Splish Splash ! Let’s learn about water!

Note to Parents: Relax, put down a towel and don’t you dare do this in the bath tub, kids love water, and they need to have fun and explore how it feels, works and looks outside of the routine of a bath.

1. Gather your materials. I like to use a container about your child’s age. So the smaller the baby, the smaller the Tupperware! You should never have anything large enough that a child could get into and cause them harm. You don’t need a huge container for a good time. You will also want some fun things to put in the water- oh, and you may want to make sure anything you don’t want in the water is out of reach!
2. Have fun pouring and if you have an older child, grab some measuring cups and measure out the water, pour it fast, or slow, try to make a teeny tiny trickle. Follow your child’s lead, if pouring is boring move on!!
3. Get your testers ready- find things in your house for this experiment! Young toddlers will have fun splashing, but I have done this experiment with kids as young as two successfully. Be animated, follow their cues and throw those toys in the water! As you pop them in, ask your child if they think it will stay bouncy floating on top or if they will fall all the way to the bottom and sink.
4. If your child likes to learn with words and charts, make a simple chart like this one. You can test out each object and put them in the right column. If your child just thinks it’s fun to put the wet toys on paper that’s cool too. Don’t push, we want them to explore.
5. If you have an older child, try making predictions before the experiment. I have always been amazed that the Melissa and Doug blocks don’t sink, they get me every time! I had to go searching for this car so that I had something to sink! Remember it’s great to admit that you thought one thing and were shocked to be proven wrong, discover things with your child!

Note to Parents – I have met very few preschoolers ( and I know lots) that don’t love to sing, so why not!! Also when you sing with your child don’t worry about how you sound, they don’t care, in my opinion, the sillier, the better!

Here is one of my favorite songs with the water theme in it! This was always a big hit with my students. Click on the video to see how silly adults with no makeup and messy hair is singing kids songs- and for the actions!

Here are some great picture books that support this theme, so if your child had fun with the water and or song you could introduce these books at a quiet, or not so quiet time too!

“Splash!” by Flora McDonell

“Water is Wet” by Penny Pollack

Note to Parents – let your young child take the lead, they are always learning, always absorbing and not everything HAS to be a teachable moment. Suggest and offer activities but be prepared to end things early or move on to something else, that is ok, normal and healthy! Learning doesn’t happen in a forced environment, but rather one rich in opportunities and experiences!