Water play activities for kids

Safety first

Never leave a child alone near any water, even a small amount, even for a moment, and even if it is only a few centimetres deep. If the doorbell or phone rings, take the child with you or end the game. A grown-up must stay within arm's reach the whole time. Use only a shallow tub or the sink, and empty every tub and bucket as soon as you finish, so there is no standing water left behind. Wipe up spills straight away, because wet floors are slippery, and keep a towel handy. Keep every electrical item, including chargers, tablets, lamps and battery toys, well away from water. Never use a container that once held cleaning products, and keep all cleaning products out of reach. Where you can, save water by using only a little, and pour clean leftover water onto plants. Nothing here is for drinking, so keep small items away from mouths and wash hands afterwards. Age hints are only a guide to which games may suit a child, never to when a child can be left alone: every game needs a grown-up within arm's reach at every age.

1. Sink or float

Age hint: about 3 and up, always with a grown-up within arm's reach.

Bring: a shallow tub with a few centimetres of water, and a tray of big household items such as a wooden spoon, a plastic cup, a clean sponge, a large plastic lid, a metal spoon and an orange. Choose only items far too big to swallow.

1. Line up the items on the tray and guess which ones will float.
2. Place one item gently on the water.
3. Watch what it does, then put it in the sink pile or the float pile.
4. Try pressing a floating item down and letting go.

Notice: Which one surprised you? One idea is that things that are light for their size tend to float, but try a few more items and see what you think.

2. Pouring and filling cups

Age hint: about 2 and up, always with a grown-up within arm's reach.

Bring: two or three unbreakable cups or jugs of different sizes, and a shallow tub to work over.

1. Fill the biggest cup a little way and pour it into a smaller one.
2. Pour back the other way.
3. Try to fill a cup exactly to the top, then stop.
4. Line the cups up from the one that holds the least to the one that holds the most.

Notice: Which cup filled up fastest, and what happened when you poured too quickly?

3. Car wash for toy vehicles

Age hint: about 3 and up, always with a grown-up within arm's reach.

Bring: sturdy toy cars and trucks with no batteries or electronics, a clean sponge, a soft brush and a dry towel.

1. Park the toy vehicles beside the tub.
2. Dip a sponge and wash one vehicle slowly, front to back.
3. Rinse it by pouring a little water from a cup.
4. Dry it with the towel and park it in the clean line.

Notice: Which vehicle was easiest to wash, and which one had the most corners to reach?

4. Painting with water

Age hint: about 3 and up, always with a grown-up within arm's reach.

Bring: a clean bucket with only a little water (keep it within arm's reach of the grown-up and empty it as soon as you finish), a wide paintbrush, and a dry wall or a flat, level patch of pavement. Never paint on steps or slopes.

1. Dip the brush and paint a line on the wall or ground.
2. Paint shapes, letters or your name.
3. Watch your painting for a while.
4. Make a second picture beside it and compare.

Notice: Which painting changed first, and what did the sun or breeze do to it? Keep to dry ground away from the tub, as wet pavement can be slippery.

5. Bubble-free sponge squeeze race

Age hint: about 3 and up, always with a grown-up within arm's reach.

Bring: a tub with a few centimetres of plain water, two clean sponges and two empty bowls.

1. Set an empty bowl for each player at the far end of a table or counter, on a tray to catch drips.
2. Soak a sponge in the tub.
3. Carry it carefully to your bowl and squeeze it out.
4. Go back for more, and stop when a grown-up calls time.

Notice: Whose bowl held more water, and why might a bigger squeeze help? You could also race against the clock on your own.

6. Water-transfer game with spoons

Age hint: about 4 and up, always with a grown-up within arm's reach.

Bring: two bowls, a large spoon and a smaller spoon, and a tray or tub underneath to catch drips.

1. Fill one bowl with a few spoonfuls of water.
2. Move the water to the empty bowl using only the large spoon.
3. Try again with the smaller spoon.
4. Count how many scoops it takes each time.

Notice: Which spoon needed more scoops, and what helped you spill less?

More to do on Rangooo

Try some easy science activities at home, watch the sky with weather watching activities, find ideas for a rainy day, try sand and mud play, blow some bubbles, try washing and cleaning play, browse more stories and activities, or see resources for teachers.

Questions

Is water play safe for toddlers?

Only with a grown-up within arm's reach the whole time. Never leave a child alone near any water, even a small amount. A child can be in danger in just a few centimetres of water, so use only a shallow tub or the sink, and empty it as soon as play ends.

Can we use soap or bubbles?

The activities here are written without soap, because bubbles make floors and hands slippery and can sting eyes. Keep cleaning products away from play, and never use a container that once held them.

What can we do with the water afterwards?

Check that it has no soap in it, then pour it onto plants or a garden patch if you have one. Empty the tub, dry it, and wipe up any spills on the floor.

What age are these activities for?

Most suit roughly two to six years, always with a grown-up within arm's reach. Pouring suits the youngest, from about two. Sink or float, the car wash, water painting and the sponge race suit about three and up, and the spoon game about four and up. No age is old enough to play near water alone, and you know your child best.