Young children love water. Whether it’s splashing around in the bathtub, showering friends with water pistols or building sandcastles on the beach, there is something so joyful about getting soaking wet as part of their play. Saving water can help us care for our environment.
Please remember never to leave your little one unsupervised around even very small amounts of water.
Making things grow
With the Summer holidays here, and as our thoughts turn to spending more time in the garden or out in parks, it’s an ideal time to talk about planting seeds, growing flowers or easy fruit and vegetables such as strawberries and tomatoes, and the role that water and rain play in this process. Having a bucket outside to catch rain water makes your growing and watering more environmentally friendly. It can also teach children about weather.
Calming and soothing
Experts believe that playing with water hones fine motor skills, provides opportunities for exploration and experimentation, enables creative and imaginative play and encourages outdoor activities. The touch and sound of flowing or running water can also offer a sensory and calming experience for children.
A simple washing up bowl with some sponges, funnels and containers, and a washing station where little ones clean toys or play at doing laundry are great fun activities. Gentle laundry and dishwashing fluids that make fun bubbles and soften the way while the children play. Different types of tubs, bottles and jars, part-filled them with water so that children can use them as musical instruments and strike them with spoons or sticks.
Changing states
Older pre-schoolers can also explore water in its different states. Watching the steam and condensation and frozen water in moulds for ice cubes and lollies all show water in different states. Other activities have involved putting various toys and items into a water table to see which floated best.
Keeping healthy
Young children also need to learn how water keeps them alive and their bodies functioning properly. Encouraging children to drink water regularly as part of healthy eating and knowing that the tap with the red top means it is hot and needs adult supervision is a useful life skill.
Older children can learn about how a lack of water can cause droughts or too much water can cause floods can teach children that water affects children around the world in different ways.
