Water and children are a magnetic pair- even if it’s not planned, kids will find any sink or puddle where they can make a splash! Playing with cups and scoops, experimenting with absorption and density, and developing new mixtures integrate sensory experiences with academic concepts. Whether your water play comes in the form of a rainy day, a hot summer sprinkler activity, or a sensory table set-up, these activities for kids are sure to spark joy as they learn! Let’s dive in!
1. Will It Absorb?
This simple water experiment will inspire hours of fun! Have your children make predictions about different objects’ absorbent qualities, then let them place those items into an ice cube tray to test them out! They’ll work on fine motor skills as they use eyedroppers to add water and test their hypotheses!
Learn More: Pre-Kinders
2. Spray Bottle Letters
This one is perfect for working on letter recognition and only needs an inexpensive spray bottle! Write the letters on the ground or wall with chalk, then let your learners spray them and say them aloud! This activity can easily target rhyming words, letter sounds, or many other literacy skills with a few minor adjustments!
Learn More: Raising Dragons
3. Alphabet Soup
This fun idea for your literacy rotations will also help your students with their letter recognition and fine motor skills! Simply place plastic letters in a bowl of water and challenge them to hunt through their alphabet soup for the letters in their name or specific sight words.
Learn More: The Kindergarten Connection
4. Sink/Float Experiments
This simple science activity is sure to become a favorite, whatever your theme! Begin by picking an item and asking your learners “Will it sink or float?”, before demonstrating the experiment by dropping the item into the water! Your kiddos can then search for materials, make a prediction, and then test them out! Bring this activity back each season by testing festive items!
Learn More: 7 Days of Play
5. Pouring Station
Set up a pouring station with basic supplies from your kitchen! Add in a bit of color-mixing magic by adding food dye or colorful ice cubes to the mix. This Montessori-inspired activity is a great way to practice life skills while you beat the hot summer heat and keep your littlest learners occupied!
Learn More: Busy Toddler
6. Oil & Water Sensory Bags
This inexpensive idea uses baking essentials to create sensory bags! Let your children explore mixing food colors, water, and vegetable oil in a plastic baggie (be sure to seal it up with tape too). They’ll just love trying to mix the liquids and watching them separate again!
Learn More: Everyday Chaos and Calm
7. Dry Erase Magic Trick
This dry-erase marker trick will quickly become a favorite water and STEM activity for your students. They’ll be shocked when they find out they can just draw a picture with dry-erase markers that will float off into a bowl of water! Discuss the concept of solubility to bring science into the conversation.
Learn More: Active Littles
8. Underwater Volcanoes
Elementary students will learn about the relative densities of hot and cold water during this underwater volcano experiment. They’ll love the visual of this cup of warm water that’s dyed with food coloring “erupting” into a jar of cooler liquid, mimicking real underwater volcanic activity!
Learn More: Mombrite
9. Build-a-Boat
Your children will love experimenting with materials to construct a functional boat! They can build their vessels from recyclables, apples, natural materials, pool noodles, or whatever you have on hand! Your kiddies will learn about different nautical designs, then attempt to create sails that really catch the wind or motors that run! This is one that you can easily adapt, whatever grade you teach!
Learn More: Feel Good Teaching
10. Rainy Day Boats
Outdoor water activities are even more fun when it’s raining! On one of those drizzly days, challenge your children to create a boat from tin foil or paper. Then, launch the boats into a deep puddle or the streams that form along the curb. See how far they can go!
Learn More: How Wee Learn
11. Puddle Painting
Take tempera paints outside on a rainy day and let Mother Nature do the rest! Let your little artists create vibrant puddles, then have them lay a piece of cardstock next to a puddle and see the designs they can create from their splashes!
Learn More: Parenting Not Perfection
12. Water Painting
A literacy center with a watery twist! Your learners will just need a cup of water and a paintbrush to practice their letter formation during this fun activity. They’ll use their water to paint letters, numbers, or sight words onto concrete or stones outdoors then watch as the letters disappear!
Learn More: All for the Boys
13. Water Balloon Painting
Your students will love this fun craft that uses water balloons to make prints! They’ll roll or squish balloons through the paint to leave different designs on butcher paper. Or, if you’re brave, fill the balloons with paint themselves to throw and splat on the blank canvas! This messy process art is sure to become a summer favorite!
Learn More: Raising Dragons
14. Painting with Water Guns
Add some liquid watercolors to miniature water guns and let your students paint on a large piece of canvas! Alternatively, you can make giant targets on butcher paper and let the watercolors record their prowess! Either way, your kiddies will love this fun take on a classic summer water activity.
Learn More: Fireflies and Mudpies
15. Water Targets
Ready, aim, fire! Set up a few toys on top of a bucket, stump, or box to use for target practice! Let your little ones use water guns, sponge bombs, or other pool toys to knock down the items and make quite a splash!
Learn More: Toddler Approved
16. Squirt Gun Races
Let your children explore how water can exert force with this fun activity for summer days! They’ll move plastic cups across suspended ropes by squirting them with their water guns. For more water fun, extend part of the obstacle course over a water slide or inflatable pool! Who’ll propel their cup to victory?!
Learn More: This Grandma is Fun
17. Mud Kitchen
The classic mud kitchen will keep all of your kids busy for hours! Encourage your kids to invent stories, explore measurement concepts, and use thematic vocabulary as they cook in their mud kitchen. Just remember, you’ll maybe want to ask parents to send them in with a change of clothes for after!
Learn More: Learn with Play at Home
18. Water Wall
This fantastic STEM water activity will take some creativity and building skills, but it will be worth it for the never-ending fun! Attach some recyclable materials or repurposed pipes to a board to create a pathway for water to flow. The possibilities for designs are endless!
Learn More: Learn with Play at Home
19. Marble Track Water Play
Why not add marble track pieces to your water table for extra fun! Let your kiddos design, build, and pour water down their pathways to their hearts’ content. Try putting two tubs side by side and having a water “race!” They’ll love this water play activity that encourages their engineering skills!
Learn More: Housing a Forest
20. Giant Bubbles
Bubbles are a surefire way to get kids excited; giant bubbles are even better! Gather the necessary materials and make your bubble solution in a small kiddie pool or bucket. Then, watch the joy that ensues when your kids start making bubbles as big as them!
Learn More: Tinkergarten
21. Fairy Soup
This creative water activity will have your kids engaging with nature and all of its sensory elements! Have your children make a base of “flower soup,” then add colorful leaves, acorns, seed pods, or whatever they can gather from the outdoors. Add glitter, sequins, or fairy figurines for an extra magical touch!
Learn More: Happy Hooligans
22. Invisible Water Beads
Surprise your students with this awesome water activity! Place clear water beads in any container you have on hand, add scoops or cups, and let your little ones explore; they’ll love the sensory experience and getting to play with this awesome water toy!
Learn More: Come Together Kids
23. Lemonade Sensory Play
This activity is inspired by the lemonade stands that pop up on those hot summer days. Get your kiddies set up for this activity by adding lemon slices, ice cubes, juicers, cups, and ladles to your sensory tub, then let them have fun exploring this delightful-smelling water activity however they choose!
Learn More: Fantastic Fun and Learning
24. Sensory Walk
This fantastic water activity is sure to delight your kids! Add various sensory materials to tubs of water, like water beads, clean sponges, river rocks, or pool noodles. Then, let your students shed their shoes and walk through the buckets! They’ll love getting to feel the different materials with their toes!
Learn More: Raising Dragons
25. Pom Pom Squeeze
Encourage your kiddies to play around with volume as they soak up the water with pom poms and squeeze them into jars! This is a simple and sweet activity to help develop students’ fine motor skills at your sensory table!
Learn More: Fantastic Fun & Learning
26. Frozen Pom Poms
Frozen pom poms are an inexpensive way to add some extra fun to your water table! Let children explore and then encourage them to try and get them free of the ice then complete a task, like using tongs to sort them by color or arranging them into fun designs!
Learn More: Busy Toddler
27. Bike & Trike Wash
A trike and bike wash is sure to become a favorite summer activity for your kids. Provide them with all the supplies they need such as soap, buckets of water, and cheap sponges, and let them get to work! If it happens to turn into a silly hose fight, then so be it!
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28. Baby Doll Bath Time
Baby doll bath time is the perfect addition to your home corner. Stock up on some clean sponges, those old hotel soaps and shampoos, toothbrushes, and loofahs, then give your kiddies a tub of water. Let the children become pretend parents and give their baby dolls a scrub!
Learn More: Happy Hooligans
29. End-of-the-Year Toy Cleanup
Get your students involved with your classroom shutdown! Have them gather up all your plastic toys and clean them on the water table with toothbrushes, sponges, and soap! They’ll love getting to be your helpers as they wash your toys and prepare them for the next class.
Learn More: Pocket of Preschool
30. Make a River
This challenging water transfer activity will help your kiddos learn about the natural water sources on Earth. Challenge them to dig a trench (best done in the dirt or a sandbox with lining) to create a flowing river from one location to another.
Learn More: Picklebums
31. Building Dams
As children learn about moving water in streams, creeks, and rivers, the topic of beavers and their dams often pops up! Relate this to the man-made versions and get children engaged in this STEM project of dam-building. They can use classroom materials or natural items to build these functional structures!
Learn More: PBS Kids
32. Ocean Animals Small World Play
As you plan your summertime water table activities, try out this ocean animal small-world activity! Add items like plastic or rubber animal figurines, sand, aquarium plants, and small toy boats to your sensory table, and see what stories your students will come up with!
Learn More: Natural Beach Living
33. Ocean Soap Foam
Making this cool sensory foam is as easy as combining soap and water in a blender! Once you get the basics down, you can experiment with different colors of soap too! Use the ocean foam on your sensory table or outside in an inflatable swimming pool for hours of hands-on fun!
Learn More: Views from a Step Stool
34. Itsy Bitsy Spider Water Play
Bring poetry and nursery rhymes into your sensory center by adding components for retelling “The Itsy Bitsy Spider.” This activity is even toddler-approved, but also works as a kindergarten activity or beyond, as nursery rhymes are known to be an essential component to developing phonemic awareness.
Learn More: Teachers Mag
35. Pond Small World Play
In your Springtime study of amphibians and insects, create a pond small world set-up in your water table! Your kids will love this indoor pond to play in! Just add frog and bug figurines as well as lily pads for them to rest on, and let their imaginations do their thing!
Learn More: Picklebums
36. Balls in Water Experiment
Your young children will love this opportunity to get a little wet while learning about science at the same time! Start by gathering a selection of balls and support your kiddies’ gross motor development by letting them throw each one into the water to see which ones will float and which will sink. It’s sure to make a splash!
Learn More: Hi Mama
37. Go Surfing
The opportunity to surf used to be limited to those who lived by the coast and were able-bodied. But those are not barriers anymore! Let your kids catch some waves and take them to surf in the ocean or in an indoor facility. There are also organizations that provide adaptive surfing so the activity is accessible to everyone in your class!
Learn More: Adaptive Surf Project
38. Create a Coral Reef
A DIY coral reef is a great way to get your kiddies inspired to learn about the ocean! Your young children can develop their fine motor skills by selecting and organizing the items, while older children can use their content knowledge to build artificial reefs that include the correct fish and other sea life.
Learn More: Living Montessori Now
39. Bathtub Fishing
Any activity that makes the bathtub fun is a win in our books! Let your kiddies create their own waterscape with magnet letters and numbers, and then it’s time to go fishing! Challenge them to reel in or net some letters, fish, or boats! Whoever has the most at the end is the winner!
Learn More: Pinterest
40. Visit a Water Park
Are your kiddies overdue for a field trip? If you’re looking for a way to enjoy the water on a large scale, you could consider a trip to an awesome water park! Based on your location, you can visit theme parks or local recreation centers that offer activities and water sports for all ages. Your kiddos will love the chance to get off school grounds for a while and have some fun with friends!
Learn More: Travel Channel
41. Lake Activities
Outdoor water activities make for a great day out for your older elementary kids. Depending on your location, you can enjoy fishing, boating, or water sports. Activities like these are great for building teamwork and giving your kids the opportunity to demonstrate responsibility.
Learn More: Saf-T-Swim
42. Virtual Field Trips
If your class topic is all about the oceans of the world, a field trip to an aquarium is the perfect choice! Aquariums provide an awesome experience and close access to environments and marine life from around the world. If your school is too far away and you can’t make this trip in person, thanks to current technology, you can make the trip virtually!
Learn More: Georgia Aquarium
43. Ocean Pollution Bin
A key goal of our educational curriculum is to help your learners become global citizens. A hands-on experiment that shows the issues of pollution makes a worldwide problem relatable for them. Create an “ocean” with some sand, water, and a variety of plastic aquatic animals. Next, add some plastic pollution and oil, and task your kiddos with the clean-up!
Learn More: Natural Beach Living
44. DIY Slip and Slide
The ability to bring together engineering skills and water sports is a win-win in our books! Creating a DIY slip-and-slide allows older children to demonstrate their engineering abilities as they work to ensure a smooth ride. Once they’re happy with their work, all that’s left is to add some water and let the fun begin!
Learn More: HGTV
45. Ice Excavation
Are you looking for an activity that incorporates water, science, and fine motor skills? Then try an ice excavation activity To set up this activity have your kiddos select items to place in a tub of water. Once the water is frozen, it’s time to get some tools and start excavating!
Learn More: Crumb Bums
46. Duck Duck Splash
On a hot day, there’s nothing better than a low-prep outdoor game! All you need to play Duck Duck Splash is a cup and some water. Most children will be familiar with this game where they’ll go around the circle tapping everyone as a ‘duck’, but the twist is that they’ll dunk the cup of water over the head of the person who’s the goose!
Learn More: Inspiration Made Simple
47. Ocean Zones
If your kiddies are interested in ocean exploration, why not capitalize on this with a cool ‘zones of the ocean’ activity? This hands-on task requires your students to research which sea creatures exist on each level and how much sunlight reaches each zone. They’ll then use some plastic animals, clear jars, water, and food dye to display their learning!
Learn More: KC Edventures
48. Color Changing Flowers
This one is a great way to show your learners what happens when plants take in water! Children of all ages will be amazed by this hands-on experiment where they’ll pop some white flowers into the water with some food coloring to create a rainbow bouquet! You can even cut one of the stems, and if you’re lucky you’ll see the tiny tubes that transport the water up the stem!
Learn More: CS Mott Children’s Hospital
49. Water Balloon Baseball
Raise the stakes in your next outdoor PE session! When it is time to get your kids out for some physical activity on a hot day, all you need to do is replace a whiffle ball with a water balloon, and suddenly, all your kids will be laser-focused! A game of water balloon baseball gives them a chance to work on their hand-eye coordination while taking a chance to cool off!
Learn More: Pinterest
50. Water Temperature Experiment
If you work with kiddos who are visual learners, this water temperature experiment will go down a treat! Your students will be able to complete this activity themselves as they drop food coloring into three containers of water at different temperatures, and observe how variations in the water environment create different physical changes!
Learn More: Teach Starter
51. Oobleck
Most young learners love the idea of playing with ‘goo’, so why not let them make it themselves? To make this non-Newtonian fluid, you’ll just need cornstarch, water, and some food coloring! Your kiddies will be intrigued by this bizarre mixture that has the consistency of both a solid and a liquid depending on how it’s handled!
Learn More: Little Bins For Little Hands
52. Water Cycle Bag
The water cycle is super important to our climate and our very survival! Your students will be introduced to it in elementary school and will revisit the concepts in middle and high school, so it’s great to have an activity like this to help them understand the basics! They’ll place some water in a ziplock bag, then leave it somewhere warm and sunny to see all the different stages in action!
Learn More: Ziploc
53. LEGO 3D Activity
If you have a class full of LEGO lovers, this activity is perfect for you! Have your children use their LEGOs to build a 3D model of any water-related concept they can think of; it could be the water cycle, an ocean environment, or an underwater scene. This is a fantastic way to review their learning!
Learn More: 123 Homeschool 4 Me
54. Pool Noodle Boats
Set sail on a fun journey to create boats with your kiddos! With a little preparation, this hands-on activity will see them build their very own boats out of a pool noodle, a straw, and some thin crafting foam! Once crafted, their boats are ready to be sailed in a bucket, bathtub, or even outside in a puddle or pond!
Learn More: Frogs And Snails And Puppy Dog Tail
55. Under The Sea Yoga
If you want to introduce concepts related to the water without getting wet, this yoga activity is perfect. You can choose from stretching and different yoga poses that all have a water theme. These videos make for a great cool-down activity from an active PE session or as a brain break between lessons!
Learn More: YouTube
56. Pass the Cup
Spark your kiddos’ competitive spirit with this next game! Start by splitting your kids into teams and have each team stand in a line. The goal of this competitive game is for teams to move the water from a full bucket at one end to an empty bucket at the other end; sounds simple, right? The catch is that the water must be moved one cup at a time down the line!
Learn More: Kid Friendly Things To Do
57. Soap Boat Race
Your littlest learners will love this super fun activity! Give them each a bar of soap and let them add a unique little flag or sail before they race their soap boats on some guttering or a plastic sheet. If you have older children, you could encourage them to carve their boats to achieve the shape they want, thinking about how the shape will affect the speed!
Learn More: The Inspiration Board
58. Kiddie Pool Treasure Hunt
If you have access to a small plastic tub or kiddie pool, you can create your own treasure hunt for your kiddos. Simply fill the pool with water and drop in small trinkets and prizes, then, it is time to let your treasure hungers start the search for the items they want! What a fun way to cool off and reward your class on a hot day!
Learn More: Glue Sticks Blog
59. Frozen T-shirt Race
Not only will your kiddies love this game, but you’ll also get a good laugh watching them play it! To prepare this one, you’ll need to freeze the correct number of shirts in advance. Then, you’ll just need to sit back and let the fun begin as children try to put on their frozen shirts the quickest!
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