on learning through play is the cornerstone of Montessori, and these water activities for toddlers are sure to accomplish a majority of Montessori goals.

outdoor DIY wall water activity for kids

47. DIY Water Wall

This DIY water wall does require a little bit of work to create but preschoolers will spend hours playing with it. You need funnels, plastic pipes and a large pallat or fence on which to attach them.  Then supply the kids with pitchers, pouring cups and buckets.

The water wall pictured is just one way to construct your water wall.  To recreate it you’ll need funnels, plastic pipes and a large pallet. 

But the possibilities are endless!  Part of the fun and exploration is in the creation of the wall.  So see what materials you have to hand and involve your kids in the process to come up with your own unique design.

water color mixing activity for toddlers

48. Colorful Water Mixing

For this colorful water mixing activity, create a station where your child can be free to experiment with mixing different colored waters.  Provide a variety of different types of pipettes, allowing your child to practise and filling and emptying them. 

Such a fun water play idea for the early years that will helping to strengthen their pincer grip.

49. Water the Plants

Children love to be helpful and to have jobs and roles of their own. Watering the plants not only gives them their very own job they can do alone, but it can actually be helpful! It’s a win for everyone.

There are many child-size watering cans available to purchase or simply suppy them with a small cup or plastic pitcher from the kitchen.

Toddler can be useful! Washing up is an easy indoor water play activity

50. Wash the Dishes

Washing the dishes or other househould items is another way your child can learn to be helpful around the house while satisfying their inherent desire to engage in water play.

You can provide them with a step stool to reach your kitchen sink or you could simply provide them with a tub of soapy water and a few plastic dishes for them to wash up. 

51. Pouring Station

Set up a simple pouring station for your child to experiment and practice this important life skill.  Use a large shallow tray, like an under-the-bed storage bin. Then add an assortment of cups, ladles, toy watering cans and pitchers.

Then let your child experiment with pouring. This activity will strengthen their hand and wrist muscles which will ultimately improve their fine motor abilities and skills.

 This is another good one to take to bathtime – just ditch the tray. Otherwise it’s best done outside. This simple indoor or outdoor water play idea is a regular in our house – because it takes minutes to set up and has alway kept my toddlers busy.

52. Science & Art with Eye Droppers

There are so many engaging water activities for toddlers that involve pippettes or eye droppers. You can use them for simple art projects such as creating suncatchers: drop liquid watercolors on coffee filters or drop water onto a coffee filter colored with dots of sharpie (my family’s favorite).

You can also facilitate basic science activities with eye droppers like temperature exploration: melt ice cubes using eye droppers filled with warm water.

Playing with eye droppers works to develop your child’s cognitive skills and emotional regulation, specifically cause-and-effect concepts and patience/perseverance.

Carrot Fishing Game activity

53. Carrot Fishing Game

This carrot fishing game is one of the cutest water activities for toddlers indoors or outside. Carve fish out of carrots and place them in a bin or baby pool of some kind. Encourage your child to catch the fish with a net. They can catch and release or play with them however they see fit.

This activity works on developing your child’s concentration – it kept my toddlers busy a whole afternoon!

outdoor water play ideas

54. Natural Resource Sailboats

The Montessori approach tends to emphasize the use of natural resources and materials in play. In this sailboat activity , your toddler will use natural objects from outside (leaves, sticks, acorns, tree bark, and more) to create their own floating creation to play with in a bin of water.

Such a great water play activity for kindergarten as there are so many simple scientific concepts to explore and experiment with. 

I’ve found that going on a nature walk to collect materials is a fun precursor and a simple way to extend the activity.  The challenge of scavenging for things for a specific project really gets my lot motivated!

55. Playing in the Rain

This water activity for toddlers is as easy as it sounds. Simply put your kiddo’s rain gear on, and run outside to explore and play in the rain. Use a light sprinkler as the rain if you’re lucky enough to live in a country with long dry spells.

Provide watering cans, pitchers, cups, buckets etc for them to collect the rain water in.  Plus any other toys that would extend their fun. You’ll be amazed at the fun they create on their own!

What do toddlers learn through water play?

During water play, toddlers learn:

  • Self-expression through creativity
  • Cognitive concepts , such as cause-and-effect as they lift and pour water
  • Early mathematical concepts e.g spatial relationships and volume
  • Early science concepts including sink or float, motion and other basic water properties 

Tips To Make Indoor Water Activities Successful

There are a few measures you can take in order to make indoor water play more successful with your children. One of the most important things you can do is have a designated space for water play in your home.

Even better if you have a set water table that you use every time. You will want to make sure to do water play in a room with a water-safe floor, such as tile or laminate; you do not want to do water play over a carpeted space if you can avoid it!

Through experience, I’ve discovered that it helps to lay down a tarp under the water table or water play area for ease of cleanup and to protect your space.

Precautions To Take For Safe Water Play

Water is inherently dangerous as any parent will be aware, so there are a number of precautions when it comes to safe water play:

  • Supervise your toddler throughout the duration of play
  • Give developmentally appropriate tools and materials
  • Provide a safe amount of water for play depending on child age

sensory and water table ideas

Water Play Table Options

A play table designed for sensory activities and water play is not essential. You can use a large plastic tray, shallow oven dish or even a sauce pan or bucket will do. Then there’s your baby bath or regular tub.

However, if you enjoy facilitating sensory activities with your child and are always having to find something to use as a sensory bin, then a dedicated sensory table or water play table is a worthy investment. 

Lucky for us, there are options to satisfy every need.  

There are amazing water play tables available, check out the Best Sensory Bin Tables for our recommendations.

Have Fun With These Indoor & Outdoor Water Play Ideas!

Water play activities with a toddler may seem intimidating at first – trusting a young child with water can feel like an act of bravery (or stupidity?!) sometimes… But it’s worth it.

The benefits of water play for your child’s development and learning are unmatched. 

These fun indoor and outdoor water activities will keep your toddler engaged, while improving both fine and gross motor skills while learning about the many properties of water.

Happy splashing!

_____________________________________________

Looking for more fun with your kids:

  • 65 Fun Car Activities for Kids  
  • 31 Cute Cat Crafts for Toddlers
  • 50+ Fun Things To Do At Night With Kids
  • 100 Best Fun Children’s Birthday Party Activities
  • 31 Cute Handprint Birthday Card Ideas

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Mom of 4 kids, baby sleep expert plus home organisation and kids activities and crafts

Hi, I'm Sarah

Mom of four outrageously gorgeous Littles.  Yup, four!  The twins are now two and that title still brings me out in a cold sweat… Yet I’m just as determined to give them the best without losing my mind.  I reckon it’s possible!  Most days.  

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21 Easy Preschool Water Experiments

I can’t get my preschooler out of the water so this is a great age to introduce a few quick water activities into our play. Kids can learn and play at the same time when you know how to choose the right preschool science activities ! Water is the key ingredient in all of these awesome water experiments below. Easy preschool water activities you will love that include a bit of science!

Quick water science experiments and activities kids will love. Preschool science, kindergarten science, and early elementary ages science activities using water and other common supplies. Free or nearly free science for kids is a budget friendly way to try science at home or in the classroom. We love simple science experiments and STEM activities and using water makes science extra fun and playful for kids

Enjoy Water Science With Preschoolers

Preschoolers are curious creatures and science experiments, even very simple experiments can fuel their curiosity. Learning how to observe, predict what might happen, and discuss what is happening are amazing tools for the future!

Science surrounds us, inside and out. Kids love checking things out with magnifying glasses, creating chemical reactions with kitchen ingredients, and of course exploring stored energy! Check out these 35 awesome preschool science experiments to get started.

There lots of easy science concepts that you can introduce kids to very early on, including water play!

You might not even think about science when your toddler pushes a card down a ramp, plays in front of the mirror, laughs at your shadow puppets, or bounces balls over and over again. See where I am going with this list? What else can you add if you stop to think about it?

Science starts early, and you can be a part of that with setting up science at home with everyday materials. Or you can bring easy science to a group of kids! We find a ton of value in cheap science activities and experiments.

Helpful Science Resources To Get You Started

Here are a few resources that will help you introduce science more effectively to your kiddos or students and feel confident yourself when presenting materials. You’ll find helpful free printables throughout.

  • Best Science Practices (as it relates to the scientific method)
  • Science Vocabulary
  • 8 Science Books for Kids
  • All About Scientists
  • Science Supplies List
  • Science Tools for Kids

These preschool water activities below are perfect for science at home as well as in the classroom! I love to find experiments that I can set up using simple and easy resources from around the house.

These simple preschool water activities do not have to be perfect, but they need to be fun! Young kids should have time and space to explore all the available materials and experiment in ways they choose.

Click here to get your FREE Printable Science Process Pack

activities for preschoolers with water

Water Science Experiments For Kids

Alka seltzer experiment.

A simple water activity that involves adding alka seltzer tablets to water and oil. Sure to impress!

Cornstarch and Water

An amazing sensory play and science activity is just minutes away and all you need is two simple ingredients, cornstarch and water. Also known as oobleck. One of our favorites!

activities for preschoolers with water

Dissolving Candy Fish

Using candy fish is the perfect way to explore science and enjoy a classic Dr. Seuss book,  One fish two fish red fish blue fish , all in one!  Get ready to set up this incredibly simple and fun water activity for your kiddos!

Drops Of Water On A Penny

How many drops of water fit on a penny?  Explore surface tension of water when you try this fun penny lab with the kids.

Lava Lamp Experiment

Have you ever made a homemade lava lamp? We love to explore science with common items found around the house. A homemade lava lamp  is one of our favorite preschool water experiments!

Leak Proof Bag Experiment

Sometimes science can appear a bit magical don’t you think! Can you poke a bunch of pencils into a bag of water and have nothing leak out?

activities for preschoolers with water

Oil and Water Experiment

Simple science experiments at home or in the classroom are so easy to set up and perfect for young kids to play and learn with science. Learn about what happens when you mix oil and water together. 

activities for preschoolers with water

Penny Boat Challenge

Water, water everywhere! Design a simple tin foil boat, and see how many pennies it can hold before it sinks. 

activities for preschoolers with water

Salt Water Density Experiment

Can you make a fresh egg float in water? Try this easy salt water experiment, and learn about density with just water, salt, and eggs!

Sink or Float Experiment

Easy and fun kitchen science with a sink float water activity. Kids will have a blast checking out the different ways they can test sink or float with easy items.

Skittles in Water

All you need are a packet of skittles and some water for this classic experiment.

activities for preschoolers with water

Solid Liquid Gas Experiment

Can you believe this is a very simple water experiment you can do in little time if necessary! I set this solid, liquid, gas experiment up for us at home while I was making breakfast. It is a great way for young kids to explore states of matter.

Volume Experiments

Grab some different size bowls, water, rice and something to measure with and get started with this simple water activity.

Walking Water Experiment

A walking water science experiment is incredibly easy and fun to set up with the kids! 

Water Density Experiment

Enjoy finding out about the basics of color mixing all the way up to the density of liquids with this one simple water density experiment.

Water Xylophone

Set up this fun water experiment with water and jars.

activities for preschoolers with water

Water Absorption Experiment

Grab various materials from around the house or classroom and investigate what materials absorb water and what don’t. Or just have fun with this super simple absorption science activity.

What Dissolves In Water?

Explore solubility with this easy water science experiment. What will dissolve in water and what won’t?

Water Displacement Experiment

This water experiment is the perfect example of how just a few simple supplies provide a cool learning experience for young kids.

Water Refraction Experiment

Why do objects look different in water? A simple water experiment that shows how light bends or refracts as it moves through water.

activities for preschoolers with water

More Fun Water Play Ideas

There is nothing like a sensory bin with water for hours of play and learning!

Check our list of ice play activities!

The simple act of melting ice is a great science experiment for preschoolers. This type of play opens many avenues for exploring, discovering, and learning about the world.

Provide your child with squirt bottles, eye droppers, scoops, and basters, and you will also work strengthening those little hands for handwriting down the road!

activities for preschoolers with water

More Preschool Topics To Explore

  • Dinosaur Activities
  • Space Theme
  • Geology Activities
  • Plant Activities
  • Weather Theme
  • Art Projects
  • Ocean Theme
  • 5 Senses Activities

Printable Preschool Pack

Get ready to explore this year with our growing Preschool STEM Bundle !

What’s Included:

There are 10+ preschool themes to get you started. This is an ” I can explore” series! NOTE: This is a growing bundle; when new themes are added, they will be sent to you!

Each unit contains approximately 15 activities, with instructions and templates  as needed. Hands-on activities are provided to keep it fun and exciting. This includes sensory bins, experiments, games, and more! Easy supplies keep it low cost and book suggestions add to the learning time.

activities for preschoolers with water

What a wonderful collection of activities! I love the water displacement mind tornado in a bottle activities!

I want to share a freebie with you as a thank you as well! http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Fine-Motor-Skills-FREEBIE-Circle-Time-Activities-1441256

Nice ideas. In summer hot weather it will great fun for kids. Really great fun ideas for toddlers. Kids generally love to play with water. So This water activities for toddlers must be great fun.

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~ Projects to Try Now! ~

activities for preschoolers with water

  • Grades 6-12
  • School Leaders

Black History Month for Kids: Google Slides, Resources, and More!

33 Splash-tastic Water Activities for Summertime Fun and Learning

It’s time to get a little wet and wild!

Water Activities

There’s no better way to battle the heat of a summer day than a little water play! So grab the beach towels, slather on the sunscreen, and get ready for some epic fun with these incredibly refreshing water activities and games.

1. Turn a plastic bottle into a sprinkler

Water Activities

No sprinkler? No problem! Upcycle a plastic water bottle and use your DIY sprinkler for all kinds of water activities.

Learn more: Housing a Forest

2. Toss water balloons using towels

activities for preschoolers with water

Water balloon tosses are always fun, but this one ups the ante by requiring teamwork. Two teams snap the balloon back and forth until one team misses … and most likely gets wet!

Learn more: Love Play Learn

3. Water the alphabet flowers

activities for preschoolers with water

Grab the sidewalk chalk and plant a garden of colorful alphabet flowers. Then fill a watering can and “water” the flowers, calling out the letters along the way.

Learn more: Fun Learning for Kids

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4. Use a plastic bag to explore the water cycle

Water Activities

A sealed plastic bag is the perfect environment for recreating the water cycle. Hang it in a sunny window and watch evaporation, condensation, and precipitation in action.

Learn more: Teaching Ideas

5. Lob some sponge bombs

Water Activities

Water balloons are fun, but they’re wasteful and messy too. These reusable “water bombs” are cheap, easy to make, and can be used for water activities over and over again.

Learn more: A Pumpkin and a Princess

6. Construct a water wheel

activities for preschoolers with water

Brush up your engineering skills and assemble a water wheel with paper plates and cups. Try it out in the sink, or take it outside and use a hose instead.

Learn more: There’s Just One Mommy

7. Craft a giant water blob

Water Activities

This trendy toy is all over the web, but there’s no need to spend big bucks to buy one. Learn how to make your own giant “water blob” at the link.

Learn more: Clumsy Crafter

8. Go fishing for numbers

activities for preschoolers with water

Go fish! Float foam fish in a water table or kiddie pool. Add a paper clip to each one, and fish for them with a magnet on a string.

Learn more: Buggy and Buddy

9. Experiment with water filtration

activities for preschoolers with water

STEM water activities are fun, educational, and perfect for summertime exploration! Scoop up water from a creek or lake, then see how different types of filtration work.

Learn more: Teach Beside Me

10. Play tag with spray bottles

Water Activities

Add a new twist to the classic game of tag! The one who’s “It” gets the water bottle, chasing the others down. If you’re hit by the spray, it’s your turn to be “It”!

Learn more: Kids Activities Blog

11. Make it rain

activities for preschoolers with water

A little shaving cream and food coloring are all you need to perform this popular water science experiment about clouds and rain. Simple and fun!

Learn more: The Happy Housewife

12. Mix up bottle cap soup

activities for preschoolers with water

Save those bottle caps and paint letters on them. Then mix them all up in a big bowl of “soup” and let kids have fun scooping them out with spoons, ladles, or other tools.

Learn more: School Time Snippets

13. Joust with water balloons

activities for preschoolers with water

With a pool noodle (and a fork) for a sword, you can joust for water balloons! It’s lots of fun and good for hand-eye coordination too.

Learn more: Ziggity Zoom

14. Pierce a water-filled bag

Water Activities

This is one of those STEM water activities that you simply have to see to believe. Pierce a water-filled bag again and again, without spilling a drop of water!

Learn more: Fun With Mama

15. Tap on a rainbow water xylophone

Water Activities

This colorful, tuneful activity is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. Experiment with different water depths and mallet styles to make all kinds of beautiful music!

Learn more: Mama Papa Bubba

16. Play a game of Duck Duck Splash

activities for preschoolers with water

It’s so much fun to turn classic games into water activities! In this take on Duck Duck Goose, the tagged person gets a good splash of water before they run!

Learn more: Inspiration Made Simple

17. Learn with water balloon phonics

Water Activities

Set up letter targets, then toss water balloons marked with letter combinations to make words. What a fun way to learn sight words!

Learn more: Mess for Less

18. Make a mini water cycle terrarium

activities for preschoolers with water

This mini terrarium is a cinch to put together, but kids will be amazed to see how well it replicates the water cycle!

Learn more: Laura Candler’s Teaching Resources

19. Swing at water balloon piñatas

activities for preschoolers with water

Dangle water balloons from a clothesline, then swing at them with a bag or stick. Instead of candy, you’re rewarded with a cool splash!

Learn more: Hello Wonderful

20. Build a LEGO water dam

activities for preschoolers with water

LEGO bricks are great on their own, but add water and watch the fun multiply! Use colorful bricks to build a dam, pool, or water course.

Learn more: Little Bins for Little Hands

21. Discover buoyancy and density

Water Activities

Take a nature stroll on a sunny day and pick up a variety of objects. Then bring them home and find out which ones float and which sink. Some of the results may surprise you!

Learn more: My Bored Toddler

22. Engineer a PVC pipe water shooter

Water Activities

These water shooters are simple to put together, and kids will be amazed by how far they shoot. Set up targets and test your accuracy!

Learn more: Frugal Fun 4 Boys and Girls

23. Target numbers with water balloons

Water Activities

Draw a giant target marked with numbers, then stand back and aim with water balloons. Add up the numbers you manage to hit to see who can accumulate the highest score!

Learn more: Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas

24. Jump through an amazing pool noodle sprinkler

Water Activities

You don’t need a pool to get wet with these noodles! Tape them together and poke some holes, then connect it to a hose for the coolest sprinkler around.

25. Race to fill the bucket

activities for preschoolers with water

Teams race to transfer water from one bucket to another, using a sponge. Everyone is sure to get wet, but they’ll also have a blast!

Learn more: The Resourceful Mama

26. Splash around in rainbow bubbles

Water Activities

What kid doesn’t love to play with bubbles? Fill a kiddie pool with them, and create a rainbow using liquid watercolor paints.

Learn more: Gift of Curiosity

27. Spell words with swimming pool Scrabble

activities for preschoolers with water

How clever is this? Write letters on sponges and float them in the pool. Kids swim out and grab a number of letters, then bring them back to spell the best word they can.

Learn more: Toddler Approved

28. Jump rope with a cup of water

Water Activities

Two kids turn the rope, while a third jumps. But here’s the twist: the jumper carries a cup full of water. After 10 jumps, see how much water is still in the cup. Then switch roles and see if the next person can beat the record!

Learn more: Parents.com

29. Make a water balloon yo-yo

activities for preschoolers with water

Under-fill a water balloon and turn it into a yo-yo! Of course, it won’t last forever, so be prepared to get a little wet.

Learn more: Inner Child Fun

30. Put together a pool noodle water wall

activities for preschoolers with water

Attach pool noodles to a pegboard using zip ties, then pour water to see where it lands. Simple water activities like this one can keep kids busy for hours!

Learn more: Teaching Mama

31. Hold a spoon and water balloon race

activities for preschoolers with water

This take on the egg and spoon race is less wasteful, but just as much fun. If the balloon drops, you can pick it up and keep going … as long as it doesn’t break.

Learn more: Kara’s Party Ideas

32. Put together a PVC pipe course

Water Activities

A collection of PVC pipes and connectors make totally fun real-life building toys. Add water for an even bigger impact!

Learn more: Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes

33. Light up the night with glow-in-the-dark water balloons

activities for preschoolers with water

Join the fireflies with a nighttime water balloon fight! Simply add a glow stick to each balloon before you tie it off.

Learn more: The Scrap Shoppe Blog

Looking for more ways to have fun outside? Check out these 40 Wet and Wild Outdoor Science Projects and Activities.

Plus, 17 Picture Books to Celebrate Summer .

33 Splash-tastic Water Activities for Summertime Fun and Learning

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Taming Little Monsters

45 Awesome Water Activities for Kids

Categories Activities , Summer

Water play ideas are a must for the summer. Water is incredibly versatile, fun, and it doesn’t need any time to prepare. Here are 45 of my favorite Water Activities for Kids .

If you want to make your Summer themed lessons a breeze, then check out the Summer Activity Pack . It’s filled with math and literacy centers, fine motor activities and arts and crafts templates. All of which are aligned with preschool learning standards. Check it out today.

Summer is here and the hot days that are perfect for water activities for kids. Cool down with these 45 fun and easy water play ideas.

Disclosure: Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

Water Activities for Kids

1. diy splash pad.

This DIY splash pad is cheap and easy to make. Your kids will love playing in the water this summer with this simple DIY project.

I’m going to start off this list with what I believe to be the best activities related to water. Learn how to make a splash pad in 30 minutes . This DIY project is a great way to cool off on hot summer days. Best of all, once it’s made it only takes 5 minutes to set up and pack away.

2. How to Make A Water Wall

activities for preschoolers with water

Learn how to make a DIY water wall for your kids to play with. This is an easy DIY project that kids can play with in summer or winter.

Photo: Learn with Play at Home

3. Walking Water Experiment

Learn how to make a walking water science experiment - a fun rainbow themed STEM activity for kids. Perfect for preschool or kindergarten.

This is one of my favorite water STEM activities for kids, because it’s a great way to see capillary action in motion. Believe it or not, you can watch water mix colors all by itself. With this walking water science activity you start off with the primary colors, and using a bit of science, you end up with a whole rainbow. It’s so easy and fascinating to watch.

4. Ice Sensory Bin

Tub filled with ice.

Playing with ice is a must on a hot summers day. This ice sensory bin is a great way to show children how water behaves at different temperatures, as well as a fun way to cool down.

5. Ocean Pollution Small World and Sensory Bin

activities for preschoolers with water

This polluted ocean small world idea really struck a chord with me since I love the Coles Mini Shop Collectibles. This water activity for kids is a fantastic way to teach children about the effects pollution has on the environment and why we should be recycling.

Photo: Finding Myself Young

6. Water Cycle STEM for Kids

Learn how to set up an indoor water cycle demonstration. This is a simple science activity for kids that will teach them about evaporation, condensation and precipitation.

This activity is a small version of the water cycle that your kids will be able to see.

However, what I love the most about this demonstration is that it makes saltwater drinkable. Add some salt to the cup of water and see what it tastes like before and after the experiment is done. Your kids will be able to taste the difference.

7. Life Skills

activities for preschoolers with water

Just because an activity is a chore for us, doesn’t mean that it’s not a play opportunity for your kids. Learning to wash the dishes , plastic dishes for kids, not glass, is an important skill that helps teach our kids to be independent in a fun way.

Photo: The Preschool Toolbox Blog

8. Ice Transfer: Fine Motor Activity

activities for preschoolers with water

This is a great way to cool down in summer, and it’s so easy to just grab some ice cubes out of the freezer. Tongs, spoons, hands. Use whatever you like to take the ice from one bowl and into another . It sounds so simple, but my kids played with it for a ridiculously long time.

9. Ocean Small World and Sensory Bin

Ocean small world and sensory bin for kids. This is a fun summer themed activity or toddlers and preschoolers.

Ccreate your own ocean small world and sensory bin out of water, sand and small fish toys. I also threw in some fake plants for aquariums, but it isn’t necessary. Mainly my kids just wanted to splash about.

10. Sight Word Splash

activities for preschoolers with water

Just because it’s summer doesn’t mean the learning has to end. Using water activities for kids, like this sight word splash game is a fantastic way to keep your kids learning while they’re still having fun outside.

Photo: Homeschool Preschool

11. Rain In A Jar Science Activity

Rain in a jar is a fun science activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Start your day with some weather science for kids.

My son and I have made rain in a jar several times and he loves it. We use only blue because then it looks like rain falling down from the clouds and I get to talk to him about the weather. However, I’ve also seen others who have had great ideas, like using several colors and trying to create a rainbow instead.

12. Water Balloon Pinata

activities for preschoolers with water

I can’t think of a more perfect activity for my son than a water balloon pinata . Water balloons and hitting something. Fun ideas like this are right up his alley. I can already imagine the squeals of delight when I bring this activity out this summer.

Photo: Red Ted Art

13. 10 Rain Painting Art Activities for Kids

Rain painting activities for kids. 10 ways to paint with rain with your toddlers and preschoolers. The perfect rainy day activity.

Here are 10 different ways you can create art using rain . However, if it’s a hot sunny day you can always use spray bottles instead.

14. DIY Math Fishing Game

learn how to make a DIY math fishing game for kids. This is a great way for toddlers and preschoolers to learn STEM and fine motor skills this summer.

Learn counting and number recognition with this easy DIY math fishing game . Catch the correct fish as it floats on the water in this eas math game for preschoolers.

15. Catch the Ice Cube

Fine motor activity for babies. Let them cool down on a summer day with this slippery ice chasing activity.

This activity is a fun fine motor activity for all the adorable babies out there. Watching my kids try to pick up a slippery ice cube was so much fun.

To extend the activity I put food coloring in the ice cubes so that my kids could mix the colors once it melted. But that wasn’t nearly as much fun for them as catching and tasting the cubes.

16. Fishing for Hearts

Fishing for hearts is an easy valentines fine motor activitiy for toddlers and preschoolers. Celebrate the love with this fun play idea.

Place some foam hearts, squares and other shapes in a large tub or a kiddie pool, then see how many your kids can fish out of the water. Fishing shapes out of the water is a great way to learn a bit of math this summer.

17. Water Fine Motor Activity

activities for preschoolers with water

I love fun water activities, and this one is so wonderfully simple that you almost can’t believe how much it helps your kids learn while they play. Squeezing water from one container to the other is all you need to do. You can use pipettes, sponges or anything else you have in your kitchen drawer.

Photo: Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

18. Color Changing Flower Experiment

Use this color changing flower experiment to turn a rose blue. Learn how capillary action works with this simple science activity that is perfect for Spring

With a few household items you can create a blue rose. Or turn a flower any color you like . This experiment explores how flowers use capillary action to get water. Since the color-changing doesn’t happen straight away, it’s also the perfect way to teach your kids about patience.

19. Ice Cream Sensory Bag

Ice cream sensory bag for kids. A fun summer themed sensory activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Great for developing fine motor skills.

Use water, straws and this free printable ice cream sensory bag template to make your own fun cream sensory bag. This is a fun way to play with water that’s completely mess-free.

20.Outdoor Water Games

activities for preschoolers with water

Here is a whole list of outdoor water activities for kids that you can play with the whole family. Using just a few simple items you can create hours of fun with these ideas.

Photo: Play Party Plan

21. Flower Soup Sensory Bin

activities for preschoolers with water

Flower soup is one of the easiest water activities for children. Pick some flowers and add them to water. It’s hard to believe that something so simple will be so engaging, but it’s true. The kids love this sensory bin whenever I bring it out, they just can’t get enough of this nature play idea.

22. Surface Tension Science Activity

activities for preschoolers with water

This simple science experiment explores the wonders of surface tension . This is a fantastic water activity for kids.

Photo: What Do We Do All Day

23. Bear Soup

activities for preschoolers with water

This super simple bear soup sensory bin comes with a lot of opportunities for younger kids to engage in extended play. Color matching, counting, patterning. It all depends on what your kids feel like doing that day.

Photo: Days With Grey

24. Frozen Paint

Frozen paint is a fun process art and summer activity for kids. Fantastic play idea for toddlers and preschoolers.

The Frozen Paint has been a huge hit with both the kids and myself. They love the sensory side of this process art activity. I, on the other hand, love how I can make a whole batch of it and keep it in the freezer. It’s great being able to pull a few out whenever I need quick fun activities.

25. DIY Sponge Bombs

Learn how to make water sponge bombs for kids. This is a fun summer DIY project to help children to cool down and burn energy.

DIY Sponge Bombs are a great alternative to plastic water balloons. You can still have all the fun of water fights, without needing to clean up all the little plastic bits that are left over from the end.

You’ll still have fun, and your garden will be happier too.

26. Animal Washing Station

activities for preschoolers with water

Washing toy animals is such a fun pretend play activity but it’s also a great way to promote independent life skills. Washing the dishes, or themselves, can all start with these fun water activities for kids.

Photo: Bilingual Beginnings

27.Frozen Sand Sensory Bin

Need some summer activities for kids? You have to try this frozen sand sensory bin. It's a fun and easy summer sensory activity that with help your toddlers and preschoolers cool down on a hot day. Make space in your freezer because this sensory bin is worth it.

I came across this sensory bin by accident. But I’m so glad that I did because it’s now one of my favorite water play ideas. If you’ve got any extra space in your freezer, then you have to try frozen sand the next time there’s a hot day.

28. Make Way for Ducklings: ABC Activity

activities for preschoolers with water

This fun activity is an accompaniment to the book Make Way for Ducklings . I can’t think of a better way to get your kids excited about learning to read than by a fun letter recognition activity based on a classic.

Photo: Growing Book by Book

29. Water Obstacle Course

activities for preschoolers with water

Make a water obstacle course in your backyard and let the kids run wild. From pool noodle sprinklers, jumping through hula hoops to a water bucket race. You can make any number of water based challenges for your kids.

Photo: Hands On As We Grow

30. Summer Lemon Sensory Bin

activities for preschoolers with water

When it comes to water activities for kids, it doesn’t get much simpler than this. This sensory bin consists of sliced lemon, water, and blue food coloring . The kids played with it for 45 minutes straight. Scooping the lemons, splashing and having a blast.

31. Gross Motor Water Transfer

activities for preschoolers with water

With a couple of tubs of water and a cup, you can get your kids to play this energy-burning water transfer game . There’s a lot of splashing and a lot of fun to be had with simple water day activities.

Photo: Simple Fun for Kids

32. Eyeball Soup

Tub filled with green water and toy eyeballs and spiders.

Eyeball soup is a fun and easy sensory bin for Halloween. Kids will love making their own spooky potions with this sensory tub.

33. Tropical Island Small World

activities for preschoolers with water

What is one of your favorite summer activities for kids? I love going to the beach, for me there’s no better way to cool down. However, it’s not always possible to head to the ocean. With a bit of sand and water, you can pretend to have a tropical getaway in your own backyard.

34. DIY Kiddie Car Wash

activities for preschoolers with water

DIY water activities for toddlers can be so much fun to make if you’re happy to use a few simple tools. This kiddie car wash is simple, and is bound to be the next summer favorite of your family.

Photo: Mom Endeavors

35. Invitation to play with colored water and recycling

activities for preschoolers with water

I love how just changing the color of the water can take an activity from fun to epic. Not only is this a great way to develop fine motor skills, but your kids will also learn a bit of color mixing too.

36. Iceberg Sensory Bin

This Iceberg Sensory Bin for Winter is a fun, easy, taste safe sensory activity for kids. Perfect for babies, toddlers and preschoolers to play with this winter.

This is one of my favorite water play ideas that you can do during the colder winter months. The icebergs in this sensory bin are completely taste safe, making it suitable for babies, toddlers and preschoolers. 

37. Washing Dishes Sensory Bin

activities for preschoolers with water

Here’s another opportunity to teach your child some valuable life skills. All while they play too. This washing dishes sensory activity is a great alternative for parents who don’t want to spend the money required for a kitchen learning tower.

Photo: Toots Mom Is Tired

38. Pool Scrabble

activities for preschoolers with water

If you are fortunate enough to have a swimming pool in your backyard, then try making a set of pool scrabble . This is a great way for kids to practice their ABC’s while they burn off some energy.

Photo: Toddler Approved

39. Water transfer with Pipettes

activities for preschoolers with water

Using these disposable pipettes for transferring water is a great option for the classroom. Can your kids fill up the entire container? Or count each squeeze as they go? There are a surprising number of fun things you can do with pipettes.

40. Water Color Guess Game

activities for preschoolers with water

I love how Learn with Play at Home found a way to make water activities for kids into a guessing game . It’s a lot more fun when you don’t know what color you’re going to get.

41. Sink or Float

activities for preschoolers with water

This is such a simple experiment that you can do it with very little prep at all. You just need to grab anything you want around the house and see what floats and what sinks .

This experiment is a fantastic example of water activities for elementary students.

Photo: Edventures with Kids

42. Disney Ice Escape

activities for preschoolers with water

I love the Disney twist on this classic Ice activity . It’s a great way to play if your kids have a favorite movie at the moment.

43. Painting with Water

activities for preschoolers with water

Grab a bucket of water and some paint brushes, because you are going to love painting with water . This is a great way to spend time outside and let the kids play.

Photo: Happy Hooligans

44. Water Balloon Spoon Race

activities for preschoolers with water

The egg and spoon race is a classic kids game. Have you heard of a water balloon and spoon race ? This is just as fun and perfect for those hot summer days.

45. Snowstorm in A Jar

Learn how to make a Snowstorm in a Jar, one of the best science activities for kids. Perfect for winter or weather preschool curriculums.

Use water and oil to make your own snowstorm in a jar . This is a fun science activity that kids will love all year round, not just durin winter.

Summer Activity pack for preschool and kindergarten. Printable Summer themed literacy, math, fine motor, games and art templates.

Summer Activity Pack

Get over 80+ pages of Summer themed play based learning activities and craft templates. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten.

Are you going to try any of these Water activities for kids? Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.

Summer is here and the hot days that are perfect for water activities for kids. Cool down with these 45 fun and easy water play ideas.

More Summer Activities for Kids

Summer activities for kids. 60 summer themed play ideas for kids aged 2 years and older. Perfect for the summer break and summer camps.

60 Summer Activities for Kids

30 water sensory activities for kids. Sensory play ideas for summer, toddlers and preschoolers will love cooling down with these summer activities

30 Water Sensory Bins for Summer

Here are 25 water STEM activities for kids to try these summer holidays. Learn some science and cool off with these fun experiments.

25 Water STEM Activities for Kids

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Sixth Bloom

June 12, 2019 By Sixth-Bloom Leave a Comment

25 Water Activities for Preschoolers

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my Disclosure and Privacy policies here

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  • Pinterest 465

Grab a little water + fun and grow the minds of your preschoolers!  These hands on stem water projects for outdoor play and water activities for preschoolers are easy and quick. 

These 25 water activities are great for preschoolers as well as kindergartners and many of the activities would be great for summer stem camps, incorporating the activities into summer time play or even a steam preschool curriculum for the coming year.  

Table of Contents

Water Activities for Preschoolers

Summer STEAM Activities

It’s hot outside and all we want to do is play in water or with water…so why not grow our preschoolers minds with outdoor water activities with fun hands on play!  I’m a firm believer that our preschoolers learn so much more when we engage them in play that is centered around learning.  Play is so important for our three and four year olds yet through fun STEM water projects they are also learning life skills. 

I’ve created an exhaustive list for you to go through and find water activities that are outdoor themed or water experiments that could also include some fun hands on science experiments for preschoolers too.  You’ll find the link to the water activity as well as a little paragraph of me giving you a brief explanation of the activity – this way you can see if it easily fits into your water activity plan. 

Vegetable Soup Water Table Play Activity  – Playing with our water table is almost a daily activity during the spring and summer for us. My kids enjoy playing with it just as intended but I also like to occasionally provide themes to spice it up and keep it interesting. We decided to be a pretend chef and cook up a vegetable soup water table play session this week.

water beads sensory bin

Under the Sea Water Sensory Bin – Looking for something fun that will entertain the children for hours on end? We’ve discovered the secret – water bead sensory bins! We’ve been having all sorts of fun with water beads lately and are excited to share our latest theme – under the sea.

STEM Activities

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math – are a great foundation to learning, giving me as a teacher, a firm basis for our activities.  

floating boats made by preschoolers

Bubble Play STEAM Activity – Have a splashing good time with this Bubble Play STEAM Activity for little kids! Toddlers and preschoolers alike will enjoy experimenting with mixing colors and making bubbles. This activity is quick & easy and provides a great sensory experience. 

preschoolers playing in water while learning skills

DIY Water Wall for Summer STEM  – This DIY water wall is very easy to make with just a few simple materials. Exploring how a water wall works to move water is a great STEM project. Play with engineering, science, and a little math too

pirate cork boat

Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Many of these science experiments include water as the main observation, with this being said I thought it would be fun to add a few of these science activities here for you as well:

ice activities for kindergarten

Water Experiments for Preschoolers

These experiments will cause some observation from your preschooler as well as cause them to think through predicting what will happen with the experiment.  Combing water with science makes a super fun and hands on activity for early learners.  

two preschool girls with walking water experiment

Ocean Commotion Investigation Station –  Big questions to ask while doing this water activity -Which tool squirts water the highest?  What would a whale’s blowhole sound like?  Which tool moves the most water from one bowl to the other? Talk about lots of fun, right? We mixed things up a bit and made our ocean water purple. How’s that for living on the edge?

Water Glass Xylophone –   Learn about how sound waves travel, how different pitches are produced, and have fun playing on your own  homemade water glass xylophone musical instrument !

Outdoor Water Activities for Preschoolers

little boy blind folded for outside water games

Water Transfer Activity with Sponges –    What is more fun in the hot summer than water sensory play, motor skills, and science with a fun activity that is super easy to put together with things you probably already have at home.  Play is learning for kids! 

Pond Sensory Bin –  We explored this pond sensory bin on our sunny porch with a shallow plastic tub with some extra water.  I’m glad we did it outside because the kids were very messy with them.  

4 year old boy with squirt gun water color fun

DIY How to Make Giant Bubbles –  These homemade giant bubbles are the perfect activity for kids of all ages to learn and discover how gravity works. Here’s our simple tutorial for homemade giant bubbles. 

engineering sponge balls for water fun outside

Water Balloon Bash –  Get ready for some epic summer fun! Water balloon bash is a fun summer game for kids of all ages. It’s perfect for summer picnics, birthday parties, home, school, or camp.

two boys with water guns filling up and having outside fun

Alphabet Say and Spray –  This activity is easy and requires very little setup and can be done inside or outside. All you need is a spray bottle and some chalk. We did this activity outside on the driveway, but you can easily do it inside on a chalkboard if you wanted.

water balloon matching letters for 4 year old

Do you have any other preschool water fun that we could add to this list? 

Water Activities for Preschoolers

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Celebrating with kids

16 ideas for water play activities for preschoolers

By: Author Morgan

Posted on May 2, 2023

Discover a world of fun and learning with our curated list of water play activities for preschoolers . From splash pads to water balloon games, ignite their imagination and keep them entertained all summer long.

Water play is not only a refreshing and enjoyable activity for preschoolers but also a powerful tool for their overall development.

Whether it’s splashing in a pool, playing with water tables, or engaging in water-based experiments, water play offers a multitude of benefits that go beyond just having fun.

In this post, we will explore the importance of water play for preschoolers’ development and dive into a variety of exciting water play activities that will ignite their curiosity, stimulate their senses, and promote their learning in a playful and engaging way.

Get ready to make a splash and witness your little ones’ growth and discovery as they embark on water-filled adventures!

water play ideas for preschoolers & toddlers

Water Play Ideas for Preschoolers

Here are a few of my favorite water play ideas for kids. Keep scrolling for specific tutorials!

  • Water balloon games
  • Sprinkler activities
  • Kiddie pool splashing
  • Sensory water play + sensory bins
  • Water balloon toss
  • Sponge toss
  • Water table play
  • Pouring water
  • Bubble play

Safety Considerations for water play activities

Supervision and water safety tips:.

  • Always supervise children closely during water play activities, even if they are in shallow water or familiar surroundings.
  • Ensure there is a designated adult present who knows CPR and basic water rescue techniques.
  • Teach children basic water safety rules, such as not running near pools or bodies of water, and not diving into unfamiliar areas.
  • Use appropriate safety equipment, such as life jackets or floatation devices, for children who are not strong swimmers.
  • Establish clear boundaries and enforce them to prevent children from accessing water areas unsupervised.
  • Be cautious of potential hazards, such as slippery surfaces, sharp edges, or entrapment risks.

Sun Protection and Hydration Reminders:

  • Apply sunscreen with a high SPF to protect children’s skin from harmful UV rays, even on cloudy days.
  • Reapply sunscreen every two hours, especially after water play or excessive sweating.
  • Dress children in protective clothing, such as hats, rash guards, and sunglasses.
  • Encourage regular hydration by providing water or other hydrating beverages during breaks.
  • Schedule water play activities during cooler times of the day to avoid the peak sun hours (10 am to 4 pm).
  • Offer shaded areas or use umbrellas to provide relief from direct sunlight.

Remember, while water play can be a fantastic and enjoyable experience for preschoolers, prioritizing their safety and well-being is crucial. By implementing these safety considerations, you can ensure a fun and protected environment for your child’s water play adventures.

toddler playing with ice in water sensory bin

Educational Benefits of Water Play for kids

Water play can help with:

  • sensory development
  • fine motor skills
  • math + science concepts
  • language and social skills

Sensory Development and Fine Motor Skills:

  • Water play engages multiple senses, stimulating sensory development in preschoolers.
  • Pouring, scooping, and squeezing water develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
  • Different water temperatures, textures, and sounds provide a rich sensory experience.

Mathematical and Scientific Concepts through Water Exploration:

  • Preschoolers can learn about volume, measurement, and estimation as they fill and empty containers during water play.
  • Experimenting with objects that float or sink introduces basic principles of buoyancy and density.
  • Observing water flow, waves, and ripples helps children understand concepts like cause and effect and motion.

Language and Social Skills during Cooperative Play:

  • Water play encourages communication and language development as children describe their actions, share ideas, and engage in imaginative play scenarios.
  • Cooperative water play activities promote social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and problem-solving.
  • Water play fosters teamwork and collaboration when children work together to build structures, create water pathways, or solve challenges.

By incorporating water play into preschoolers’ activities, you provide them with valuable educational experiences that enhance their sensory, motor, cognitive, and social development. The playful and interactive nature of water play makes it an ideal platform for learning and exploration.

pouring water into a dirt sensory bin

Water Play Activity ideas for Preschoolers

Here are some specific tutorials and step by step guides to preschool water activities!

Here are a ton of fun water play ideas for toddlers and preschoolers!

activities for preschoolers with water

Pumpkin wash fall sensory bin for kids

Get out pumpkins - or toys - and let your kids scrub and wash them!

activities for preschoolers with water

Dinosaur Ice Dig Excavation activity for preschoolers

Freeze up some water and use room temperature water to excavate toy dinosaurs!

activities for preschoolers with water

How to make fireworks in a jar

All you need is a few kitchen basics to make these jars full of water + fireworks!

activities for preschoolers with water

Island Theme Water Block Tower Investigation Station

Pouring water over blocks (or any toy) allows kids to use their critical thinking skills to understand what happens!

activities for preschoolers with water

Water Experiment for Kids

This is a great experiment where kids can play with rocks and water to learn about volume and water displacement!

activities for preschoolers with water

Simple Water Balloon Yoyos

Kids will love making and playing with these water balloon yoyos!

activities for preschoolers with water

Pour A Waterfall Activity for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Teach little kids about waterfalls and help them practice gross motor skills with this pouring activity!

activities for preschoolers with water

Self Blooming Paper Flowers

Kids will love making these paper flowers that "bloom" in water!

activities for preschoolers with water

Skittles Rainbow Science Experiment for Kids

Grab skittles and water for this colorful kids experiment!

activities for preschoolers with water

Floating City – STEM Challenge for Kids

If you have foam blocks, grab them and challenge your kids to build a floating city!

activities for preschoolers with water

Easy Summer Fun for Kids: Water Paint and More

Let your kids paint with water for some extra outdoor fun!

activities for preschoolers with water

Net Fishing Fine Motor Play

Grab small nets and let your kids go fishing in a tub of water!

activities for preschoolers with water

Colour Mixing Water Play Activity for Toddlers

Practice color mixing with this fun water activity!

activities for preschoolers with water

Easy DIY Math Fishing Game for Kids

Practice simple math or number recognition with this kids fishing game!

activities for preschoolers with water

DIY Sponge Water Bombs

These DIY sponge balls are SO fun for kids to get silly with!

activities for preschoolers with water

Best water table idea for kids- Bubbles and sensory play

Add bubbles to your kids water table for extra splashy fun!

What are your favorite water play activities for kids?

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15 Simple Water Activities for Preschoolers that You Might Know

Hey there! Did you know that water is more than just a basic necessity for survival? It’s one of the most important resources on our planet! It’s everywhere – covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. And guess what? Water is not only crucial for life, but it’s also super fascinating for kids!

If you’re a preschool teacher or a parent with curious little ones, you can use water as a fun tool to teach science concepts. In fact, we’ve got something special for you! I

n this article, we’ll be sharing 15 exciting water experiments for preschoolers that will help them learn and have a blast while doing it! So, grab your little ones, put on some lab coats (or aprons), and prepare for water-filled adventures!

What science concepts will water activities help kids to learn

States of matter:.

Water can exist in different states – solid, liquid, and gas. By observing water in different forms, children can learn about the properties of each state.

Water can float or sink objects based on their weight and shape. By experimenting with different objects, children can learn about buoyancy.

Water has a specific density, and objects with higher or lower densities can float or sink in it. Children can learn about this concept by experimenting with objects of different densities.

Absorption: 

Water can be absorbed by different materials, and some materials can absorb more water than others. By experimenting with different materials, children can learn about absorption.

Important things required for water activities

A large container of water:.

A large container of water is necessary for most water activities. A plastic tub or a bucket can work well.

Waterproof surface:

Water activities can get messy, so it’s important to have a waterproof surface like a tablecloth or a mat.

Safety measures: 

Water can be slippery, so it’s important to take safety measures like having a non-slip mat and always supervising children.

Experiment materials:

Encourage the children to get involved in choosing the experiment materials. Let them pick out their favorite colors for the food coloring or differently shaped cups and spoons to use. The more involved they are, the more excited they’ll be to experiment and learn.

15 Simple Water Activities for Kids

Sink or float.

Fill a container with water and gather various objects like a rock, a feather, a plastic toy, and a rubber ball.

Have the children predict whether each object will sink or float and then test their predictions. Watch their faces light up as they discover the surprising results. They will love to test their predictions again and again.

Iceberg Melting

Freeze a large block of ice and place it in a container of water. Have the children observe how the ice melts and the changes in the water level.

Discuss how this relates to real-life situations, such as glaciers melting and causing sea levels to rise.

Colored Ice Cubes

Freeze water with food coloring in an ice cube tray. Have the children observe how the colors mix and change as the ice cubes melt. They will love seeing how the colors blend together to create new colors.

Water Transfer

Give the children two containers of water and a spoon. Have them transfer the water from one container to the other without spilling any. This activity will help improve their motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Water Exploration Station

Water Exploration Station is a great activity to encourage children to explore the wonders of water. This activity requires setting up a water exploration station, which can be done in a large container, such as a baby pool, or in a bathtub.

Fill the container with water and add various objects and materials for children to experiment with.

Water Xylophone

Fill glasses with different levels of water and have the children use spoons to make music by tapping the glasses.

They will be fascinated by the different sounds the glasses make and will enjoy experimenting with different water levels to create different tones.

Water Science Table

Set up a water science table with various containers, measuring cups, and funnels. Allow children to experiment with pouring water from one container to another.

This open-ended activity will encourage creativity and experimentation as they come up with their own unique ways of transferring the water.

Cut out a small boat shape from a bar of soap and place it in water. Observe how it floats and moves. This activity will teach children about buoyancy and water resistance as they experiment with different shapes and sizes of soap boats to see which float best.

Fizzy Water

Add baking soda to a container of water, and then add vinegar. Observe the reaction as the mixture fizzes and bubbles. You can also add food coloring to make the experiment more colorful and exciting.

Water Wheel

Use a plastic water bottle to make a water wheel. Cut off the bottom of the bottle and place it in a container of water.

Turn the bottle and observe how the water flows through the bottle. You can also add some glitter or small toys in the water to make it more fun.

Drip Painting

Dip a paintbrush in water and let the children drip the water onto the paper. Observe how the water spreads and changes the colors of the paint.

You can also experiment with different types of paper, like tissue paper, to see how the water reacts differently.

Water Bubble

Mix dish soap with water and use a straw to blow bubbles. Observe how the bubbles form and pop. You can also experiment with different types of soap or try adding sugar to the mix to see how it affects the bubbles.

Water in a Bag

Fill a sealable plastic bag with water and then poke pencils or straws through it. Observe how the water doesn’t leak out because the plastic seals around the pencils or straws. You can also try using different bags, like freezer or sandwich bags, to see how they hold up.

Stack plastic cups or containers on top of each other with holes punched in the bottom of each cup.

Pour water into the top cup and watch it flow down like a waterfall. You can also experiment with different sizes and shapes of cups to see how it affects the flow of water.

Water Magnification

Fill a clear container with water and place small objects like coins, buttons, and leaves underneath it. Observe how the water magnifies the objects. You can also try shining a flashlight through the container to see how the light refracts through the water.

Water Beads

Soak water beads in water and observe how they absorb the water and grow in size. You can also try adding food coloring to the water to see how it affects the color of the beads.

Water experiments are a fun and engaging way for preschoolers to learn about science. By using simple materials like water, cups, and food coloring, children can learn about various science concepts like states of matter, buoyancy, and density.

These 15 simple water experiments are easy to set up and can provide hours of fun and learning for preschoolers. Just remember to take safety measures and supervise children at all times to prevent accidents.

I’m a former teacher with a background in child development and a passion for creating engaging and educational activities for children. I strongly understand child development and know how to create activities to help children learn and grow. Spare time, I enjoy spending time with my family, reading, and volunteering in my community.

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Empowered Parents

15 Fun Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

By: Author Tanja McIlroy

Posted on Last updated: 4 September 2023

Categories Learning Through Play

Kids playing in water with cups. Text reads,

Are you looking for a creative way to keep your little ones entertained while fostering their development? Look no further than the magical world of sand and water play !

These water play activities aren’t just about having fun; they also play a crucial role in children’s growth and learning.

Kids playing in water with cups. Text reads,

What are the Benefits of Water Play?

There are so many benefits of water play , such as:

  • Building fine and gross motor skills
  • Learning early maths and science skills
  • Improving attention span , and more!

Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Here are 15 fun water play ideas that will delight toddlers and preschoolers.

Whether at home or in the classroom, these engaging ideas provide endless hours of learning, sensory exploration , and pure joy!

Water play can be set up at a water table, a trough, in the bath, or in any large container.

Young children playing in  the water with cups

Sensory Play

Fill a basin or trough with water and add objects of different textures for kids to explore.

Add water beads or coloured ice cubes to the water for a tactile experience.

Water Painting

Painting with water can be great for strengthening gross motor skills .

Provide large paintbrushes and a bucket of water for kids to “paint” on surfaces like pavement or walls.

Provide foam brushes, sponges or other tools to paint different effects.

Floating and Sinking

Fill a container with water and let children experiment with objects that float or sink. This can be done in the bath too.

You can use anything – toys, objects like bottle tops and corks, or natural items like leaves and stones.

Encourage them to predict whether the items will float or sink.

Try these floating and sinking activities too.

Water Balloon Games

Kids will love engaging in messy play with water balloons. Set up a water balloon toss or target practice game in the backyard. This is great for developing eye-hand coordination .

Incorporate colours or numbers to make the activity even more educational.

Bathtub Fun

Turn every bath time into an educational water play activity. Here are 18 ideas for fun in the bathtub .

Toys in the bathtub

Kitchen Play

Add tools from the kitchen to your water play, such as cups, scoops, funnels, whisks, ice-cube trays, syringes, etc.

Homemade Sprinkler

Make a DIY sprinkler using a plastic bottle with holes poked in it and attach it to a hose. Let kids run through the sprinkler and enjoy the cooling effect.

Young kids will also enjoy immersing the plastic bottle in the water and watching the water pour out of the holes, which teaches them about the scientific properties of water.

Water Obstacle Course

Create a mini obstacle course using buckets, hoses, and other water elements. Include tasks like jumping over streams or crawling under sprinklers.

Colour Mixing

Fill different containers with water and add food colouring to create the three primary colours.

Let children mix the colours and observe the changes.

Green and yellow colors mixing in three cups

Here are more simple colour-mixing activities for kids .

Fine Motor Fun

Get children to strengthen their fine motor control and finger muscles by providing pipettes and syringes. They can move the water into small containers or ice-cube trays, or add drops of food colouring (as in the previous activity).

Ice Excavation

Freeze small toys or objects in ice cubes and provide tools for children to “excavate” them.

Discuss concepts like freezing and melting during the activity.

In children’s play, water and sand often go together! Set up a mud kitchen or let kids fill containers of water and take them into the sandpit for some fun sand play .

Bubble Play

Add some drops of liquid soap to the water and teach kids to blow bubbles into the water by using straws.

They will love playing with the bubbles!

Little girl blowing bubbles

Mixing Substances

Have some fun experimenting with how sand changes the properties of certain materials.

Try adding substances like salt, sugar, oil, food colouring, sand, or flour to the water and see which substances dissolve, don’t dissolve, or turn the water into a different consistency.

This is a great way to learn early science concepts .

Water Experiments

Try these simple water experiments with kids to teach them concepts such as solids and liquids, dissolving, floating and sinking, and more.

I hope you’ll enjoy trying out these water play ideas for the early years.

As you can see, setting up water table activities does not need to be complicated – just use whatever resources you have at hand. 

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Hands On As We Grow®

Hands on kids activities for hands on moms. Focusing on kids activities perfect for toddlers and preschoolers.

Water Activities for Toddlers that are Tons of Fun & Simple, Too!

Sensory Summer Preschoolers Toddlers Beat the Heat Outdoor Resources Water Activities 21 Comments

Dive into creative and fun water activities for toddlers with these fun outdoor hands-on play activities for summer !

Stay cool this summer with 15 fun water activities just for toddlers!  Create, Learn, Move, and beat the heat!

Toddlers and water.

The perfect combination, no?

Especially on a hot summer day.

Water has a magnetic attraction to most kids. It’s hard to beat as a simple, fun activity to do with toddlers!

These water activities below are simple and easy to set up and can create fun learning opportunities for you toddler and preschoolers outdoors this summer!

Why is Water Play Good for Toddlers?

Water play is good for toddlers because it engages their senses while helping to develop both fine motor and gross motor skills . All of which are very important in the development of young children.

From pouring, to water transfer, to washing with soapy water play toddlers and preschoolers are developing important life skills along with fine motor!

Running through a sprinkler, walking and splashing in a kiddie pool, or throwing wet sponges and water balloons are all helping develop important gross motor skills in your toddlers too.

Water, Water, Water Activities for Toddlers!

These water activities are perfect to do with toddlers this summer.

Take them outside and have fun playing with water on a nice, hot day in the sun!

Just be sure to lather up with sunscreen first.

Have tons of fun this summer with easy water activities for toddlers!

Water activities to do with your toddler

Grab a tub and fill it with water and have fun with these water activities for toddlers today!

  • Paint with water . Grab some real house paintbrushes and rollers and go to town painting the sidewalk!
  • Make garden soup with some friends . Happy Hooligans had the kids pick their own flowers before getting started on the “soup”.
  • Mix colored water . This is a super simple activity, but it’s always a hit. Set up just two colors, or add more for even more exploration.
  • Get out the kiddie pool and add some balls . Learn Play Imagine did this with babies and a toddler, and they spent all afternoon in the water.
  • Wash the toys ! This is one of the simplest water activities for toddlers, but it is a hit every time. Grab some toys (dirty or not), add some soap, and get to washing. Great for indoors or out.
  • Squeeze some pompoms . Fantastic Fun and Learning set up a simple invitation with pompoms and water, with lots of squeezing and playing on a warm day.
  • Recycle old glue bottles as water squirters . This idea from Playdough to Plato has toddlers working on their fine motor skills while beating the heat.
  • Float some boats . Make this quick boat craft and the kids can spend the afternoon taking their boats out to sea.
  • Pour, pour, pour . Busy Toddler’s pouring station lets the little ones transfer and pour water to their hearts’ content. Add color to the water, along with different containers, to make it even more inviting.
  • Experiment with water . Add some toys to a tub of water and see which items sink and which float. A great science activity with water for toddlers!
  • Go fishing . I Can Teach My Child set up the swimming pool for her toddler, adding ocean “animals” to catch. This works well outside on a hot day but can be done inside if the weather isn’t so great.
  • Add colorful ice to water , like Fun-A-Day. Watch as the ice melts into the rest of the water, the colors mixing to create new colors.
  • Hunt and sort colors . This activity from Toddler Approved is super easy to put together, but it allows for a ton of time for playing and exploring.
  • Set up foam blocks in water like Still Playing School. Build with them, sort the blocks, or just have fun splashing around with them.
  • Make scoops and funnels to play in the water to transfer it back and forth!

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Have tons of fun this summer with easy water activities for toddlers!

How do you play with water? We’d love to add your suggestions to our to-play list!

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About Jamie Reimer

Jamie learned to be a hands on mom by creating activities, crafts and art projects for her three boys to do. Jamie needed the creative outlet that activities provided to get through the early years of parenting with a smile! Follow Jamie on Pinterest and Instagram !

More Hands on Kids Activities to Try

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21 comments.

Pearl Haskins says

September 13, 2021 at 12:36 am

Hello there. All of these water activities are fantastic for toddlers. I’m sure the kids will have a lot of fun with these. I also feel that water play is beneficial for toddlers because it stimulates their senses while also assisting in the development of fine and gross motor abilities.

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23 of the Best Water Table Activities

March 21, 2015 by Sheryl Cooper

water table activities

CLICK HERE for 10 more water play activities!

Fun Fine Motor Water Bin

Fine Motor Activity Using Basters

Using squeezing tools is perfect for a fine motor water bin !

Color Sorting Water Bin

Color Sorting Water Bin

Match cubes and cup with this easy and fun color sorting water bin .

Alphabet Soup Sensory Bin

preschool alphabet sensory play

Expose young children to the alphabet while making alphabet soup .

Fun Color Sorting Fish Sensory Bin

fun color sorting fish sensory bin

Go fishing with real fish nets and colorful plastic fish with this fun color sorting fish water activity .

Rainy Weather Sensory Bin

Rainy Weather Sensory Bin for Preschoolers

Use cotton balls and cups to make it rain in this weather sensory bin .

Ocean Sensory Bin

Ocean theme sensory bin

Add ocean animals and nets to your water table for a  fun ocean sensory bin .

Frog Pond Sensory Play

Frog Activities

Create a pond in your sensory bin that includes frogs and lily pads.

Toddler Frog Water Bin

This toddler frog activity is super easy to set up using a tub of water. Add squeezers and strainers for some fine motor strengthening!

We used larger frogs for toddler hands-on water fun !

Spring Water Bin

Spring Toddler Water Table with Rubber Ducks

There’s lots of fine motor strengthening happening with this spring water table !

Ten Rubber Ducks Bin

Toddler Spring Sensory Play with 10 Rubber Ducks

After reading 10 Rubber Ducks, put together this fun ducks water bin .

More photos from past water table activities:

Plastic bugs.

Depending on the time of year or our theme, we like to add these small creatures to explore.

Washing Legos

Fill the water bin with some soapy warm water, add Legos, and their little fingers do the rest.

Funnels 

We added golf balls as a lesson on what could and could not make it through the funnel hole.

Plastic Eggs

They are perfect for scooping water and fit nicely in little kids’ hands.

 PVC Pipe

Add small balls for additional fun.

More water table ideas: 

Magnetic Alphabet Fishing (Busy Toddler)

Colorful Cups and Water (And Next Comes L)

Bottle Cap Fine Motor Play (Fantastic Fun and Learning)

Fishing for Numbers (Buggy and Buddy)

Squeeze Water from Bottles (Playdough to Plato)

Pipes and Water Play (Moms & Crafters)

Baby Wash and Care Station (The Imagination Tree)

Tropical Isand Water Table (Craftulate)

Frozen Ocean Animal Rescue (Mama Papa Bubba)

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About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

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May 13, 2014 at 2:12 am

Great ideas!!! Just what I need as water table season is back:)

Julie http://www.thechirpingmoms.com

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The Best Water Games for Kids

activities for preschoolers with water

Melanie Smith

activities for preschoolers with water

With summer just around the corner, you may be thinking ahead for ways to occupy your kids—without spending a fortune! Children, almost universally, love playing with water, and water games are a fun way to spend an hour or so on a sunny day.

Below you’ll find our pick of the best water activities for kids (many of which are completely free), to help your family enjoy a happy summer!

Supplies for Water Games

Best solo water games, fun group water games, other water outdoor activities for kids, why is water play good for kids, best water games for a great summer 2023.

water games

Tatiana Gordievskaia/Shutterstock.com

Gathering together a few key supplies in advance means that you’ll have plenty of options for fun family fun when the warmer months arrive. Here are the things you need:

  • Paint brushes of various sizes
  • Spray bottle
  • Washing-up bowl
  • Range of plastic jugs, tumblers, and other utensils
  • Food coloring
  • Paddling pool
  • Camping tarp
  • Cheap shampoo
  • Colored chalks
  • Large sponge

water day activities

MNStudio/Shutterstock.com

Fun and Colorful Water Pictures

Whether you have preschoolers or a busy toddler, this fun water game is a great outdoor activity to enjoy on a hot, sunshiney day. Simply set your kids up outside with paintbrushes and some pots or cups containing water, with a couple of drops of food coloring in each to create an interesting selection of shades.

Show your children how to use the paintbrushes to dip them into one of the pots of water and then create pictures, patterns, or letters on the concrete or patio stones in your backyard. This easy water activity idea is a wonderful way to keep your kids occupied, with minimum spending and clearing up—perfect!

Create Your Own Backyard Water Wall

Take your backyard playspace to the next level with an exciting water wall that’ll have your kids wanting to be outside all day! You can buy ready-made versions, or have a go at putting your own together. To create your own water wall, first figure out what you’re going to attach all the components to: this could be a fence, deck rails, a section or lattice, or even a baby gate—the main thing is to ensure it’s secure and there’s no risk of it toppling onto your toddler.

Once this frame is in place find a selection of plastic containers: raiding your recycling crate is likely to be a good idea for this! Plastic bottles, containers, and tubes of various shapes and sizes will all work well. Next, think about the placement of each item to ensure water will flow through each as it makes its journey through the water wall. When you’re ready, secure each of the containers using either a staple gun or punching holes in each and using zip ties or florist wire to attach to the stand.

Once your homemade water wall is complete, you’ll be happily surprised at just how much time your preschooler or toddler spends pouring water into the first container at the top of the wall and watching, fascinated, as it splashes through each.

Playing with ‘Boats’

fun water games

halilin/Shutterstock.com

Water games for kids don’t come much simpler than this! Fill a washing-up bowl with water (add some bubble bath for additional foamy fun) and set your little one up with this outside. Gather some of their favorite small plastic toys, that won’t be damaged by being in the water, along with a few plastic container lids—again, raid the recycling bin!

Show your child how to float the lids on the surface of the water, and then conduct an experiment to see how many of the small toys can fit onto the ‘boats’ before they sink! Put out some jugs, utensils, a watering can, and plastic cups, too, and see where your child’s imagination takes them.

Put Together a Water Sensory Bin

Very young children love sensory bins—so why not make a watery version to help entertain them and beat the heat at the same time? Partially fill a paddling pool or use a low, wide plastic container. Add some small plastic toys, and other age-appropriate items for your little one to explore: these could include pebbles, shells, ice cubes, plastic balls, or leaves.

Set up a Toy Wash

Young children tend to adore this water activity, and it’s super easy to set up! Give your child a bucket or bowl filled with warm soapy water, another with plain water, a towel, and a selection of their favorite plastic toys. Now ask your little one to give each of their toys a lovely bath! Once they’re all scrubbed, pop them onto the towel to dry.

Make a DIY Slip and Slide

water games for adults

Brocreative/Shutterstock.com

You can buy a ready-made slip-and-slide set for outdoor watery fun, or have a go at making your own! If you decide to DIY it, all you need is a camping tarp, a garden hose, and a bottle of cheap shampoo.

To get started, simply spread the tarp on a spot in your backyard that has a slight slope. Set the hose up, pointed at the tarp, to provide a steady stream of water. You could consider attaching it to a clothesline or a nearby tree branch. Finally, pour a generous amount of shampoo over the tarp to create a super slippery surface. And you’re done! Kids will love playing on this homemade slip-and-slide: in fact, it’s likely to become their favorite outdoor activity of the season (which is why you should only use cheap shampoo—you’re likely to get through a lot of it over the summer)!

Want to take the fun to the next level? Fill the water slide with water balloons and watch your kids lose their minds as they plow through the brightly colored balloons!

Ensure your child’s safety while playing water games with waterproof GPS watches and the Findmykids app .

outdoor water activities

Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

Water Balloon Pinata

If your child will be celebrating their birthday in the summer months and you’re planning a party, then setting up a water balloon pinata is a fabulous idea that’ll go down brilliantly.

All you need to do is string a rope across a section of your garden, fill multiple balloons with water, and hang them from the rope at regular intervals—they can be at varying heights, too, if you like. Once you’re ready, get the kids to take turns hitting the balloons with a bat or a stick until they pop!

This is one of the most fun water games to play when you’ve got a group of kids to entertain: but make sure children stand back and keep well clear of the bat or stick when it’s being swung.

Sprinkler Limbo

If you’re looking for watery games that’ll get the kids moving, look no further than sprinkler limbo! Create a limbo rod using, for example, a broomstick, and set up a sprinkler nearby to add to the summer fun!

Play some upbeat music, and have the kids take turns attempting to duck, dance, or make their way beneath the limbo rod in whichever style they choose. If someone hits the rod, they’re out of the game—and keep lowering it periodically to up the ante!

Sponge Toss and Colander Toss

water fun for kids

Credit: craftsbyamanda.com

Sometimes the best games are the simplest! All you need is a large sponge and a bucket of water per kid. Get the kids to stand a little distance apart and put a bucket next to each. All the kids need to do is dip the sponge in their buckets and throw it to one another—points are deducted whenever the sponge is dropped. This easy-set-up game is a great way to keep children cool when the temperatures start to rise!

And for a different spin on this game (and for kids who want to get seriously wet!) grab a colander and some water balloons. One child holds the colander over their head while the other kids take turns throwing the water balloons, with one point awarded for each balloon that successfully goes into the colander.

Spray Bottle Tag

Fun water games for kids don’t get much more exciting than a game of spray bottle tag! Organize kids into two teams, and give each child a spray water bottle. Add a few drops of red food coloring to one team’s bottles, and blue to the others’ bottles—and have all the kids wear white t-shirts.

When someone gets sprayed, they’re out, and the last color left standing determines the winning team! This is a great way to get children running and moving their bodies, and you can be sure no one will be asking for a screen while there’s a chance that this game is on the cards!

Paddling Pool Ball Toss

outdoor water games

Bself/Shutterstock.com

Whether you’ve got two kids to entertain or ten, a game of paddling pool ball toss is a great idea. Fill the paddling pool and put an inflatable inner tube into the water. Give each player a few small plastic balls and have the children throw them, with the aim being to get as many balls as possible to land in the center of the tube.

Play Duck, Duck Splash!

A fun twist on the classic Duck, Duck, Goose playground game, this version involves—you guessed it—getting wet! Get children to sit in a circle on the grass and choose one player to be ‘it.’ Give this child a cup filled with water—they must now walk around the circle, tapping other players on the head and saying ‘Duck.’ When they reach their chosen ‘victim’ the child yells ‘Splash!’ and pours the cup of water over their head.

Now it’s a race: the person who’s been splashed must chase the other child around the circle, with the winner the one that gets back to their seat first.

Water Balloon Musical Chairs

Just like the traditional Musical Chairs game, this version involves players scrabbling to find a seat when the music stops, but with one key difference: there’s a water balloon on each seat!

To set up the game, set out one less chair than there are players and, each time a player is out of the game, remove another chair.

Hold a Back-to-Back Water Dash Race

water game

Scream band/Shutterstock.com

Get everyone in on the summer fun with this timeless backyard game! Players work in pairs, with the pair that’s the first to complete the race without bursting their water balloon crowned the winner.

Get each person in the pair to face away from each other, carefully place a water balloon in between them, and have them link their arms to keep the balloon in place. Set up a start and finish line, and then it’s on your marks, get set, go!

Water Bucket (or Cup!) Race

Separate kids into two teams and get each team standing in two lines. Give each child a bucket, large cup, or other plastic container. Fill the first child’s bucket (on each line) with water, and say ‘Go!’ The first kid pours the water into the next in the line’s container, and this continues until the water gets to the last child. The team who has the most water left in their container is the winner! This is a great DIY game to play at camp, on the playfield during a picnic, or in your backyard.

Water Baseball

water play for kids

Credit: onecrazyhouse.como

Ideal for slightly older kids, this is baseball with a watery twist! Fill a bucket with water balloons, and have kids pitch these instead of balls. Get the children to take turns trying to hit the ‘ball’ using a plastic bat or stick—if a player bursts it, he or she can then run the bases.

Watch out though: you may find that the teenagers and adults of the household want in on the action!

Water Battle

This one’s perfect for slightly older kids and is played by two people. Gather together a pitcher of water, eight plastic cups half filled with water, and a couple of decks of playing cards. Put the cups and pitcher on a table, and a deck of cards (face-down) in front of each player.

To play, kids turn over the top card of their deck at the same time; whoever is lucky enough to turn the highest card gets to dump a cup of water over their opponent’s head! Trust us, this game will never get old.

Have an Outdoor Bathtime

water activities for kids

Maria Symchych/Shutterstock.com

For very little kids and preschoolers, why not take bathtime outside to enjoy the sunny weather? This is also a lovely way for your child to enjoy the sensory nature of being outdoors: listening to the sound of the birds, feeling the breeze on their skin, and watching the movement of the leaves.

Fill a paddling pool with water at a temperature that’ll be comfortable for your little one, grab the bubble bath, shampoo, and baby wash, and get into the pool with your child for a lovely outdoor bath.

Brightly-Colored Water Chalks

Simply get some sidewalk chalk (your kids may already have these in their craft supplies) and soak the chalk in water for at least an hour. After this time, spray your driveway or the sidewalk with water, and then show your kids how to use the wet chalk to make beautiful, paint-like effects.

Toy Fishing

water parties ideas

Vershinin89/Shutterstock.com

Young children will love this game! Fill a paddling pool, washing-up bowl, or large container with water, and then pop in a selection of small plastic toys. Using a large spoon (or a small mesh net if you have one to hand) the idea is for your kid to fish out each toy. This is a great activity for promoting hand-eye coordination and developing fine motor skills, too.

Fascinating Frozen Dinosaur Eggs

Looking for things to do to help your toddler or preschooler stay cool? Making and playing with a batch of frozen dinosaur eggs is the perfect solution! Best of all, the only things you need for this activity are some balloons, a few small plastic dinosaur toys, and water (and, optionally, glitter).

Put a dinosaur into each balloon, fill it with water, tie them off, and pop them into the freezer. Once they’re frozen solid, you should be able to peel the balloon away easily, leaving an ‘egg’ with a cute dinosaur embedded inside. If you like, have your kids sprinkle glitter over the eggs to make them look extra magical!

The sky’s the limit when it comes to imaginative play incorporating these dino eggs: hide them in the yard for your mini intrepid explorers to find, or encourage children to think about ways to help the dinosaurs to hatch out of their eggs—and (if safe!) try out their ideas.

Fun Sensory Play with Ice

And sticking with the ice theme—well, it is summer, after all—a really simple activity that toddlers will enjoy is playing with colored ice. To make things interesting, freeze water in containers of various shapes and sizes, and add food coloring to create pretty colors.

Once frozen solid, put these shapes on a mat outside and allow your child to explore them—you could suggest they see what happens to a shape when it’s put in the paddling pool, for example, or when it’s placed in direct sunlight.

Make an Aluminium Foil River

water games for youth

Credit: crumbbums.com

Using some heavy-duty aluminum foil, show your child how to create a watercourse—either have it running down a natural slope in your garden, or use rocks, a bench, or anything else suitable to make the ‘river’ run downhill.

Next, ask your child to find some obstacles to add to the river from around the backyard, such as pebbles and small sticks. Once they’re happy with their creation, have them use a jug or bucket to pour water into the ‘mouth’ of their river, and watch it wend its way past the obstacles to the bottom.

Let your children’s creativity run wild: perhaps they’ll want to see if they can create some rapids to sail a makeshift boat down, or will want to add tributaries to their waterway. This is a great activity for helping promote problem-solving skills and creative thinking—and it’s lots of fun, too.

Build a Water Obstacle Course

This activity requires a little bit of time to think through and create, but it’s worth it: kids will have tonnes of fun tackling the obstacles and completing the challenge. The nature of the obstacles will depend on the age of your child, but you can use some of the ideas above to create a course.

For example, you could incorporate a DIY waterslide, water balloon pinatas, and toy fishing into the obstacle course. Kids can either have fun working their way around the course themselves, or race against their friends to see who can complete it in the quickest time!

water games for kids

Halfpoint/Shutterstock.com

As well as the fact that water activities are a lot of fun, and can help keep kids cool when the temperatures are soaring, there are lots of other benefits to this type of play.

Builds Motor Skills and Sensory Exploration

Water play provides so many opportunities for sensory experiences, which are a vital way that very young children learn about the world around them. Activities involving water are also great ways to develop motor skills and coordination, by pouring, lifting, carrying, jumping, and running.

Promotes Hand-Eye Coordination

Stirring, painting with water, pouring, ‘fishing’, and manipulating objects through water play is an effective means of promoting kids’ developing hand-eye coordination, and improving control and accuracy.

Develops Focus

fun water activities

In The Light Photography/Shutterstock.com

By providing experiences your child can immerse themselves in, you’re providing a great opportunity for them to develop the skills of focus and concentration. As such, water activities can be a good means of helping gently prepare pre-schoolers for the increased focus required in the classroom environment.

Introduces Basic Science Problems

By experimenting with water play, young kids are testing out many science problems, such as whether an object sinks or floats. By getting kids involved in some of the activities involving ice, as listed above, you’ll also be encouraging them to explore what happens, for example, when ice is added to water or left in the sun, and why.

Builds Social Skills

Playing some of the water games we’ve included above is a good way to help your child develop their growing social and communication skills. Many of the games require pairs or teams to work together to achieve success, which is a valuable means of encouraging teamwork and understanding.

water games for field day

Soloviova Liudmyla/Shutterstock.com

Most kids love playing with water—and even if you can’t get to the swimming pool it doesn’t mean the watery fun has to stop! Use the above ideas as inspiration to get the kids outdoors and active this summer—most of the activities or games we’ve listed are free or require just a few easy-to-find supplies to set up.

When playing with water, it’s vital to make sure young children are supervised by an adult at all times. Babies, toddlers, and pre-schoolers shouldn’t be left alone in or near a paddling or swimming pool, no matter how shallow, even for a moment.

Protect kids even more by wearing a waterproof GPS watch with the Findmykids app . So you can know exactly where the child is, whether they left the yard or not, and what is happening around them.

If you’re looking for ways to get the kids off their screens and out in the fresh air for some active fun, water activities are the perfect solution. What water games do your own kids enjoy? We’d love to hear your go-to activities—drop us the details in the box below!

The picture on the front page: KlavdiyaV/Shutterstock.com

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27 Exciting Water Activities for Preschoolers

Water activities provide a fantastic way for preschoolers to have fun, stay cool, and develop important skills.

From splashing around in pools to exploring sensory play, there are numerous exciting water activities that can engage and entertain young children.

These activities not only promote physical development but also enhance cognitive abilities and stimulate creativity.

Now, we will explore Exciting Water Activities for Preschoolers.

Whether you’re planning a day at the beach, a pool party, or simply looking for some backyard water fun, these activities are sure to make a splash and create lasting memories for your little ones.

Water Balloon Toss:

25 Exciting Water Activities for Preschoolers

Water balloon toss is a classic and enjoyable water activity for preschoolers. Fill up a bunch of water balloons and gather the children in a wide-open space, such as a backyard or a park. Pair them up and have them stand facing each other. The objective is to toss the water balloon back and forth without it bursting. As the game progresses, encourage the children to take a step back, increasing the distance between them. The anticipation and excitement of the balloon bursting add an element of thrill to the activity. It’s a great way for preschoolers to develop hand-eye coordination, gross motor skills, and teamwork while staying cool and having fun.

Sensory Water Table:

activities for preschoolers with water

A sensory water table is a fantastic activity for preschoolers to engage their senses and explore various objects in a water-filled environment. Set up a large plastic tub or a water table and fill it with water. Add a variety of objects like plastic cups, funnels, sponges, rubber ducks, and toy boats. Encourage the children to experiment and play with the items, pouring water, making splashes, and observing how the objects float or sink. This activity enhances their tactile, visual, and cognitive skills while promoting creativity and imaginative play.

Related: 20 Fun Fruits and Vegetables Activities for Preschoolers

Slip ‘n Slide:

activities for preschoolers with water

The Slip ‘n Slide is a classic summer activity that preschoolers absolutely love. Set up a long plastic sheet on a slightly sloped surface and attach a garden hose to create a continuous flow of water. Apply a safe and gentle soap solution on the sheet to make it slippery. Preschoolers can then take turns sliding down the wet surface, giggling and squealing with delight. It’s a wonderful way to improve balance, coordination, and gross motor skills, all while enjoying the thrill of sliding on water.

Water Painting:

activities for preschoolers with water

Water painting is a mess-free and creative activity that preschoolers can enjoy outdoors. Fill a bucket with water and provide the children with large paintbrushes or sponges. Take them to a paved area or a wall and encourage them to dip the brushes into the water and “paint” on the surface. They can experiment with different brush strokes, create patterns, and watch as their artwork gradually disappears when the water evaporates. This activity stimulates their fine motor skills, and hand-eye coordination, and fosters their artistic expression.

Related: 20 Best Preschool Activities for Easter

Sponge Race:

activities for preschoolers with water

The sponge race is a fun and energetic water activity that can be enjoyed by preschoolers in the backyard or at the beach. Divide the children into teams and give each team a bucket filled with water. Place empty buckets or containers at a distance from the starting line. The objective is for the children to soak the sponges in the water, run to the empty buckets, squeeze the water out of the sponges, and fill the buckets. The team that fills their bucket first wins the race. This activity promotes teamwork, gross motor skills, and coordination while offering a refreshing and entertaining experience for preschoolers.

Water Limbo:

activities for preschoolers with water

Water Limbo is a playful twist on the traditional game that preschoolers will enjoy. Set up a sprinkler or a hose with a spray attachment to create a water arch. Play some music and have the children take turns bending backward and trying to pass under the water arch without getting wet. Gradually lower the water arch to increase the difficulty level. It’s a great activity for improving flexibility, balance, and coordination while adding a splash of excitement.

Fishing for Letters:

activities for preschoolers with water

Create a fishing game that combines water play with letter recognition and fine motor skills development. Cut out several fish shapes from colorful craft foam or cardstock and write different letters of the alphabet on them. Fill a large container with water and float the fish on the surface. Provide the children with fishing nets or toy fishing rods with magnets attached to the end of the line. They can then “fish” for the letters by catching the fish with the magnetic end. Encourage them to identify the letters they catch, making it a fun and educational water activity.

Ice Cube Excavation:

activities for preschoolers with water

This water activity adds a cool twist to sensory play. Freeze small toys or objects in ice cube trays or plastic containers filled with water. Once frozen, pop out the ice blocks and place them in a large tub or bin filled with water. Provide preschoolers with spray bottles, squirt guns, or small tools like spoons and paintbrushes. Let them spray or pour water onto the ice cubes to excavate the toys hidden inside. It’s an engaging way to develop fine motor skills, patience, and problem-solving abilities while staying refreshed.

Water Relay Race:

activities for preschoolers with water

Organize a water relay race to get preschoolers active and excited. Set up two buckets of water at a designated starting line and place empty cups or containers at a distance. Divide the children into teams and give each team a spoon or a small plastic cup. The first player from each team has to fill their spoon or cup with water from the bucket, then run to the empty container and pour the water into it. They then return to their team and pass the spoon or cup to the next player. The team that fills their container first wins the race. It’s a fantastic way to promote teamwork, coordination, and gross motor skills.

Bubble Party:

activities for preschoolers with water

Preschoolers adore bubbles, and a bubble party is a delightful water activity that will keep them entertained for hours. Set up a bubble machine or prepare a large container filled with bubble solution. Encourage the children to chase and pop bubbles, create bubble art by blowing bubbles onto paper, or engage in bubble-catching games. You can also provide them with different bubble wands of various shapes and sizes for added fun. It’s a simple yet mesmerizing water activity that enhances hand-eye coordination, visual tracking, and sensory exploration.

Water Obstacle Course:

activities for preschoolers with water

Create a water obstacle course in your backyard or at a nearby park using various water-related elements. Set up sprinklers, inflatable pools, tunnels, and water-filled buckets for the preschoolers to navigate through. Add fun challenges like crawling under a sprinkler, jumping over water puddles, or tossing water balloons at targets. The obstacle course encourages gross motor skills, coordination, and problem-solving abilities while providing a refreshing and exciting experience.

Water Science Experiments:

activities for preschoolers with water

Combine water play with educational science experiments to engage preschoolers in hands-on learning. Set up different stations with simple science experiments related to water, such as floating and sinking, water absorption, or creating water currents. Let the children explore and observe the outcomes of each experiment. They can predict, observe, and discuss the results, fostering their curiosity and scientific thinking.

Water Bottle Bowling:

activities for preschoolers with water

Transform empty plastic water bottles into a fun bowling game for preschoolers. Fill the bottles partially with water and set them up like bowling pins. Provide a lightweight ball, such as a soft foam ball, and let the children take turns rolling the ball to knock down the water bottles. It’s a great activity for hand-eye coordination, balance, and gross motor skills, all while enjoying the thrill of knocking down the “pins” with a splash.

Water Drip Painting:

activities for preschoolers with water

Water drip painting is a unique and creative activity that preschoolers will love. Set up large sheets of paper or canvases outdoors and provide the children with cups filled with colored water or liquid watercolors. Show them how to dip a paintbrush or a sponge into the water and let it drip onto the paper, creating beautiful patterns and designs. They can experiment with different colors, techniques, and movements to create their own water-inspired artwork.

Water Ball Toss:

activities for preschoolers with water

Water ball toss is a simple yet engaging water activity that can be played individually or in pairs. Inflate a beach ball or a lightweight ball and have the children stand at a designated distance from a bucket filled with water. They take turns tossing the ball toward the bucket, aiming to make it splash into the water. Adjust the difficulty level by varying the distance or using smaller buckets. This activity promotes hand-eye coordination, and spatial awareness, and introduces concepts of force and trajectory.

Water Relay with Sponge Squeeze:

activities for preschoolers with water

In this water relay game, divide the preschoolers into teams and line them up. Place two buckets of water at a distance from the starting line and provide each team with a large sponge. The first player from each team dips the sponge in the water, then runs to a designated spot and squeezes the water out into a container. They then run back and pass the sponge to the next player in line. The team that fills its container with the most water within a given time wins. This activity helps develop coordination, teamwork, and motor skills.

Water Slide and Water Spray:

activities for preschoolers with water

Set up a small water slide in your backyard and connect a water hose to it to keep it wet and slippery. Place a sprinkler at the end of the slide to create a refreshing spray for the children to slide through. Preschoolers can take turns sliding down, enjoying the splash and water spray at the end. It’s a thrilling and enjoyable water activity that promotes balance, coordination, and physical exercise.

Water Sensory Bag:

activities for preschoolers with water

Create a water sensory bag that offers a mess-free sensory experience. Fill a large resealable plastic bag with water and add food coloring, glitter, or small floating objects. Seal the bag tightly, ensuring it is leak-proof, and tape the edges for extra security. Place the bag on a flat surface or tape it to a window, and let the preschoolers explore the mesmerizing colors, movement, and textures by pressing and manipulating the bag. It’s a sensory-rich activity that stimulates visual perception and tactile exploration.

Water Freeze Dance:

activities for preschoolers with water

Combine water play with music and dancing in a fun-filled freeze dance game. Set up a sprinkler or water sprinkling device in the center of a designated dance area. Play lively music and encourage the preschoolers to dance and move around the area while the water sprinkles. When the music stops, they have to freeze in place until the music resumes. It’s a fantastic way to promote physical activity, rhythm, and listening skills while enjoying the cooling effect of water.

Watermelon Water Relay:

activities for preschoolers with water

The watermelon water relay is a delightful water activity that adds a fruity twist to a traditional relay race. Divide the preschoolers into teams and set up a start and finish line. Place a large watermelon at the finish line for each team. The first player from each team has to carry a cup filled with water and race to the watermelon. They pour the water into a hollowed-out watermelon, and then the next player in line continues the relay. The team that fills their watermelon first wins. It’s a refreshing and exciting game that promotes teamwork, coordination, and friendly competition.

Beach Scavenger Hunt:

activities for preschoolers with water

If you’re heading to the beach, organize a fun and educational scavenger hunt for the preschoolers. Create a list of items commonly found at the beach, such as seashells, rocks, seaweed, or beach toys. Provide each child with a bucket or a bag and let them search for the items on the list. Encourage them to observe and discuss the different textures, shapes, and colors they find. It’s a great way to promote observation skills, language development, and a love for nature.

Water Balloon Piñata:

activities for preschoolers with water

Put a wet and refreshing twist on the traditional piñata game by using water balloons instead of a traditional piñata. Hang a large water balloon filled with water from a sturdy tree branch or clothesline. Blindfold the preschoolers, one at a time, and let them take turns trying to burst the water balloon using a plastic bat or a stick. The excitement and surprise of the water burst add an extra element of fun to the game. It’s a fantastic activity for hand-eye coordination, anticipation, and laughter.

activities for preschoolers with water

Organize a duck race using rubber ducks and a water-filled channel. Create a flowing stream of water using a hose or by filling a shallow gutter or plastic trough with water. Provide each child with a rubber duck and let them place their ducks in the water at the starting point. The preschoolers can cheer on their ducks as they float downstream, racing to the finish line. It’s a simple and entertaining water activity that promotes observation, prediction, and friendly competition.

activities for preschoolers with water

Engage preschoolers in hands-on water science experiments that make learning fun. Some ideas include exploring buoyancy by experimenting with objects that float or sink, creating mini water tornadoes using plastic bottles and water, or making colored ice cubes and observing how they melt and mix in water. These experiments foster curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning while allowing the children to actively interact with water.

Bubble Wrap Stomp:

activities for preschoolers with water

Bubble wrap stomping is a delightful sensory activity that combines water and popping bubbles. Lay out a large sheet of bubble wrap and secure it to the ground using tape. Hose it down with water to make it wet. Encourage the preschoolers to walk, jump, and stomp on the bubble wrap, enjoying the sensation of the bubbles popping under their feet. It’s a fantastic way to stimulate tactile senses, provide proprioceptive input, and engage in active play while cooling off with water.

Recommended:

  • 21 Easy Social and Emotional Activities for Preschoolers
  • 23 Fun Indoor Obstacle Course Ideas for Kids
  • 20 Fun Disney Activities for Preschoolers

activities for preschoolers with water

Syeda Faryal

Syeda Faryal is an innovative Curriculum Specialist known for her impactful educational curriculum designs. With 8+ years of experience in teaching elementary students and a B.Ed from Allama Iqbal University , she prioritizes holistic development and meaningful learning experiences.

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The Montessori-Minded Mom

20 Montessori Water Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Young children enjoy activities that involve water. Fortunately, there are so many fun Montessori water activities to choose from.

The activities below can be presented as shelf work, in a casual way throughout the day, or on a sensory table .

activities for preschoolers with water

(This post contains affiliate links. Purchasing from these links costs you nothing extra, but sends a few cents our way for website upkeep.)

20 Montessori activities that help satisfy a child's need to play with water

1. water pouring.

Water pouring is a simple Practical Life control-of-movement activity. It appeals to young children, as they get to use a glass pitcher for what is often the very first time.

Food coloring is often added to the water to help children discriminate visually the amounts of water in each container. Click here to learn how to introduce this activity: Montessori Water Pouring Activity

Supplies needed:

  • child-size pitcher
  • kids' drinking glasses
  • food coloring

2. Washing windows

Washing windows and glass doors is a chore for adults. It's a lot of fun for children, though.

Melissa and Doug have a nice window washing set for kids (just set pretend pieces to the side) or you can gather the supplies yourself and put them in a handled shower caddy .

  • small spray bottle
  • small towel

Melissa & Doug Spray, Squirt & Squeegee-...

  • Melissa & Doug
  • Great for pretend play or bath play: the Melissa & Doug Spray,…
  • Helps teach responsibility: our kids cleaning set includes a…

3. Arranging flowers

Letting a child create a beautiful flower arrangement is a great activity for kids that involves water.

You can use fresh flowers from your garden or silk flowers. (Children can clean the petals of silk flowers.)

  • small vases
  • fresh or silk flowers

Learn how to set up a flower arranging activity here.

2 year old girl arranging flowers, good for positioning play schema..

4. Bathing a baby doll

Setting up a baby doll bathing activity is a Montessori water activity children find both satisfying and all-engrossing.

Children enjoy undressing, washing, towel-drying, and redressing “their baby”.

  • baby washcloth
  • baby soap (optional)

5. Cooking activities

Cooking activities always involve a bit of water. Even when there isn't a lot of water involved, there's pouring and measuring other liquids, which provides similar sensory feedback .

6. Hand washing

Teaching your child to wash their hands is a great Practical Life activity with cosmic lesson benefits.

Many parents find their young children want to spend a great deal of time at the sink anyway – using those opportunities for teaching proper handwashing is a great idea.

7. Color mixing

Color mixing is a fun and educational sensory and art activity . With this activity, kids get to use fun things like pipettes and food coloring, all while interacting with water.

  • small glasses

8. Land and water formations

This simple, hands-on geography lesson is a lot of fun and gives kids the opportunity to play with water while learning.

To learn how to present this fun activity, click here: Montessori Land and Water Forms Lesson

  • land and water form trays
  • miniature animals

child learning Montessori land and water formations at Montessori homeschool.

9. Watering plants

If you have house plants, but no green thumb, you've got a problem. If you also have a young child, though, you have a bit less of a problem.

This is because young kids absolutely love to use watering cans to pour from.

  • small watering can
  • house plants

10. Serving water for meals

Since children enjoy pouring water from child-size pitchers, it's a great idea to set up small glasses for everyone around the table and have your child serve the water at mealtime.

11. Face washing

Teaching your child to wash their face is an important hygiene lesson.

Turning water play into a lesson on how to properly care for their skin, while keeping the soap out of their eyes is a great Montessori water activity.

12. Transferring water with a pipet

Transferring water using a pipette is a fun Montessori water activity that helps kids develop their fine motor skills in preparation for a proper pincer grasp .

To set this activity up, you simply fill one bowl about 1/4 of the way full and have your child transfer the water into the empty bowl beside it.

Adding food coloring helps your child visualize the amount of water in each bowl and makes it a bit more fun, as well.

13. Pet care

Involving your child in caring for the family pet is a great activity that helps develop empathy.

Since every pet we keep requires water to live, having your child help care for them can satisfy their need to touch and pour water.

14. Coloring a flower

Coloring flowers is a fun science experiment for kids that involves water. Click here for the instructions and science behind the activity.

  • fresh white carnations

15. Cleaning under fingernails

Teaching this important skill to kids isn't as tedious as it may sound. When your child has a keen interest in playing with water, they will likely be happy to learn this new skill.

16. Setting up a water station for self-serving

Practical Life skills are encouraged at a young age in Montessori home environments.

Setting up a water pouring station gives young kids a chance to interact with water while practicing their control of movement skills – and, of course, getting themselves a bit to drink.

17. Water transferring with a sponge

Transferring water with a sponge is a great tray or sensory bin activity, but it can be done outside on a sand and water table , as well.

18. Washing dishes

Washing dishes is such a satisfying activity for young kids. If you've observed that your child is craving water play, you can involve them with dishwashing at the kitchen sink with their learning tower or you can set up their own dishwashing station .

18 month old Montessori Toddler washing pitcher.

19. Citrus sink or float experiments

Using an orange, lemon, or grapefruit, you can set up a fun sink or float experiment for kids. This is a great way to incorporate learning with water play.

  • 2 citrus fruits
  • clear large bowl for water

To perform the experiment, fill the container with water. Peel (or have your child do it) one of your fruits and leave the other with the skin intact.

Drop both in the water to see which sinks and which floats. This is a simple density experiment that involves both water and delicious citrus fruit – a great activity for warm weather.

Read here for the full experiment.

20. Sharing tea

To me, there's nothing more comforting and relaxing than a cup of hot tea. When my daughter was about 2.5 years old, she asked if she could try pouring some tea from the kettle.

We ended up sharing a really nice cup of tea. She felt very proud of herself for pouring the hot water, waiting patiently for the tea to steep, and stirring in the honey.

I realized she really enjoyed all the water activities involved in the process – the pouring, stirring, etc.

  • tea set w/tray
  • caffeine-free tea

What Montessori water activities does your child enjoy?

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Stay At Home Educator

intentional teaching for purposeful learning

Free Preschool Water Table Activities and Lesson Plans

June 23, 2021 by Sarah Punkoney, MAT

Water, water, everywhere! This preschool theme is a great way to beat the summer heat and soak up the water fun! It includes plenty of preschool water table activities and even more! These free preschool water table activities and lesson plans are a fantastic introduction to summertime and will perfectly complement your ocean, beach, or sea life activities for preschool. We’ve got you covered with plenty of ideas for water table activities for preschoolers, including book ideas, art and sensory exploration, and math and science fun. You’ll find the whole bundle of ideas at the end of this post in a free download of preschool lesson plans .

Free Lesson Plans for Preschool Water Theme

free preschool water table activities_learn at home preschool water fun theme

When the title of your preschool theme has FUN in it, you know that these lesson plans are destined to be a blast! Preschoolers absolutely love to explore the wonder of water, and their curiosity will be sparked by these preschool water table ideas. Go on and add them to your sensory play and circle time activities. While this theme is certainly engaging, there are plenty of opportunities to learn; perhaps your preschoolers will become scientists and explore how water can change form, or become artists and experiment with watercolor paints or wet chalk! We’ve got a little bit of everything in these water themes preschool lesson plans. We’ve put together 15+ water fun ideas for your preschool kiddos. We hope you love these great resources to make your preschool water fun theme a success! Oh, and don’t get me wrong…many of these make great activities for toddlers, too!

Water activities for preschoolers and toddlers should always be supervised by a responsible adult.

* Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans Bundle

FAQ About a Water Fun Preschool Theme

You may have a few questions about teaching this preschool theme or how to make the most of your water table area! Check out these frequently asked questions for how to teach your preschoolers all about water. You’ll find some water table ideas, too.

Water is a broad topic. It’s important for preschoolers to recognize the importance of water safety, how water can change (has different properties), and what living things need water. And of course, learning through water play is a great way to learn all those things! For example, use ice in a water bin to model how water exists in different forms. Preschoolers can also learn about water with scooping and pouring activities . It’s a great early learning theme for both toddlers and preschoolers.

There are lots of ways to encourage preschoolers to get involved in water science! Set up a water play station with cups, funnels, droppers, sponges, etc. Allow the children to grab toys or miscellaneous objects from around the room to see what sinks and what floats . Encourage the children to share why they think some items sink while others float. Try adding in a little counting practice with droppers; how many drops does it take to fill the cup? What about the spoon?

Water is everywhere! We can find water in ponds, rivers, lakes, and of course the ocean . Preschoolers will be excited to learn that the water we find on Earth comes from clouds! When the sun heats up the water on earth, the water turns into clouds. When the clouds fill up they release the water in the form of rain or snow, and fill the rivers, lakes, and oceans back up! Encourage your preschoolers to practice watching water evaporate into the clouds by splashing some water on the sidewalk and watching the water puddle disappear!

Important Info About These Water Play Lesson Plans

The Learn at Home Preschool Lesson Plans are free lesson plans you can use to teach your preschooler at home. All the preschool learning  activities are quick and easy to set up , designed to save time, requiring hardly any (if any at all) prep and only requires the most basic of household materials. This makes them especially easy for parents to implement…and this makes preschool teachers especially happy, too! Just glance over the lessons each day, gather the very few materials needed, and you’re ready to go! But don’t be fooled by the name “at home” preschool lesson plans! These activities work wonderfully in the classroom as well, and if you’re a preschool teacher who is remotely teaching you can send these lesson plans to your student’s parents.

preschool water table ideas_learn at home preschool water fun theme

Water Fun Theme for Summer Lesson Plans for Preschool

This theme is such a blast! Learning with water fun is a preschool favorite since kids sure love to get wet! Here are some popular hands-on activities to keep with your water fun lesson plans.

Literacy Activities for a Water Fun Theme

Watercolor Name Recognition Activity – This activity is simple to set up and is perfect for helping your preschooler recognize their name. Using a permanent marker, write your preschooler’s name in large print on a piece of heavy paper or light-colored cardboard. Tape it to the table and let them paint with watercolors! They might notice some of the letters in their name and try to trace them. Or just let them paint a colorful scene! Use this time to talk about the letters in their name and why their name is special. Water Painting – This no-mess writing activity is perfect for a hot day! Head outside with a large paintbrush and a bucket of water. Paint the sidewalk with letters, names, pictures, or even numbers. This activity can be made even more exciting by adding chalk and water balloons! Write letters on the sidewalk and toss water balloons on top of the letter called out. So fun!

Best Picture Books About Water for Preschoolers

Sneak in extra literacy opportunities (and some social studies, too) with these hand-selected picture books. This is a book list for our most-loved picture books for a water preschool theme.

activities for preschoolers with water

Math and Science Activities for a Water Fun Theme

Ping Pong Ball Math Game – This fun game is easy to set up and a total blast! Add some ping pong balls and two dice to the water table or water sensory bin, roll the number, and scoop up that many balls into a container. Add food coloring to the water for even more interest! Garden Hose Numbers Game – Write numbers in chalk on the sidewalk and have your preschooler find the match. Spray the hose on the matching number. We have a similar post on our site using a water squirter for the pool.

Sink or Float Water Sensory Bin – Let’s have a little fun with the water table! Grab some random items from around your house or classroom and see what happens when we put them next to the water bin . Can your preschooler predict if they’ll sink or float? Using household materials, grab some objects that will sink and some that will float. Fill a plastic tub/water table half-full of water to create an aquatic atmosphere for this experiment. Place one object at a time into the container, then ask your preschooler “will it sink?” before dropping it below surface level.

Playful Learning Activities for a Water Fun Theme

Rainbow Playdough – Make lots of playdough in all colors to have on hand for a rainy day. Follow this amazing recipe with ingredients you probably have on hand! Car Wash – Grab some old (but clean) toothbrushes and some toy cars. Add them to a water bin filled with a little soapy water. Now invite your preschooler to wash the cars! To make it even more enjoyable, invite your preschooler to get them dirty with some mud or sand and then repeat the process! Mixing Water Colors – Give your preschooler a variety of colored water in different pouring containers. (Use washable watercolor paints to color the water.) Offer a few empty bowls, too. Now invite your preschooler to pour and mix the water to make new colors.

preschool water table ideas_learn at home preschool water fun theme

Social-Emotional Learning Activities for a Water Fun Theme

How Full is Your Bucket? – Go to YouTube and read How Full Is Your Bucket by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer. This book is all about our own “bucket”; when people use unkind words and make us feel bad, it causes our bucket to tip and some of the happiness pours out. We want to spend our days filling the bucket of others, making them happy and full of joy with small acts of kindness. Encourage your preschooler to share how they could fill up someone’s bucket and give someone joy. Draw pictures to help remind them. It’s also important for your preschooler to express when their bucket feels empty or someone has dipped into their bucket.

Calming Sensory Glitter Jars – Sensory jars/bottles are great for soothing big emotions or enjoying a calming break to reset a preschooler’s body. They’re fun and easy to make, and they last forever! You’ll need water, a bottle, and glitter to make it. Invite your preschooler to make it with you and then place it in a spot that’s easy to grab when a moment of calm is needed.

Just Plain Fun Activities for a Water Preschool Theme

Oil and Water Droplet Painting – Using cooking oil and food dye, this unique art is half science experiment half creative expression! Grab some heavy paper and create your masterpiece. Fine Motor Water Play – Grab some empty glue bottles and a big bin for some creative water play . Simply fill up the empty glue bottles with water and squeeze and fill up cups or transfer water to different containers. Endless fun! Add colored water in buckets to practice color mixing, too. Bathtub Water Play – Add shaving cream and water beads to an empty tub. When playtime is over, just scoop out the beads and wash the rest away!

preschool water table ideas_learn at home preschool water fun theme

Safe Online Activities for a Water Fun Theme

Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the story Hey Water by Antoinette Portis. After listening, ask your preschooler what they thought the most interesting form of water was. How many ways do we use water every day? What is your favorite water form – liquid, solid, or gas?

The Water Song – Water is great fun to play with, but it’s also important to save it and conserve it. Sing along with this song and say no to wasting water!

Water Color Walk Science Experiment – Grab those paper towels and plastic cups and set up an awesome color-walking experiment. Click here for the steps.

Summer Math Bundle

Get Your FREE Water Fun Lesson Plans Here

Can’t wait to try some of these water fun activities with your preschoolers? They are a perfect way to end the school year or to kick off the summer season in your preschool summer lesson plans. Just fill out the form below and the pdf automatically be sent to your inbox.

Make Your Water Fun Theme Even Better

If you’re looking for some great supplies and learning toys to take this theme to the next level, look no further! These are some of the toys that make learning about water a lot more fun and activity kits I like to use with my preschoolers. You can add some of these to your sensory table or smaller sensory activities.

activities for preschoolers with water

Free Summer Theme Preschool Lesson Plans
20+ Ideas for the Water Table this Summer
Dyed Beans Summer Sensory Bin

activities for preschoolers with water

I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.

activities for preschoolers with water

activities for preschoolers with water

  • Science Activities For Kids

Make Waves With These 15 Water Science Experiments for Preschoolers

Ayasha Giarratana

  • FirstHeading
  • Why I Love Water Science Experiments For Preschoolers
  • How I Chose These Water Science Experiments For Preschoolers
  • 15 Of My Favorite Water Science Experiments For Preschoolers
  • 1. Alka Seltzer Experiment
  • 2. What Absorbs Water?
  • 3. PlayMonster Science4you – Water Science Kit
  • 4. Egg Float Activity
  • 5. Oil & Water Experiment
  • 6. Penny Boat Challenge
  • 7. Crayola Liquid Science Kit for Kids
  • 8. Does It Float- Soda Can Edition
  • 9. Magic Pepper Experiment
  • 10. Skittles In Water
  • 11. Doctor Jupiter My First Science Kit for Kids
  • 12. Walking Rainbow
  • 13. What Holds More?
  • 14. Water Displacement Experiment
  • 15. Salt Melting Ice Activity

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With every puddle jump, and every splash in the bath, I saw my son’s fascination with water and science grow.

I want to encourage him to channel this natural curiosity, and to do this I realized the need for science to be more than just textbook lessons.

Seeking the perfect blend of fun and learning, I embarked on a mission to discover the best water science activities for preschooler s.

Join me as I make waves with hands-on experiments that truly captivate young minds!

For preschoolers, water isn’t just for play—it’s a mesmerizing mystery waiting to be unraveled. Supporting your child’s water science experiments is similar to opening a door to nature’s most fluid element.

These experiments not only stimulate their innate curiosity but also foster foundational skills in observation and prediction. For parents, joining in this aquatic exploration reinforces the notion that learning can be immersive and fun.

Dive in with your little one, nurturing their scientific spirit with each splash and ripple.

Embarking on a quest for the best water science experiments, I plunged into renowned activity sites, seeking experiments that promised more than a fleeting moment of fun.

I paid special attention for activities that immersed kids for over 20 minutes, evoked boundless joy, and added a splash of movement.

The true test, however, was my son’s sparkling eyes and infectious giggles. Only those water wonders that passed our fun-test flowed into this curated list.

Dive in and discover the joy of water science with us!

Discover the magic of water with these 15 handpicked experiments specially curated for young learners.

Dive in and make waves with your eager little scientist!

alka seltzer water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Engage your preschooler with a delightful dance of colorful bubbles in the Alka Seltzer experiment.

This easy pre-k science experiment offers a captivating glimpse into the world of chemistry, revealing the fascinating interactions between oil, water, and effervescence. With just a few household items, watch as the dance unfolds, making learning both enchanting and hands-on.

  • Main Materials : Alka Seltzer tablets, oil, water, and a clear container.
  • Duration : About 15-20 minutes.
  • Ideal Age : Preschoolers (3-5 years old).
  • Science Discipline : Chemistry.
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment encourages observation, understanding of chemical reactions, and the exploration of liquid densities in an engaging manner.

what absorbs water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Ever watched a child’s eyes light up when they witness the magic of absorption? Our “What Absorbs Water” experiment is a delightful journey into understanding how different materials react with water.

These types of questions and activities make for a great addition to other nature science experiments for preschoolers to help your little ones learn more about the world around them.

Using everyday items, kiddos can witness firsthand which objects soak up water and which repel it. It’s a tactile, visual feast of science at its simplest and most profound!

  • Materials Needed : Assorted objects (cotton, sponge, plastic toys, etc.), bowls, water.
  • Science Discipline : Physical science.
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment strengthens observation, comparison, and prediction skills, providing a hands-on exploration of absorption properties.

activities for preschoolers with water

The Egg Float Activity is a delightful fusion of both! With PlayMonster Science4you’s Water Science kit, little ones will be both amused and amazed as they witness the buoyancy mystery unfold. Through simple materials, this activity offers an inviting gateway into the world of water science, ensuring your preschooler is both entertained and enlightened.

  • Main Materials : Egg, water, salt, and the PlayMonster Science4you – Water Science kit.
  • Ideal Age : Preschoolers (3-6 years old).
  • Science Discipline : Density and buoyancy.
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment encourages kids to hypothesize, observe changes in buoyancy, and understand density in an interactive and fun manner.

saltwater egg water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Every kitchen holds a treasure trove of science, and the Egg Float Activity is a testament to that. With just an egg, some water, and salt, transform your kitchen into a vibrant learning hub where the whimsical world of buoyancy and density unfolds.

This simple yet captivating experiment not only amazes preschoolers but instills a sense of wonder about the magic in everyday materials.

  • Main Materials : Fresh egg, tap water, salt, and a clear glass.
  • Duration : About 10-15 minutes.
  • Science Discipline : Physics – Buoyancy and Density.
  • Science Skills Focus : This activity nurtures observation, prediction, and an understanding of buoyancy and density through hands-on experimentation.

oil water water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Every kitchen houses the ingredients for a captivating science experiment, and the oil and water dance is no exception!

Witness the enchanting play of these two liquids, offering preschoolers a vivid peek into the world of density and immiscibility.

I love working on this winter science experiment for pre-k with my son when we are stuck indoors due to cold weather. It’s a simple yet powerful demonstration of nature’s rules, all within a single glass!

  • Main Materials : Cooking oil, water, food coloring (optional), and a clear glass or jar.
  • Science Discipline : Density and Immiscibility.
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment encourages observation, understanding of liquid density, and immiscibility, sparking questions and discussions in a tangible, visual way.

tin water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Ahoy, young sailors! Set sail on a whimsical voyage of discovery with the Penny Boat Challenge.

Using just a few household items, our preschoolers become budding engineers, crafting boats and guessing how many pennies they can hold before sinking.

This is a fun pre-k science experiment because my son can test it during bathtime or in our kitchen during the day.

It’s an exhilarating blend of playful experimentation and hands-on learning that brings buoyancy and balance concepts to life.

  • Main Materials : Aluminum foil, pennies, a tub of water.
  • Duration : 20-30 minutes.
  • Science Discipline : Physics (Buoyancy).
  • Science Skills Focu s: Encourages hands-on experimentation, predictions, and understanding buoyancy and balance in a fun, tangible manner.

activities for preschoolers with water

Ignite your child’s scientific curiosity with the Crayola Liquid Science Kit. Merging the vibrancy of colors with the magic of science, this kit offers a delightful palette of hands-on learning. Let your little one’s creativity flow, blending art with discovery, while mastering fundamental scientific principles. A vibrant, captivating experience awaits!

  • Main Materials : Crayola color tablets, test tubes, pipettes, and instruction booklet.
  • Duration : Varies, but most experiments take 20-30 minutes.
  • Ideal Age : 4-10 years old.
  • Science Discipline : Chemistry and physics of liquids.
  • Science Skills Focus : Encourages hands-on exploration, observation, hypothesis making, and understanding liquid behaviors in a colorful context.

does it float water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Ever wondered about the buoyancy of your favorite soda? This delightful experiment invites preschoolers to predict, observe, and draw conclusions about floating soda cans.

Using simple household items, your young scientist will be intrigued by the unexpected results, as they decipher the mystery behind why some cans float and others don’t.

  • Main Materials : Unopened soda cans (variety), a large container, and water.
  • Duration : About 20-30 minutes.
  • Science Discipline : Physics – Buoyancy.
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment fosters prediction, observation, and analytical skills, cultivating a deeper understanding of buoyancy and density.

oil spread water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Delight your little one with the enchanting dance of pepper specks on water. This simple yet magical experiment unveils the secrets of surface tension in a way that’s both captivating and enlightening.

Transform your kitchen into a wonder lab, where everyday ingredients create scientific marvels, leaving young minds both amazed and curious.

  • Main Materials : A bowl of water, pepper, and dish soap.
  • Duration : Approximately 5-10 minutes.
  • Science Discipline : Surface tension and fluid dynamics.
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment accentuates observation, hypothesis-making, and understanding the wonders of surface tension through hands-on engagement.

skittles water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Ever wondered how to turn simple Skittles into a mesmerizing dance of colors? This delightful experiment invites preschoolers to witness the magic of colors swirling and merging in water.

You can use other candy for this activity, and I like to use Halloween candies to make this the perfect fall science experiment for preschoolers !

A visual treat, it seamlessly combines learning with wonder, proving that sometimes, the most educational moments are hidden in our everyday candies.

  • Main Materials : Skittles, a white plate, and water.
  • Science Discipline : Chemistry and Color Theory.
  • Science Skills Focus : This activity enhances observation skills, understanding color diffusion, and the science behind candy dissolving in water.

activities for preschoolers with water

Ignite young imaginations with the Doctor Jupiter My First Science Kit. Thoughtfully curated, this kit transforms ordinary afternoons into captivating science adventures right at home.

Each experiment invites little hands and minds to explore, ask questions, and revel in the joy of discovery.

  • Main Materials : Science tools, ingredients for experiments, and an instructional booklet.
  • Duration : Varies per experiment, typically 20-30 minutes.
  • Ideal Age : Recommended for children aged 4-8.
  • Science Discipline : General science introduction across multiple disciplines.
  • Science Skills Focus : This kit emphasizes observation, prediction, and hands-on exploration, fostering a foundational love for scientific inquiry.

walking rainbow water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

Who knew colors could walk? Introduce your little one to the enchanting Walking Rainbow experiment.

With a playful twist, watch vibrant hues journey between jars, defying boundaries and creating a mesmerizing spectrum. It’s more than just a visual treat; it’s a lesson in color blending and capillary action made simple and engaging!

  • Main Materials : Clear glasses or jars, water, paper towels, primary color food coloring.
  • Duration : Setup in 10 minutes, full observation up to 48 hours.
  • Science Discipline : Color theory and capillary action.
  • Science Skills Focus : This activity cultivates observation, prediction, and an understanding of color blending and how liquids move through materials.

water game water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

At first glance, this experiment might seem simple, but it’s a delightful dive into volume and capacity. Using everyday containers, your little one can predict, observe, and deduce which container holds more water.

The tangible, hands-on experience makes abstract concepts like volume tangible, turning ordinary playtime into a fascinating lesson.

  • Main Materials : Assorted containers (cups, bowls, jars) and water.
  • Science Discipline : Physical science (Volume and Capacity).
  • Science Skills Focus : Enhances skills in prediction, observation, and understanding volume through hands-on comparison and exploration.

water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

This fun activity beautifully marries the charm of Valentine’s trinkets with the wonder of water science, revealing how objects can displace water in the most captivating ways.

It’s a delightful blend of festivity and discovery, perfect for little hands and big curiosities.

  • Main Materials : A clear container, water, Valentine-themed items (like heart erasers or gems).
  • Duration : 15-20 minutes.
  • Science Discipline : Physics (Fluid Dynamics).
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment hones a child’s observational skills, teaching them about water displacement through hands-on, playful exploration.

tin can water science experiments for preschoolers wonder noggin

With the Salt Melting Ice Experiment, watch as crystals work their magic, revealing the mesmerizing process of how salt impacts ice.

This simple yet enchanting experiment offers a chilly twist to your preschooler’s scientific exploration, all while nestled warmly indoors.

  • Main Materials : Ice cubes, salt, colored water, droppers.
  • Science Discipline : Chemistry and Thermal Properties.
  • Science Skills Focus : This experiment enhances observation skills, understanding of melting processes, and the interaction of substances in temperature changes.

Our little ones are born explorers, and every splash and ripple holds a lesson. Through these water science experiments, we’ve journeyed into the world of curiousity and discovery, nurturing their budding curiosity.

If you and your little ones are looking for even more great activities, then check out my full list of STEAM science experiments for kids!

As parents, our joy is in seeing them marvel at the wonders around. Here’s to many more splashes, giggles, and eureka moments in your home’s very own aquatic lab! Happy experimenting!

ayasha profile image wonder noggin

Hi there, I’m Ayasha

I’m a mom of an energetic son and the creator of Wonder Noggin. I write about educational parenting tips, simple parenting ideas, and many activities to help parents nurture young minds.

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Home • Toddler • Play And Activities

25+ Safe & Fun Water Activities For Toddlers And Preschoolers

Let them beat the heat while taking enough precautions.

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Image: ShutterStock

As most babies and toddlers enjoy splashing around the bathtub, it may be a good idea to combine playtime with some interesting water activities for toddlers. These activities can offer various benefits such as releasing their suppressed energy, which may calm them down, reduce stress, help develop motor skills, etc.

Read this post as we bring exciting water activities for babies and toddlers. You may pick any of these activities based on your baby’s age and capabilities.

Precautions To Take For Safe Water Play

Before jumping into the activities, let’s look at some safety measures you must follow while allowing your kids to play with or in water.

  • It’s better to conduct most water activities outdoors so that there won’t be any mess inside the house .
  • No matter how simple the water activity is, never leave your kids unattended. Always supervise their activities.
  • Keep the water level low, maximum one or two inches deep.
  • Ensure babies are older than eight months , have good head and neck control,sit, or stand on their own before involving them in any water play.
  • Try to avoid small items like stones, pebbles, marbles, and water marbles that babies can put in the mouth or swallow.
  • Also, avoid any sharp objects.
  • Use kid-friendly soaps and avoid harsh detergents.
  • Use food colors as they may not cause any harm to the toddler’s delicate skin.
  • Make sure that the kids don’t drink water or swallow any items involved in the activity.
  • Use warm water, if possible, for all kinds of water activities.

25+ Water Activities For Babies And Toddlers

1. water-filling activity.

This is a simple water game where you can involve toddlers and babies who can sit on their own and have a good grip.

Image: IStock

You will need

Two flat containers, scooping objects like measuring cups, scoops, medicine droppers, small buckets or mugs, colanders, etc.

How to play

  • Take flat containers or tubs, keep them side by side and fill water in one box to its brim.
  • Give a scooping tool to your toddler and ask them to transfer the water from one container to the other. Change the scoopers so that they don’t feel bored with the same thing.
  • This is an activity that babies can enjoy for hours. Once the container is full, ask them to repeat the same from the second container to the first.

2. Bubble play

A simple but exciting activity for kids is water bubble play. It is simple to set-up but would engage your kids for hours together.

Water tub, liquid bath soap, bath toys, water, and a towel

Fill water in the tub, add the liquid soap, and whirl it a little to create foam. Leave your babies and kids in it, and let them explore it while you supervise.

3. Watering plants

This activity is also an opportunity to teach your kids about nature and the environment around them. It allows them to water plants, know what is overwatering, how often plants need water, and which plants require what kind of care.

A small watering can or a small bucket and a mug

  • Take your kids around your garden and introduce them to the different plants you have in there. If they’re already familiar with the plants, go straight to the activity by handing them the water can.
  • You can also show them how to do it so that they won’t overwater the plant. Supervision is necessary while they’re watering the plants.
  • If the water can is empty, ask them to refill it and repeat it to the rest of the plants.

4. Pool ball play

Another simple outdoor water activity for toddlers is the pool ball play. It’s ideal for summer outdoor activities as the kids love spending time in cold water for hours . You can also include your babies who can sit in this activity.

A medium-sized play pool, a bag of colorful balls, and water.

Find a shaded, cool place in your garden to place the play pool. Fill it with water and add the balls.

Leave your kids in it with minimal dressing, and they will enjoy their pool game. If there are 2-3 kids, it would be more fun than a single child playing all alone. If the child is alone, you can join in if there is space.

5. Squeeze the sponge

This is an easy water play set-up in which both babies and toddlers can be involved. You can teach them a variety of things within this activity.

Two flat water tubs, some thin sponges, water, and some small toys.

Fill one container with water and keep the other next to it. Add sponges to the water-filled container.

Show the kid how to dip the sponge in water and squeeze it in another tub to release the water. Ask them to repeat the same and transfer the entire water from one container to the other.

Other things you can do in the activity:

  • Observe how the sponges are floating
  • Stack the sponges in water, and still, they float
  • You can ask them to sort the sponges based on their color
  • Place some small toys over the floating sponges and see which ones are sinking.

Instead of sponges, you can also use pompoms. As they are available in different shades, the activity becomes more colorful.

6. Water splashing with fly swatters

Kids love to splash water, and when you involve them in an activity that includes water splashing, there is no end to their excitement. The fly swatters activity is one such fun game that keeps your kids entertained for hours.

Colorful fly swatters, flat water containers, small water toys like frogs, fishes, boats, etc.

  • Ask your kids to fill the water container using a watering can.
  • Add toys to the water and mix it once to make the toys move in the water.
  • Give your kids the fly swatters and ask them to hit the frogs and bugs. This would splash the water, making it a fun activity.

You can also ask them to catch the frogs or fishes using the swatters. Tell them to match the color of the swatters and the water toys. For example, they can catch a blue fish only with a blue swatter and so on.

7. Garden soup

Outdoor water games or activities are perfect for a sunny day backyard activity. Garden soup making is more fun when you have more children at your place.

Large containers or bowls, measuring cups, scoops, play scissors, spoons, ladles, water pitchers, tweezers, etc.

  • Fill the containers with water and place them on a table adjusted to the height of your toddlers.
  • Give them the play scissors and ask them to get some flowers, leaves, and anything from the garden.
  • Once they collect them, ask them to chop them and make soup by putting different ingredients in different containers.
  • They can use the ladles and spoons to mix the soup, and once they are done, they can transfer it into small containers and serve it.

This pretend-play keeps your kids engaged while making them excited about cooking.

8. Float and sink

An interesting water activity for toddlers, this involves moving around and sitting from time to time. It’s ideal to plan this learning activity outdoors, especially during summers, as it involves water.

A water tub with medium depth, some natural items like leaves, twigs, flowers, stones, shells, etc., some water toys.

  • Ask your kids to collect some items like leaves, flowers, stones, sticks, shells, buds, etc., from your garden.
  • Place the collected items next to the water tub along with the water toys.
  • Now ask your kid to sit there and drop one item at a time into the water, and note what items are floating and which is sinking.
  • Once every object is dropped in water, repeat the activity while asking questions or giving hints such as, drop something that floats.

9. Toy cleaning

If you’re running short of water play ideas or don’t have enough energy to set up an activity, you can engage your kids in washing their toys. As it involves water, your toddlers would enjoy it while helping you with the cleaning chores.

Washable toys made of plastic and silicone, two water tubs, dish soap, a towel.

  • Ask your toddlers to collect toys from all the rooms, sort them, and separate all the washable toys.
  • Fill both the containers with water, maybe two inches deep. Add dish soap to one container and make some water bubbles.
  • Ask your kiddo to wash each toy at a time in the soap-filled container and then rinse it in plain water.
  • Then keep it on a towel spread on the floor. Once all the toys are washed, they can wipe them with the towel.

10. Color water

This is a fun activity to teach kids primary and secondary colors. This activity is enjoyable because it features two components that they love – water and colors.

Water containers, food colors, water toys, glitter, etc.

  • Add water in one container and add any one of the primary colors, say red.
  • Drop the water toys and let the kids play for some time in that colored water.
  • After a few minutes, add another primary color, say yellow. And tell your kids that they’re going see some magic as the water slowly turns to orange.
  • Now take another tub and try another combination. You can try different primary color combinations and surprise your kids with the newly formed secondary colors.

Here’s a cool twist to this color water activity that Jackie Currie, an art-loving daycare owner, swears by. Instead of just adding colors to a single container, try filling bottles with different colored water. Place them within reach for the kids to pour and play into containers. Currie shares, “This proved to be much more than just water play or a lesson in color mixing. They were at this for almost an hour straight, until a couple of them ventured off to play in the yard. I left the activity set up for another hour though, and there was always someone (or more than one) at the table…I have to say, this was, hands down, one of the best (and easy) water play activities that we’ve ever done here ( i ).”

11. Water beads sorting

The small slimy balls are appealing to kids. Since they are likely to enjoy playing with them, why not craft a fun learning activity around it?

Dry water beads, empty bowls.

  • A day before the activity, give the dry water beads to your little one and ask him to soak them in water. Make sure you’re supervising them during the entire process.
  • On the activity day, remove excess water, if any, from the soaked water beads and keep them in a big bowl.
  • Now ask your little ones to sort the balls according to their color and place them in bowls.
  • You can also ask your kids to transfer each water bead from one bowl to another with a spoon. Since the balls are slippery, it’s a bit tricky to get the grip and maintain the balance.

This activity is not recommended for babies as the beads could be a choking hazard for them. Even for toddlers and kids, adult supervision is necessary to ensure they don’t put the beads in the mouth.

12. Oil and water bag activity

This is a baby-friendly activity as it encourages them to sit and play for a long time. It can be conducted indoors and is mess-free.

Bigger size freezer bags, oil, water, duct tape, food colors.

  • Tape all three sides of the freezer bag to make it extra secure.
  • Add water, ¼ quantity of oil, and food color of your choice.
  • Now close the other end and seal it with a tape. Shake the packet well and place it on the floor, taping all four sides to the floor.
  • Give the bag to the baby,let them move or shake it as they like. They can squish, squeeze, and tap the bag to watch the bubbles form inside.

13. Ice treasure hunt

Let’s add some science to the fun activity with some water, ice, and salt. This ice treasure hunt is an interesting way to engage your kids in a cool summer activity.

Small toys (preferably sea creatures like fishes, snails, sea horses, seashells), a freezer-safe container, a big container, salt (colored or normal), a shaker for salt, scoops, etc.

  • Before the day of the activity, add water to the freezer-safe container, drop all the toys, and keep it in the freezer overnight.
  • On the activity day, remove the ice block and keep it in the big container.
  • Explain to your kids how water and salt can be used to melt the ice block.
  • Give them a salt shaker and some warm water and ask them to find the toys by melting the ice.
  • You can also provide some kid-friendly hammers, tweezers, etc., to break the ice and find the creatures inside.

If the activity is conducted among a group of kids, the one who collects the maximum number of creatures wins.

14. Water painting

Kids enjoy mimicking their parents’ actions and hence love to pretend play. This activity with water is just what they need to have some fun and is best played outdoors.

A paint tray, paint rollers, paintbrushes, and a bucket.

  • Fill water in the paint tray.
  • Give the rollers to your kids and ask them to paint the floor or any wall.
  • You can also give them some old furniture like chairs and tables and ask them to paint using brushes.
  • Tell them to refill the paint tray once it is empty.

15. Chalk and water painting

An extension of the water painting activity is the chalk and water painting. With some simple supplies, you can let your kids create magical paintings in your backyard or sidewalks.

Colorful sidewalk chalks, paintbrushes, and water.

Select a place for this activity. It could be your driveway, front patio, backyard, or any area with some stones so that you can use the chalk to draw on it.

  • Once you decide the place, ask your kids to draw something random on the floor. It could be a rainbow, the sun,and a mountain, or geometric shapes that they can fill color in.
  • Once the drawing is finished, take a paintbrush, dip it in water, and give a nice stroke on the drawing.
  • Don’t wipe it too hard as it may take-off the chalk painting entirely. Just a slight stroke on the whole painting, and you’re done with a soft watercolor effect.

16. Baby bath pretend play

Another interesting activity that involves water is the baby bath pretend play. As kids like to imitate their parents, any play that involves them doing grown-up activities is of great interest to them.

Hard-bodied plastic dolls (available in any second-hand store or online) or old plastic dolls, a large container as a bathtub, bath supplies like liquid soap, shampoo, towel, brush, paste, etc., small clothes for the dolls, water.

  • Set up everything for the baby bath and leave it to your kids.
  • Keep the dolls in the containers, add some water, and keep all supplies beside the tub.
  • On a separate table, keep the dry supplies like towels, make-up items, clothes, etc.

Let your kids take the lead and see how they give a bath to the baby doll, followed by grooming. Stay with the kids as they play to ensure safety.

17. Washing clothes

Kids and washing clothes? Why not? Pretend washing clothes is a realistic activity that they have to learn when they grow up, but more fun when it is all about playing with water.

Doll clothes, small napkins, baby onesies, t-shirts, clothespins, laundry soap (mild), a rope, two to three buckets, and water.

  • Set up everything, show the kids what needs to be done.
  • As part of the preparation, tie the rope between two trees or posts, fill the buckets with water, and add detergent to one, keep the clothes handy.
  • The kids need to dip the clothes in the detergent water, rub and squeeze them gently, and rinse them in plain water.
  • They then need to squeeze them and place them on the rope and add the clothespins.

18. Create an ocean

This is a sensory activity as the kids make it with their own hands.

Image: Shutterstock

A sensory tub or a big container to fill water, small, round stones, pebbles, blue sensory beads, aquarium toys like fishes, sea horses, dolphins, and octopus

  • Fill the container with some water, blue sensory beads that are flexible, and some pebbles.
  • Show them some sample pictures of a sensory ocean bin and ask them to arrange it similarly.
  • They can place the fishes and octopuses between the beads for showing ocean life.

19. Float the boats

This is a basic activity in which you can involve both your babies and toddlers. With simple supplies, your kids can have unlimited fun in the water.

Some color papers, a container, and water.

  • You can teach your toddlers how to make a boat using colored papers.
  • Once your paper boats are ready, ask them to drop it in the water-filled container.
  • If there is more than one kid, they can have a boat race and free boat sailing.

Instead of paper boats, you can also make use of empty juice cartons. Just add a sail to the boat made using some stiff cards cut in a triangle shape.

20. Fishing in the pool

If your babies love to spend time in the pool, this fishing activity would attract them and engage them for hours.

A baby pool or a big container, floating fish toys, bath toys, a net, and water.

  • Fill the baby pool with water and add fish and other bath toys to it.
  • Let your baby or toddler sit inside it.
  • Give them the net and ask them to catch the fish.
  • You can make the older kids stand outside the pool and catch the fish.
  • If there are multiple kids, ask them to compete with each other to catch the fish.

21. Color ball hunt

This is similar to fishing in the pool but involves more color sorting. Water and color are two kids’ favorites and hence would appeal to them.

Colorful water balls, a big container to fill water, colored tubs, scooper or net, and water.

  • Fill water in the tub about one-inch deep and add the color balls to it.
  • Keep the color containers next to the water tub.
  • Give the scooper or net to your kids and ask them to pick up each ball and keep it in the same colored container.

22. Spray painting

Spray painting involves colors and water, making it appealing for the little one. As this involves a lot of hand usage, it improves fine motor skills.

Spray bottles, liquid watercolors, large drawing paper, easel, or something to keep the paper on the floor.

  • Fill the spray bottles with different color water.
  • Spread the drawing paper on the floor or fix it on the easel.
  • Give the spray bottle to the kids and ask them to spray it over the paper.
  • Ask them to draw different patterns as they wish.

23. Pretend dishwashing

We’ve said enough about how much kids like to imitate the grown-ups. This is another such activity that would excite kids.

Water containers, sponges, liquid soap, kids’ kitchen set, and a towel.

  • Fill two containers with water and add liquid soap to one container.
  • Give the kitchen set to your kids.
  • Ask them to clean vessels in the liquid soap water and then in the plain water.
  • Once they’re done with all the vessels, they can wipe them clean with the towel.

24. Glue bottle water transfer

If you want to improve your kids’ fine motor strength, this is an exciting activity involving empty glue bottles.

Empty glue bottles, a water container, small plastic cups.

  • Fill the water container with water.
  • Give the glue bottles to your little ones.
  • Ask them to fill the glue bottles by dipping them in water and squeezing them.
  • Once the bottles are filled, they need to empty them in the plastic cups placed next to the container.
  • They need to repeat it until all the cups are filled.

Squeezing the glue bottles to fill and empty them needs a lot of muscle strength. Involving kids in these kinds of activities helps strengthen their muscles in the hands, arms, and wrist making it easy for them to hold pencils while writing.

25. Water gun learning activity

Here is a learning activity that includes water.

Water guns, chalk, or window markers.

  • If you’re using window markers, write something your kids are familiar with, say letters or numbers on each window pane. If you’re using chalk, you can do the same on any wooden floor or stone flooring.
  • Now call out one of the letters or the numbers you have written and instruct your kids to aim from a distance, squirting the water gun on it. They need to completely erase the letters to complete the activity.

26. Summer sensory bin

  • Large plastic bin
  • Rice or colored pasta
  • Seashells, toy shovels, and mini beach toys
  • Let your kid take charge of filling the bin with the sensory stuff.
  • Now, let your little one dive in. Encourage them to scoop, pour, and feel different textures.
  • Spark their imagination by asking them to hide little treasures or build tiny beach scenes.
  • As your kid dives into this sensory exploration, they will not only enjoy feeling textures but will also be let loose their creative side.

Benefits Of Playing In The Water For Babies And Kids

You may worry that water play could create a mess, or that your child might catch a cold when they play with water. However, water play could be beneficial when indulged in moderately and occasionally.

  • Water games could help develop a child’s sensory skills.
  • Activities like lifting a mug of water, filling bottles, and even throwing a water balloon can improve hand-eye coordination as well as fine and gross motor skills.
  • Holding objects like containers, sponges, spray bottles, etc. can strengthen their hand muscle, enabling them to hold the pencil and write well later.
  • Water play allows them to explore and find creative ways to solve problems.
  • Kids learn about water and its various forms like ice and mist.
  • Learn new words related to water, ocean, and aquatic creatures.
  • Group water activities can teach them about team play and cooperation.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to promote sensory play with water in children?

There are many ways to use water for sensory play. You may experiment with the waters’ temperature by shifting them to cool, warm, and normal modes between plays. Adding different materials could also promote sensory play in children. Add items of various textures to the play like slime, sand, ice, or soap.

2. How do I introduce water play to my toddler?

Before introducing your child to water play, ensure they are not afraid of water. You may know this by observing the way they behave during their baths. If they have hydrophobia, understand the cause and seek a therapist’s help. On the other hand, if they enjoy playing with water, you can initiate the fun by using a sprinkler to spray water on them. Encourage them to play in mini children’s pools by placing their favorite water toys in them. Join them in water games to make them feel more secure.

3. How can parents introduce water safety habits to their babies and toddlers?

By regularly monitoring their activities in the water, training them to swim, using the proper flotation devices, creating boundaries when in water, and educating them about the risks associated with the help of examples or visual aids, parents may help their children develop good water safety practices.

4. What types of water toys are appropriate for babies and toddlers?

Various water toys can be appropriate and engaging for babies and toddlers during water activities. These may include sponges, floating toys, spray bottles, plastic bottles, measuring cups, dolls, plastic sea creatures, etc. (4)

Engaging in water activities for toddlers is a great way to help your little one cool down on a hot summer day. Water activities offer a form of sensory play, improve their hand-eye coordination, and help expand their vocabulary by introducing them to new words. Activities such as garden soup, water beads sorting, or float and sink require minimal tools and can thus be easily organized. However, ensure you take the appropriate safety measures while your toddler engages in water activities. Keeping the water level low and supervising your children at all times can help ensure their safety.

Infographic: Fun Summer Water Activities For Children

Now that summer’s here and your children are on their vacation, take this opportunity to spend more time with your little ones. The summer water activities in the infographic below will help you keep the summer heat at bay and let you have an enjoyable time with your children.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below.

Key Pointers

  • Babies older than eight months can enjoy different water activities.
  • Indulging in water activities can hone their sensory-motor skills and eye-hand coordination.
  • Filling water in cups and bowls, watering plants, and more fun water activities for babies and toddlers as you scroll through.

Bring the fun of water play indoors and outdoors with these 10 easy ideas! Get creative and explore the possibilities of water play with your kids.

Personal Experience: Source

MomJunction articles include first-hand experiences to provide you with better insights through real-life narratives. Here are the sources of personal accounts referenced in this article.

  • Importance of pretend play. https://centerforparentingeducation.org/library-of-articles/baby-through-preschool-articles/importance-of-pretend-play/
  • The importance of young children asking questions. https://www.wslhd.health.nsw.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/2243/Young%20children%20asking%20questions%2020-11-2018.pdf.aspx
  • Drowning Prevention for Curious Toddlers: What Parents Need to Know. https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Water-Safety-And-Young-Children.aspx
  • Materials/Equipment List for Infant and Toddler Child Care Centres https://www.gov.mb.ca/education/childcare/resources/pubs/equipment_infant_toddler.pdf
  • Fact-checker

Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri MD

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Education Outside

10 Fun and Cool Water Cycle Activities for Preschool

activities for preschoolers with water

Today, we’re going to dive into the wonderful world of the water cycle and explore some fun and cool activities for your little ones . The water cycle is an important concept for preschoolers to learn, but it can be a struggle to make it engaging and exciting. 

Don’t worry though, we’ve got you covered with these 10 awesome activities that will have your preschooler begging for more! So, let’s get started and make a splash with the water cycle!

Great Water Cycle Activities for Preschool

1. reading books about water.

activities for preschoolers with water

What better way to introduce your preschooler to the water cycle than through books? Reading together is not only a great way to develop their reading and comprehension skills, but also a fun way to explore the water cycle through colorful illustrations and entertaining storytelling.

Luckily, there are tons of children’s books out there that explore the water cycle in a way that’s engaging and educational. Some of our favorites include “All the Water in the World” by George Ella Lyon , “The Magic School Bus Wet All Over” by Joanna Cole , and “A Drop Around the World” by Barbara Shaw McKinney .

So, grab your little ones and a cozy spot to snuggle up in, and get lost in the pages of these amazing books. Who knows, you might even learn a thing or two yourself!

If you want to know more about this activity, continue reading our 10 Refreshing Books About Water for Preschoolers article.

2. Bubble Solution

activities for preschoolers with water

Next up, we have a super fun water cycle lesson plan idea for preschoolers – Bubble Solution! This activity is a great way for young children to get familiar with the three different states of water and understand how they change and interact with each other.

To get started, you’ll need:

  • Three Plastic Cups
  • Soap Or Shampoo

Fill each cup with a different amount of water – about ¾ full for the solid one, half full for the liquid, and nearly empty for the gaseous one. Then mix in some soap or shampoo to bubble up the first two cups (the liquid and gas states).

Now comes the fun part – let your little ones blow bubbles in all three cups! As they do so, they will see the water turn from a solid to a gas as it rises up and out of the cup, go from a liquid to a gas as it leaves the cup through the bubbles, and then become a solid once more as it falls back down into the bottom of each cup again. It’s a cool experiment to see in action and will surely leave your preschooler in awe!

For additional information regarding this activity, make sure to visit hessunacademy.com.

3. Water Cycle in a Bottle

activities for preschoolers with water

The water cycle in a bottle is a super easy and fun activity that teaches preschoolers about the different stages of the water cycle while recycling a plastic bottle!

  • A Clear Plastic Bottle
  • Blue Food Coloring
  • A Cup (To Hold The Bottle Upside Down)

Turn the bottle upside down and draw the various parts of the water cycle on the outside with a Sharpie. Add some blue food coloring to the hot water for some color, pour it into the bottle, and tighten the lid.

Flip the bottle back over and place it in a cup. Add some ice cubes to the flat bottom of the bottle. 

Slowly but surely, you will start to see condensation forming and maybe even a cloud! Talk about the different stages of the water cycle and reinforce them with your preschooler. It’s not only a great way to learn, but it’s also an opportunity to teach your child about recycling and sustainability.

If you want to know more about this activity, be sure to check out 123homeschool4me.com !

4. Puddle Evaporation Observation

activities for preschoolers with water

Get ready to engage your preschoolers in some puddle evaporation observation! This activity is a great way to introduce evaporation to your little ones. Start by having them draw around an existing puddle and predict how it will change over time. Will it evaporate completely, leaving only a dry spot? Or will it leave behind a small amount of water?

Once they have made their predictions, and wait for a designated amount of time. This could be a few hours or even a day, depending on how much time you have.

After the time has passed, have your preschoolers observe the puddle and compare it to their predictions. Did the water evaporate completely? Was there any water left behind? Use this as an opportunity to talk about the water cycle and how evaporation plays a role in it.

This activity is not only a great way to teach your preschoolers about evaporation, but it also encourages them to use their critical thinking skills to make predictions and observations.

Prekprintablefun.com is the place to go for more information about this activity.

5. Rain Cloud Craft

activities for preschoolers with water

This is a fun and easy activity that uses items you likely already have on hand, making it perfect for a classroom project or spring bulletin board display.

To get started, you’ll need some supplies such as:

  • Raindrop Template
  • Paper Plate
  • Cotton Balls
  • White Cardstock
  • Watercolors
  • Yarn Or String

Cut a paper plate in half and have your little ones work in small sections to apply glue and add cotton balls, covering the plate.

Next, print the raindrops template onto white cardstock and have your preschoolers use watercolors to paint the raindrops. Once dry, cut out the raindrops and hang them from the cloud (plate) using yarn or string.

You can use tape to attach one end of a piece of yarn to the back of each raindrop and the other end of the yarn to the back of the paper plate so that the raindrops are hanging from the cloud.

To learn more about this activity, make sure to visit thekindergartenconnection.com.

6. Rain Cloud in a Jar Experiment

activities for preschoolers with water

This is super easy and will only take a few materials that you probably already have at home.

First things first gather: 

  • Food Coloring
  • A Clear Jar
  • Shaving Cream
  • Plastic Pipettes

Once you’ve got all of those ready, mix a few drops of food coloring into some water to create your “rain”. The author’s little one loved making rain so much, they even tried different colors!

Next, fill the glass jar about 3/4 full with cool water. Then, make a fluffy “cloud” on top of the water using shaving cream. The fun part comes next: making it rain! Instruct your preschooler to suck up some of the colored water into their pipette and then gently squirt it on top of the shaving cream cloud.

It won’t take long before the first drops of colored rain start to fall and make their way through the cloud and into the water. It’s exciting to watch! This simple activity gives young children a hands-on visual that is both entertaining and educational.

If you need more details about this activity, don’t hesitate to check out thestemlaboratory.com.

7. Water Cycle with LEGOS

activities for preschoolers with water

Who doesn’t love LEGOS? They are not only fun and colorful, but they’re also great for learning! LEGOS are a classic manipulative toy, which means they help children develop their fine motor skills and cognitive abilities while playing.

In this water cycle project, your kids will learn about environmental science and create their water cycle using LEGOS. It’s a hands-on project that’s not only inspirational but also lots of fun. And the best part is that you don’t need any specific directions to complete it!

To get started, all you need are some LEGOS in white, green, blue, and yellow, which you can find in most traditional LEGO building sets. Your kids will build a cloud, land, water, and the sun to create their water cycle.

Not only will your kids have a blast building their water cycle, but they’ll also be expanding their cognitive skills as they visualize the water cycle in action.

Don’t forget to visit kcedventures.com to get more details about this activity.

8. R is for Rain Pom Pom Transfer

activities for preschoolers with water

This activity is perfect for young kids who are learning their phonics and practicing fine motor skills. It’s called the R is for Rain Pom Pom Transfer, and it’s a fun and educational activity that can be easily set up at home.

First, you’ll need to print out the free “r” printable. Then, grab a tray and basket to hold the materials. I recommend a Multicraft tray with a Montessori Services basket for this activity.

To add a practical life component, you can include tongs for picking up the pom poms. This will help your child practice their grip and hand-eye coordination.

Once you have everything set up, it’s time to start the activity! Have your child transfer the pom poms from one side of the magnet page to the other, using the tongs to pick up and move the pom poms. While they’re doing this, emphasize the phonetic sound of the letter “r” (/r/ for rain) to reinforce their phonics learning.

Livingmontessorinow.com has all the information you need about this activity.

9. Water Cycle Coloring Pages

activities for preschoolers with water

Coloring pages are a fantastic way to engage young children in learning about the water cycle. Not only do they get to practice their fine motor skills and creativity, but they also get to visualize the different stages of the water cycle.

There are many free water cycle coloring pages available online that you can print out for your child. Some pages even include labels and descriptions of the different stages of the water cycle, which can help reinforce their understanding of the process.

To take the activity a step further, you can have your child color and cut out the different stages of the water cycle and create their water cycle mobile. This can be a fun way to reinforce their learning and create a visual reminder of the process.

Make sure to visit coloringhome.com for more details about this activity.

10. DIY Terrarium

activities for preschoolers with water

A DIY terrarium is a great way to teach your child about the water cycle in a fun and creative way. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Small Rocks Or Pebbles
  • Animal Figurines
  • Rubber Band

Start by filling the bottom of your terrarium with small rocks or pebbles. This will provide drainage for the water cycle.

Next, add a layer of soil on top of the rocks. Then, add your nature objects and forest animal figurines. Encourage your child to be creative and arrange the items in a way that looks like a natural habitat.

To create the water cycle, add water and a few drops of blue food coloring to the terrarium. Then, place a few cotton balls on top of the soil. The cotton balls will act as clouds in the water cycle.

Finally, cover the terrarium with gauze and secure it with a rubber band. This will create a closed system for the water cycle.

As the water evaporates from the soil and nature objects, it will condense on the gauze and fall back into the terrarium as precipitation.

To get a better idea of this activity, be sure to check out montessorifromtheheart.com

Thank you for taking the time to read through these fun and educational activities related to the water cycle. It’s always great to find ways to incorporate hands-on learning into our daily activities, and these ideas are a great starting point. 

We hope you and your children enjoy exploring and learning about the water cycle in these creative ways!

People Also Ask

Understanding the water cycle is an important part of learning about the natural world and how it works. It can be a fun and engaging topic for preschoolers to explore, as they learn about the different forms water can take and how it moves through the environment.

Explaining the water cycle to preschoolers can be done in simple terms that they can easily understand. You can start by telling them that water is all around us and that it can change into different forms like rain, snow, and ice. Explain that the water cycle is like a big circle where the water goes up into the air as evaporation, forms clouds as condensation, falls back to the ground as precipitation, and then the process repeats itself. Using visual aids like pictures, diagrams, or even a simple demonstration with a jar of water and a lid can help to illustrate the concept further. Encourage preschoolers to explore and observe the water cycle in their everyday lives, like looking for rainbows after a rain shower or feeling the steam from a hot shower.

Check out more activities and resources you might like:

  • Science Books for Preschool
  • Preschool Bubble Activities
  • Germs Activities for Preschool
  • Weather Worksheets for Preschool
  • Ocean Songs for Preschool
  • Beach Crafts for Preschool

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The Best Filtered Water Bottles

Four filtered water bottles along with replacement filters and straws.

Filtered water bottles let you create better-tasting water almost anywhere you go. After we tested five of them, our pick is the Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle . Its activated carbon filter removes chlorine compounds, which are used as a disinfectant in most public water supplies and are the cause of the off-flavor that many people dislike about tap water.

But we have reservations about filter bottles in general. Most of them make you suck the water through the filter, and that’s not exactly easy—it’s like drinking a thick milkshake through a straw. And most bottle filters remove only chlorine, not other things you may be concerned about, like lead, PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), and microplastics.

If you have access to another source of filtered water, such as a filter pitcher , office water cooler, or under-sink filter , then using that to fill a reusable water bottle is a more convenient and versatile way to bring along fresh-tasting water that’s likely more thoroughly purified too.

activities for preschoolers with water

Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle

Fresh-tasting water wherever you are.

Certified to remove chlorine from tap water, this model improves the taste, and it comes in a variety of leakproof designs. But, like all filtered bottles, it needs upkeep and is difficult to drink through.

Buying Options

The Brita Insulated Filtering Water Bottle is NSF/ANSI certified (PDF) to reduce the chlorine disinfectants that can give tap water an unpleasant flavor. The bottle itself is well designed for carrying with you to work, school, outdoor events, and errands. It’s sturdy, didn’t leak a drop in our tests, and was easier to drink from than some of the competition, thanks to its comfortable mouthpiece. It comes in many colors, a few sizes, and both insulated stainless steel and BPA-free plastic (which is not insulated) versions. The plastic version is dishwasher safe for cleaning, and the replacement filters, which last about two months, are less than $3 apiece.

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, how we picked and tested, our pick: brita premium filtering water bottle, another good filter bottle if pathogens are a concern, the competition.

In testing and writing about water filters for Wirecutter since 2016, I’ve spoken with the two main US filter-certification organizations, NSF and the Water Quality Association, to understand how their testing is conducted. I’ve interviewed engineers and product managers at many water filter manufacturers to interrogate their technologies and claims. And I’ve spent years just living with and using multiple types of water filters, since overall durability, ease and cost of maintenance, and user friendliness are important considerations in something you use multiple times a day.

A Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle and a LifeStraw Go Series bottle, side by side.

Filtered water bottles create better-tasting water wherever you go. The kind we tested are aimed at commuters, high school and college students, caretakers, and other people who are always on the move. The bottles are sturdy, attractive, and slip easily into a backpack, purse, briefcase, or messenger bag.

The filters usually work by removing the chlorine disinfectants that give lots of tap water an off flavor. But that’s all most of them do. Most do not protect against other contaminants that may be of concern to you, like lead, PFAS, or bacteria.

The filter bottles we tested (with one exception ) are not meant for hikers and wilderness adventurers. That’s because they aren’t designed to be as small and light as possible, to be compatible with a variety of bottles and storage containers, or to remove disease-causing pathogens from untreated water.

That means they’re also not meant for emergency filtration, such as during a boil-water order following a flood or other natural disasters.

Finally, our testing showed that they’re not practical for children. Most filter bottles require you to suck the water through the filter, and that takes considerable force. Youngsters will have a far easier time using regular bottles filled with water from a filter pitcher or other filtered source.

Frankly, so will adults. Bear that in mind when deciding if you need a filter bottle at all.

Seven filtered water bottles that were part of our testing.

We applied the same criteria for filtered water bottles that we do for filter pitchers and dispensers, faucet-mount filters, and under-sink filters: Any claims that bottles remove heavy metals like lead and mercury, industrial compounds like pesticides, and pathogens like bacteria had to be NSF/ANSI certified or tested to NSF/ANSI or similarly stringent standards by accredited independent labs, with the test results publicly shared.

For filter bottles that claim only to make water taste better—which is by far the most common claim—we didn’t require stringent certification, because that’s an extremely simple thing to do. You just run the water through an activated-carbon filter, which are cheap and widely produced.

We did limit our search to filter bottles from well-known brands that have a history in the filtration sector. Numerous filter bottles are now available from small, little-known companies, and though many of them likely perform just fine, we place a lot of emphasis on accountability and an established record in an area as central to well-being as clean drinking water.

We eliminated bottles with pour-through filters, where you fill an upper reservoir and wait for the water to drip through the filter via gravity. They’re slow, and they take several fillings of the upper reservoir to create a full bottle of water—the opposite of on-the-go convenience.

Our testing focused on livability and usability factors. Is a bottle comfortable to hold? To drink from? To refill and to clean? Because filter bottles are generally tall and narrow, their interiors are hard to wash by hand, so we gave points to dishwasher-safe models.

We also came to prefer bottles whose mouthpiece is covered by a cap when not in use. Some have exposed flip-up mouthpieces, and though they’re convenient, they can also pick up dirt while jostling around inside a bag.

We filled our test bottles and kept them upside-down for several hours, shaking them vigorously every 30 minutes or so, to check for seepage. A spill inside your bag is annoying at best, and quite expensive if it ruins some electronics.

We assessed if replacement filters are easily available and affordable. Filters have finite lifespans; you’ll need a new one every few months if you use your filter bottle daily.

A Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle, our pick for the best filtered water bottle.

The BPA-free plastic Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle is our pick among the filter bottles we tested. It’s sturdy, comes in a variety of colors and sizes , and is NSF/ANSI certified to reduce chlorine (PDF) , which is the main culprit in bad-tasting tap water. (Note that the plastic versions we recommend are not insulated, although some listings online label them as such. The insulated stainless steel versions keep water cold longer.) Here’s what we liked about the Brita bottle:

A Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle with its flip-top cap and straw-like filter lying in front of it.

It’s relatively easy to drink from. The effort required to suck water through the straw-like filter is lower than with some competitors—though it’s still like drinking a thick milkshake through a straw—and the soft, rubbery mouthpiece is a comfortable size and shape.

It can make tap water taste better. The bottle uses a simple activated-carbon filter. It efficiently captures the chlorine compounds that are commonly used to disinfect water supplies, which, to many people, make the water taste bad.

Close-up of the flip-top cap and mouthpiece on the Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle.

The flip-top cap allows for one-handed drinking. The cap protects the mouthpiece and keeps it clean when you’re not using it. You just press a button, and the cap pops open to let you take a drink. We preferred its convenience to bottles with twist-off caps, which require two hands and can be dropped or lost. And we preferred both of these designs to bottles with flip-up spouts, which aren’t protected by a cap and can pick up dirt inside a bag or purse.

We didn’t experience any leaks. To test for leaks, we filled all of our contenders then placed them upside down for several hours, giving them a vigorous shake every half hour. The Brita bottle didn’t leak a drop (and neither did any of the other bottles).

The plastic parts are dishwasher safe. Like any reusable bottle, the Brita bottle should be cleaned regularly. To clean yours in the dishwasher, remove the filter from its housing and then place the housing and all other parts on the top rack. (Brita said the stainless versions should be hand-washed.)

Replacement filters are inexpensive. The replacement filters (model BB06) cost less than $3 apiece. They’re rated to last for 40 gallons or two months.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

This is a flaw of the category, not the Brita bottle specifically, but it bears emphasizing: Filter bottles are harder to drink from and fussier to refill than plain reusable bottles. It takes real effort to suck water through the filter. The straws drip when you pull them out to refill the bottle, and they’re just one more thing you have to clean and maintain.

If you have a convenient source of filtered water available—from an office water cooler, say, or a pitcher or under-sink filter at home—you’ll probably be happier with a versatile reusable bottle such as the ones we recommend .

The carry handle on the Brita bottle is attached to the flip-up cap. That puts the weight of the entire bottle on the small plastic latch that keeps the cap closed. Using the handle to pick up the bottle shouldn’t stress the latch too much, but we would not recommend carrying the bottle by the handle, hanging it from a carabiner while walking around, or pulling the bottle out of an overstuffed bag by yanking on it.

A LifeStraw Go Series filtered water bottle.

If you’d like a filter bottle that both makes treated water taste better (by removing chlorine) and also removes bacteria and protozoa (like Giardia ) that can be present in untreated water, we recommend the BPA-free plastic LifeStraw Go Series bottle . It comes in multiple colors and two sizes (22 and 34 ounces), and an insulated stainless steel version is available in 24 and 34 ounces.

All of LifeStraw’s bottles use a dual filter, with an activated carbon element to reduce chlorine and a hollow fiber membrane filter that physically blocks waterborne bacteria, protozoa, and other particles above 0.2 microns in diameter, including microplastics. (It does not capture viruses, which are smaller still.) You can read LifeStraw’s in-house and independent test results here (PDF) .

The hollow fiber membrane filter takes more strength to suck water through than the Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle’s plain carbon filter, and because pathogens are not present at dangerous levels in properly treated tap water, the Go bottle is overkill for most everyday use. However, if you travel frequently to places where unsanitary tap water is a concern, the Go bottles are more convenient (and stylish) than camping-oriented filters or chlorine tablets.

A LifeStraw Go Series filtered water bottle on its side with its screw-on cap next to it.

A screw-on cap protects the bottle’s mouthpiece from dirt when it’s not in use, and it prevented any leaks in our testing. However, it requires two hands to use, and while detached, it can be dropped, lost, or separated from its companion in a dish rack or crowded cabinet.

The carry handle is molded right into the lid, and it’s sturdy enough to stand up to moderately rough trail hiking. Commendably, LifeStraw sells replacement carbon filter elements on their own. They need to be switched out far more frequently (every 26 gallons, or about two months) than the hollow fiber filter , which is good for 1,000 gallons.

The Larq Bottle Flip Top effectively reduces lead and some industrial compounds as well as chlorine, which is unusual for a filter bottle. Larq shares the test results (PDF) publicly, as we require. But it has a pop-up mouthpiece that’s always exposed to dirt and other schmutz. And the filter—which is necessarily denser in order to be more capable—takes more strength to suck water through than our top pick from Brita. Replacement filters are also expensive at about $15 to $20 every two months. A regular bottle filled from a filtered water source is a better option if you want extensive purification.

The Phillips GoZero Filtration Bottle is similar to our pick, the Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle, in form and functionality, but its mouthpiece is shorter and harder to grip between your lips, so it’s more difficult to suck from.

The cleverly designed Grayl 24oz GeoPress Purifier is intended for camping and adventure travel, and we tested it largely to see if it might be a surprise winner for urban and suburban adventures, too. We found that it isn’t: Its plunger action, in which you fill the container and then force the filter through the water, requires a lot of strength and a location where you wouldn’t mind a few splashes. It would be a conversation starter in an office or classroom, but it belongs in the great outdoors.

This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.

Meet your guide

activities for preschoolers with water

Tim Heffernan

Tim Heffernan is a senior staff writer focusing on air and water quality and home energy efficiency. A former writer for The Atlantic, Popular Mechanics, and other national magazines, he joined Wirecutter in 2015. He owns three bikes and zero derailleurs.

Further reading

A few water pitchers and filters standing alongside several glasses of water.

The Best Water Filter Pitcher and Dispenser

by Tim Heffernan

Water filters and pitchers are the simplest, most affordable way to get reliable filtered water at home.

Pur Advanced Faucet Water Filtration System attached to a faucet

The Best Faucet-Mounted Water Filter

Here are our picks for the best water filter to mount on a kitchen faucet.

assorted pet drinking fountains of various sizes and shapes outdoors on a wooden surface

The Best Water Fountain for Cats and Dogs

by Rebekah Valentine

After testing 13 pet water fountains (and having one turned into a chew toy), we think the Catit Flower Fountain is the best for most cats (and some dogs).

Four under-sink water filtration systems sitting on a blue background.

The Best Under-Sink Water Filter

The Aquasana AQ-5200 is the under-sink water filtration system we recommend.

PopSugar

25 Indoor Activities For Kids Sure to Cure Cabin Fever

Posted: November 14, 2023 | Last updated: November 14, 2023

<p>Winter is coming. While bears get to hibernate, parents know toddlers and even older kids do not. Hence, it's peak season for cabin fever. The good news is that plenty of indoor activities for kids offer <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/family/Best-Learning-Toys-44075124" class="ga-track">fun (and even educational) experiences</a>, even if the weather outside is frightful.</p> <p>The bad news: You may not have the energy to muster up ideas for things to do inside - <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/family/how-to-enjoy-holidays-more-as-parent-46989272" class="ga-track">with the holiday whirl</a> and the hustle and bustle of work beckoning. Allow us to lend a hand. From top indoor activities for toddlers with energy to burn to weather-proof experiences for older kids, there's something on this list for children of all ages. These indoor activities for families will make even days with the worst weather delightful.</p>

Winter is coming. While bears get to hibernate, parents know toddlers and even older kids do not. Hence, it's peak season for cabin fever. The good news is that plenty of indoor activities for kids offer fun (and even educational) experiences , even if the weather outside is frightful.

The bad news: you may not have the energy to muster up ideas for things to do inside - with the holiday whirl and the hustle and bustle of work beckoning. Allow us to lend a hand. From top indoor activities for toddlers with energy to burn to weather-proof experiences for older kids, there's something on this list for children of all ages. These indoor activities for families will make even days with the worst weather delightful.

<p>Lay out art the art supplies and let the kids have at it. The possibilities are endless, and spending a few minutes to hours crafting something is a genius way to spark creativity. Seasonal activities like <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/DIY-Christmas-Ornaments-26255266" class="ga-track">DIY Christmas</a>, Valentine's Day, or <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/family/st-patricks-day-activities-to-do-at-home-with-kids-48214239" class="ga-track">St. Patty's Day</a> crafts are one idea. But a fuss-free option simply involves laying out crayons and colored pencils and allowing kids to create something all their own, giving way to beneficial unstructured play. </p>

Lay out art the art supplies and let the kids have at it. The possibilities are endless, and spending a few minutes to hours crafting something is a genius way to spark creativity. Seasonal activities like DIY Christmas , Valentine's Day, or St. Patty's Day crafts are one idea. But a fuss-free option simply involves laying out crayons and colored pencils and allowing kids to create something all their own, giving way to beneficial unstructured play.

<p>Curling up on the couch and <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/family/feel-good-movies-for-kids-47307583" class="ga-track">watching a favorite flick</a> can keep families warm and snuggly as they pass the time. Draw numbers to see who gets to pick the first movie (and beyond, if you're embracing the "marathon" feature of this idea). Depending on the age of the child, families can also make popcorn and gather together their favorite treats to enjoy during the movie.</p>

Have a Movie Marathon

Curling up on the couch and watching a favorite flick can keep families warm and snuggly as they pass the time. Draw numbers to see who gets to pick the first movie (and beyond, if you're embracing the "marathon" feature of this idea). Depending on the age of the child, families can also make popcorn and gather together their favorite treats to enjoy during the movie.

<p>If you've streamed every movie in your queue (or can't agree on one to watch), pivot to making your own. Less passive than watching a movie, a <a class="sugar-inline-link ga-track" title="Latest photos and news for DIY" href="https://www.popsugar.com/DIY">DIY</a> family flick is one of the best indoor activities for kids who want to be creative while moving around. Bonus: You can watch it for snow days to come. You can put your phones to use and then edit with software or apps like <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/imovie/id377298193" class="ga-track">iMovie</a>, <a href="https://www.canva.com/" class="ga-track">Canva</a>, or <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/snapseed/id439438619" class="ga-track">Snapseed</a>. The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/VTech-80-531800-KidiZoom-Creator-Cam/dp/B087CXPXGF/" class="ga-track">VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam</a> also has on-screen editing. </p>

Make Your Own Movie

If you've streamed every movie in your queue (or can't agree on one to watch), pivot to making your own. Less passive than watching a movie, a DIY family flick is one of the best indoor activities for kids who want to be creative while moving around. Bonus: you can watch it for snow days to come. You can put your phones to use and then edit with software or apps like iMovie , Canva , or Snapseed . The VTech KidiZoom Creator Cam also has onscreen editing.

<p>Puppet shows provide opportunities for imaginative play, collaboration, and creativity. You can use blankets to set up a stage or have kids go behind a couch or chair. Plenty of readymade puppets, like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Safari-Buddies-Puppets/dp/B07J6TJR2G/" class="ga-track">Melissa & Doug Safari Buddies Hand Puppets</a> ($22, originally $38), are available. However, making your own out of paper bags or tube socks gives kids another way to flex their creative muscles. Puppet theatre can engage various ages, from infants delighting in their parents' antics to big kids with similarly large imaginations.</p>

Do Puppet Theater

Puppet shows provide opportunities for imaginative play, collaboration, and creativity. You can use blankets to set up a stage or have kids go behind a couch or chair. Plenty of readymade puppets, like Melissa & Doug Safari Buddies Hand Puppets ($22, originally $38), are available. However, making your own out of paper bags or tube socks gives kids another way to flex their creative muscles. Puppet theater can engage various ages, from infants delighting in their parents' antics to big kids with similarly large imaginations.

<p>Make memories while taking a trip down memory lane. Scrapbooking together is a great way to use all the photos you took during the holiday or all of last year - and maybe it will let you feel less guilty about deleting some of the hundreds of photos of kids you have sitting on your phone. Just be sure to print photos before a bad weather day at your local pharmacy or printing store.</p>

Start a Scrapbook

Make memories while taking a trip down memory lane. Scrapbooking together is a great way to use all the photos you took during the holiday or all of last year - and maybe it will let you feel less guilty about deleting some of the hundreds of photos of kids you have sitting on your phone. Just be sure to print photos before a bad-weather day at your local pharmacy or printing store.

<p>Some of the best indoor activities for families involve bringing the outdoors inside. Grab some containers, order some soil, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy getting your hands dirty. Herbs like basil and chives grow well inside, or you can make kitties swoon by growing catnip. </p>

Grow an Indoor Garden

Some of the best indoor activities for families involve bringing the outdoors inside. Grab some containers, order some soil, roll up your sleeves, and enjoy getting your hands dirty. Herbs like basil and chives grow well inside, or you can make kitties swoon by growing catnip.

<p>If paint and colored pencils have gotten stale, mold a better day inside with Play-Doh. This <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Play-Doh-Modeling-Compound-Non-Toxic-Exclusive/dp/B00JM5GW10/" class="ga-track">Play-Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack</a> ($8) can be used to make all their sculpting dreams come true. Moreover, using their hands can be incredibly calming to kids feeling jittery after a day of being stuck indoors.</p>

Have Fun With Play-Doh

If paint and colored pencils have gotten stale, mold a better day inside with Play-Doh. This Play-Doh Modeling Compound 10-Pack ($8) can be used to make all their sculpting dreams come true. Moreover, using their hands can be incredibly calming to kids feeling jittery after a day of being stuck indoors.

<p>Use the time spent indoors to spruce up your space. Get your sock drawers under control, or brainstorm ways to redesign a room for a kid due for an upgrade. This idea isn't just for older kids. Chores make excellent practice-life-focused indoor activities for toddlers and build skills like sorting and following directions through seemingly mundane tasks like folding laundry. </p>

Do Housework (Seriously!)

Use the time spent indoors to spruce up your space. Get your sock drawers under control, or brainstorm ways to redesign a room for a kid due for an upgrade. This idea isn't just for older kids. Chores make excellent practice-life-focused indoor activities for toddlers and build skills like sorting and following directions through seemingly mundane tasks like folding laundry.

<p>Beat boredom blues by engaging a child's love of discovery. Younger kids around two or three will love helping to mix dyes or into foods to create new colors (think: turning milk blue or combining red and yellow to make orange). </p>

Start a Science Experiment

Beat boredom blues by engaging a child's love of discovery. Younger kids around two or three will love helping to mix dyes or into foods to create new colors (think: turning milk blue or combining red and yellow to make orange).

<p>Ready to bake a cake as fast as you can? On second thought, what's the rush on a blustery day when you have nowhere to go? Choose a <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/family/kid-friendly-baking-recipes-47417812" class="ga-track">family-friendly recipe</a> for bread, cake, cookies, or whatever your cravings call for, and make a warm baked good that hits directly on the coldest of days. Even tiny tykes can help with small tasks that feel like big deals to them, like pouring pre-measured ingredients into a mixture. </p>

Bake Something Delicious

Ready to bake a cake as fast as you can? On second thought, what's the rush on a blustery day when you have nowhere to go? Choose a family-friendly recipe for bread, cake, cookies, or whatever your cravings call for, and make a warm baked good that hits directly on the coldest of days. Even tiny tykes can help with small tasks that feel like big deals to them, like pouring pre-measured ingredients into a mixture.

<p>The local park may be a no-go, but indoor playground activities can weather-proof plans for kids who love climbing (and keep them off your tables). Time spent on pickler triangles and slides makes for some of the best indoor activities for toddlers and pre-schoolers, while <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/family/indoor-fort-building-kits-47391298" class="ga-track">forts are excellent for older kids</a>. </p>

Climb Around

The local park may be a no-go, but indoor playground activities can weather-proof plans for kids who love climbing (and keep them off your tables). Time spent on pickler triangles and slides makes for some of the best indoor activities for toddlers and pre-schoolers, while forts are excellent for older kids .

<p>Though play couches and fort kits are hits, back in our days, we used our own couches. If you're cool with it, have a nostalgic experience with your kids by using actual furniture to make the coolest hideout ever. Once you've built a tent, get cozy by snuggling and reading a book or telling ghost stories (if you dare).</p>

Make a Blanket-and-Pillow Tent

Though play couches and fort kits are hits, back in our days, we used our own couches. If you're cool with it, have a nostalgic experience with your kids by using actual furniture to make the coolest hideout ever. Once you've built a tent, get cozy by snuggling and reading a book or telling ghost stories (if you dare).

<p>Gentle movement can be relaxing and engaging but not tiring. Stretch limbs by doing yoga together. Apps like Peloton and even YouTube have practices geared toward children and families.</p>

Practice Yoga

Gentle movement can be relaxing and engaging but not tiring. Stretch limbs by doing yoga together. Apps like Peloton and even YouTube have practices geared toward children and families.

<p>This pool party-favorite game isn't limited to summertime fun. It can easily be brought indoors. The person who gets "tagged" first gets to be "it" and close their eyes next. The game is an ideal indoor activity for families of any size or kids whose playdates got rained on but still want to hang out with their crew.</p>

Play Marco Polo

This pool party-favorite game isn't limited to summertime fun. It can easily be brought indoors. The person who gets "tagged" first gets to be "it" and close their eyes next. The game is an ideal indoor activity for families of any size or kids whose playdates got rained on but still want to hang out with their crew.

<p>Get some friendly competition going to liven up a day spent indoors by playing board games. This classic indoor activity remains a boredom-buster in the digital era. From quintessential little-kid games like Candy Land to ones geared toward older children and adults, such as chess - families have plenty of age-appropriate options. The winner gets to choose the evening's movie, baking recipe, or next game.</p>

Break Out the Board Games

Get some friendly competition going to liven up a day spent indoors by playing board games. This classic indoor activity remains a boredom-buster in the digital era. From quintessential little-kid games like Candy Land to ones geared toward older children and adults, such as chess - families have plenty of age-appropriate options. The winner gets to choose the evening's movie, baking recipe, or next game.

<p>Speaking of screen-free classics, LEGOs remain one of the best activities for toddlers and kids alike. LEGOs DUPLO bricks are ideal for tiny hands, while older kids can graduate for more intricate sets with smaller pieces. Regardless of whether you buy a set to build something specific or just a box full of blocks, LEGOs offer opportunities to get creative and build motor skills.</p>

Build With LEGOs

Speaking of screen-free classics, LEGOs remain one of the best activities for toddlers and kids alike. LEGOs DUPLO bricks are ideal for tiny hands, while older kids can graduate for more intricate sets with smaller pieces. Regardless of whether you buy a set to build something specific or just a box full of blocks, LEGOs offer opportunities to get creative and build motor skills.

<p>While we generally discourage hitting one another, pillow fights can be a fun way to pass the time. This quintessential family activity is best left for kids old enough to understand the need to be gentle and stop when someone says so.</p>

Have a Pillow Fight

While we generally discourage hitting one another, pillow fights can be a fun way to pass the time. This quintessential family activity is best left for kids old enough to understand the need to be gentle and stop when someone says so.

<p>Creating a scavenger hunt for your kids will make for a memorable day indoors. Older kids can search for specific spices, shoes, or cherished toys. You can even ask them to spot things outside. Bonus: This idea is an excellent way to help kids remember where things are around the house.</p>

Host a Scavenger Hunt

Creating a scavenger hunt for your kids will make for a memorable day indoors. Older kids can search for specific spices, shoes, or cherished toys. You can even ask them to spot things outside. Bonus: This idea is an excellent way to help kids remember where things are around the house.

<p>Still basking in the glow of your Eras-tour family experience? Go ahead and </p><p><a href="https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/how-to-make-friendship-bracelets-49292219" class="ga-track">make the friendship bracelets</a> (again). Amazon sells kits aimed at school-aged kids and tweens. Allowing <a class="sugar-inline-link ga-track" title="Latest photos and news for Taylor Swift" href="https://www.popsugar.com/Taylor-Swift">Taylor Swift</a> to provide the soundtrack to your crafting is optional but recommended.</p>

Make Friendship Bracelets

Still basking in the glow of your Eras-tour family experience? Go ahead and

make the friendship bracelets (again). Amazon sells kits aimed at school-aged kids and tweens. Allowing Taylor Swift to provide the soundtrack to your crafting is optional but recommended.

<p>Sensory toys can be a fun way to engage younger children. However, parents can also get creative and <a class="sugar-inline-link ga-track" title="Latest photos and news for DIY" href="https://www.popsugar.com/DIY">DIY</a> these fun indoor activities for toddlers. Crushed-up Cheerios with a shovel become edible sand, and even a bowl of water with bath toys can make a splash inside. Not in the mood to create? You can find readymade options online.</p>

Make a Sensory Bin

Sensory toys can be a fun way to engage younger children. However, parents can also get creative and DIY these fun indoor activities for toddlers. Crushed-up Cheerios with a shovel become edible sand, and even a bowl of water with bath toys can make a splash inside. Not in the mood to create? You can find readymade options online.

<p>Allow imaginations to run wild by playing dress-up with your little ones. From doctor and firefighter kits that inspire the next generation of helpers to princess outfits that allow for charming and imaginative play, there's no shortage of options.</p>

Play Dress Up

Allow imaginations to run wild by playing dress-up with your little ones. From doctor and firefighter kits that inspire the next generation of helpers to princess outfits that allow for charming and imaginative play, there's no shortage of options.

<p>Even young infants and toddlers can partake in this activity using large or peg puzzles. Older children can help put together intricate jigsaw puzzles. This indoor idea is well-suited for independent play, but families can divide and conquer larger puzzles together for a bonding experience.</p>

Do a Challenging Puzzle

Even young infants and toddlers can partake in this activity using large or peg puzzles. Older children can help put together intricate jigsaw puzzles. This indoor idea is well-suited for independent play, but families can divide and conquer larger puzzles together for a bonding experience.

<p>Weather got them down or stressed? Simple breathing exercises can be incredibly soothing. Sit quietly together on the floor or a mat and take deep breaths together. Even a minute can put you in a better headspace. Speaking of which, apps like Headspace and Calm have guided meditations for families seeking assistance.</p>

Do Some Breathing Exercises

Weather got them down or stressed? Simple breathing exercises can be incredibly soothing. Sit quietly together on the floor or a mat and take deep breaths together. Even a minute can put you in a better headspace. Speaking of which, apps like Headspace and Calm have guided meditations for families seeking assistance.

<p>Whether you're reading a toddler a bedtime story or sitting next to an older kid as you read your novels of choice, reading allows people of all ages to escape to another place and time (hopefully somewhere warmer).</p>

Read a Book Together

Whether you're reading a toddler a bedtime story or sitting next to an older kid as you read your novels of choice, reading allows people of all ages to escape to another place and time (hopefully somewhere warmer).

<p>Craft a playlist full of songs everyone loves and turn a kitchen or living room floor into a dance floor. Dance parties are a great way to get families with children and adults of all ages moving when local parks and backyards are too cold and soggy.</p>

Have a Dance Party

Craft a playlist full of songs everyone loves and turn a kitchen or living room floor into a dance floor. Dance parties are a great way to get families with children and adults of all ages moving when local parks and backyards are too cold and soggy.

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  1. 23 Easy & Fun Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

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  2. 15 Fun Water Activities for Preschoolers

    activities for preschoolers with water

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    activities for preschoolers with water

  4. 25 Water Activities for Preschoolers

    activities for preschoolers with water

  5. Fun Summer Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

    activities for preschoolers with water

  6. 23 Easy & Fun Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

    activities for preschoolers with water

COMMENTS

  1. 23 Easy & Fun Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

    Benefits of messy play Counting activities for toddlers and preschoolers Easy Water Play Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers We have a few fun water play activities right here at Messy Little Monster. Our water bombs are a must for water fights to beat the heat. Our water sensory bins are a gentler, quieter way to explore water.

  2. 23 Exciting Water Activities for Preschoolers

    1. Pouring Station Simple and easy, this homemade pouring station is a fun way to get hands-on with water play indoors or outdoors. This is a great way for preschoolers to experiment with water and work on hand-eye coordination through pouring from one container to another.

  3. 55 Fun Easy Water Activities for Toddlers & Preschoolers

    Table of Contents How do you make water play interesting for toddlers? In order to make water play more interesting and appealing to toddlers, include a few different tools or items of interest each time. Try different container shapes and sizes to scoop and pour with, include bath toys, spray or squirt bottles, items from nature or paint brushes.

  4. 15 Favorite Preschool Water Activities

    Explore These activities can be done year round, in the classroom or at home. With one child or many children. (Perfect for play dates !) And they are easy. We like that! 15 Favorite Preschool Water Activities CLICK HERE for more water ideas! Color Sorting: This activity not only builds color recognition skills, but fine motor, too!

  5. 21 Easy Preschool Water Experiments

    Alka Seltzer Experiment A simple water activity that involves adding alka seltzer tablets to water and oil. Sure to impress! Cornstarch and Water

  6. The 33 Best Water Activities for Fun and Learning

    1. Turn a plastic bottle into a sprinkler No sprinkler? No problem! Upcycle a plastic water bottle and use your DIY sprinkler for all kinds of water activities. Learn more: Housing a Forest 2. Toss water balloons using towels Water balloon tosses are always fun, but this one ups the ante by requiring teamwork.

  7. 45 Awesome Water Activities for Kids

    1. DIY Splash Pad I'm going to start off this list with what I believe to be the best activities related to water. Learn how to make a splash pad in 30 minutes. This DIY project is a great way to cool off on hot summer days. Best of all, once it's made it only takes 5 minutes to set up and pack away. 2. How to Make A Water Wall

  8. 25 Water Activities for Preschoolers

    Alphabet Island Water Block Tower - Set out an empty tub, a tub of water, a pitcher, and blocks. Encourage discovery: Invite children to build different block structures in the empty tub. Pour water over the blocks and watch the different ways the water falls.

  9. 16 ideas for water play activities for preschoolers

    Little Celebrators FAQs 16 ideas for water play activities for preschoolers As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. This site contains affiliate links. Discover a world of fun and learning with our curated list of water play activities for preschoolers.

  10. Preschool Water Play Activities

    Water play games for preschoolers provide a range of developmental benefits. Water games promote social interaction and cooperative play as children collaborate, share toys, and communicate with their peers, fostering important social skills. The best part is that games can be completely adapted for different ages and skill levels. You can ...

  11. 15 Simple Water Activities for Preschoolers that You Might Know

    Buoyancy: Water can float or sink objects based on their weight and shape. By experimenting with different objects, children can learn about buoyancy. Density: Water has a specific density, and objects with higher or lower densities can float or sink in it. Children can learn about this concept by experimenting with objects of different densities.

  12. 15 Fun Water Play Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

    Sensory Play Fill a basin or trough with water and add objects of different textures for kids to explore. Add water beads or coloured ice cubes to the water for a tactile experience. Water Painting Painting with water can be great for strengthening gross motor skills.

  13. Water Activities

    Get Started Having Fun with your kids! PLAN THE FUN WITH THE FREE KIDS ACTIVITIES PLANNER! AND RECEIVE ACTIVITIES EVERY WEEK! I'm Ready. Kids are drawn to water. My kids ask for water activities all the time. Find some of the funnest activities we've done with water.

  14. Water Activities for Toddlers that are Tons of Fun & Simple, Too!

    Water activities to do with your toddler. Grab a tub and fill it with water and have fun with these water activities for toddlers today! Paint with water. Grab some real house paintbrushes and rollers and go to town painting the sidewalk! Make garden soup with some friends. Happy Hooligans had the kids pick their own flowers before getting ...

  15. 15 Fun Water Activities for Preschoolers At Home

    I've compiled my top 15 favorite water activities for preschoolers indoors, perfect for fun, active learning regardless of the weather outside! 1. Water Beads. Imagine tiny, colorful beads that swell up in water, creating a squishy, slippery surface that is irresistible to tiny hands. The sensory experience is not just fun.

  16. 23 of the Best Water Table Activities

    Ocean Sensory Bin Add ocean animals and nets to your water table for a fun ocean sensory bin. Frog Pond Sensory Play Create a pond in your sensory bin that includes frogs and lily pads. Toddler Frog Water Bin We used larger frogs for toddler hands-on water fun! Spring Water Bin

  17. 25 Best Water Games and Activities for Kids

    Water Battle. This one's perfect for slightly older kids and is played by two people. Gather together a pitcher of water, eight plastic cups half filled with water, and a couple of decks of playing cards. Put the cups and pitcher on a table, and a deck of cards (face-down) in front of each player.

  18. 27 Exciting Water Activities for Preschoolers

    A sensory water table is a fantastic activity for preschoolers to engage their senses and explore various objects in a water-filled environment. Set up a large plastic tub or a water table and fill it with water. Add a variety of objects like plastic cups, funnels, sponges, rubber ducks, and toy boats.

  19. 20 Montessori Water Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers

    1. Water Pouring Water pouring is a simple Practical Life control-of-movement activity. It appeals to young children, as they get to use a glass pitcher for what is often the very first time. Food coloring is often added to the water to help children discriminate visually the amounts of water in each container.

  20. Free Preschool Water Table Activities and Lesson Plans

    Mixing Water Colors - Give your preschooler a variety of colored water in different pouring containers. (Use washable watercolor paints to color the water.) Offer a few empty bowls, too. Now invite your preschooler to pour and mix the water to make new colors. These activities using water are sure to make a splash!

  21. Make Waves With These 15 Water Science Experiments for Preschoolers

    1. Alka Seltzer Experiment Engage your preschooler with a delightful dance of colorful bubbles in the Alka Seltzer experiment. This easy pre-k science experiment offers a captivating glimpse into the world of chemistry, revealing the fascinating interactions between oil, water, and effervescence.

  22. 25+ Safe & Fun Water Activities For Toddlers And Preschoolers

    If the water can is empty, ask them to refill it and repeat it to the rest of the plants. 4. Pool ball play. Another simple outdoor water activity for toddlers is the pool ball play. It's ideal for summer outdoor activities as the kids love spending time in cold water for hours.

  23. 10 Fun and Cool Water Cycle Activities for Preschool

    1. Reading Books About Water Photo credit: amazon.com Learn More What better way to introduce your preschooler to the water cycle than through books? Reading together is not only a great way to develop their reading and comprehension skills, but also a fun way to explore the water cycle through colorful illustrations and entertaining storytelling.

  24. The Best Filtered Water Bottles of 2024

    But, like all filtered bottles, it needs upkeep and is difficult to drink through. $18 from Amazon. (26 ounces) $20 from. (26 ounces) $23 from Lowe's. (26 ounces) The Brita Insulated Filtering ...

  25. DIY Super Mario Party with Obstacle Course

    1.Water World Mario Obstacle Course Water World - I hung streamers from the low hanging branches of a tree in our front yard and tied a few ocean-themed toys I already had on hand to the ends. I used a hand-held bubble machine for effect and told the boys to weave and swim between the streamers to get to the next stage.

  26. 25 Indoor Activities For Kids Sure to Cure Cabin Fever

    Eminem's kids: What he's shared about Hailie, Alaina and Stevie. Eminem introduced himself to the world in 1999 with his aptly titled single "My Name Is." Allow us to now introduce you to ...