Portable Water Play

Water play is usually a big hit around here, with bath time being a favourite. Last year I actually brought the water table from the backyard in our kitchen for the winter so that the kids could still have water play. It was cumbersome and got in the way. This year I decided to try something different.

We have a small wooden Ikea children's table. I placed a very large, clear plastic storage bin on top to create a portable water table. The bin is just the right size to hold enough water to sustain lots of creative, exploratory play, and I love that it's clear so the water and materials can be seen from the side. This would be a great solution for anyone wanting to encourage their children to engage in water play but do not have or want to spend the money on large wooden water/sand tables.

I love adding colour to water play by using food colouring. It adds another dimension to the sensory play, and it's great for mini lessons on colour mixing. Caleb decided he wanted to make green water, so I encouraged him to add yellow food colouring to the water.

He then added some blue food colouring...

...and was amazed as he mixed the colours and they turned green!

Although I have brought in some of our outdoor water table toys, I added in every day tools from around the house like spoons, cups, and funnels. This was a great way to introduce new vocabulary by naming the tools (e.g., graduated cylinder, funnel) and engaging in a discussion about how they might be used.