Simple Summer Fun: Water Play

This has got to be one of the easiest activities to work in naturally in the summer. When it is hot, we seek water, right? Of course we all need to be very careful around water--whether you are at the public pool or letting baby play with a tub of water in the backyard. It only takes a minute, and it only takes an inch. Water play is not the time to busy yourself across the yard from the kids. Safety first! Have fun right along with your children. There are lots of different ideas of what to do with water fun in the summer. Here are a few:

THE BEACH
If you take a bucket and a shovel along with you to the beach, your children are sure to spend hours filling and dumping and filling and dumping water. Bring along various toys for your child to experiment in the water with. You also have the unique fun of waves, and the beach merges two of the best activities for a child: water and sand.

THE SWIMMING POOL
Going to an actual swimming pool can be lots of fun, too. This is an important time to talk about water safety. I think an important thing for you to do is teach your children to swim, whether it be through swimming lessons you pay for or from you if you feel qualified. While I despise swimming lessons because it takes over my life for two weeks, I think it is important for children to learn to swim.

THE WADING POOL
Our kids love to put water in our Little Tykes little pool and play around. They take toys in there, and we actually always keep it either right by or in the sandbox so they can play with sand and water. We do empty it out when we are done. Try taking out various household objects to experiment in the water with.

THE SPRINKLERS
Isn't this just one of those portrait of childhood experiences? It is for me.

THE WATERING CAN
My children love to fill up a watering can and water flowers. I found some watering cans at Dollar Tree. They are small, but large enough to have fun in the pool and to water plants around the yard. While doing this, you can throw comments in there about how plants need water to grow.

SQUIRT BOTTLE/WATER GUNS
The other night, we were at a water activity with a bunch of families. One mom had brought a squirt bottle along for her three year old son to play with and squirt people (and the little dear only squirted his mom :) ). They had an extra and Brayden had lots of fun with the squirt bottle. The next day, we got out our squirt bottles and Brayden and Kaitlyn ran around the yard squirting things an each other. The squirt bottle is great because you can change the type of spray, so you can talk about why the water goes further or spreads out more.

LITTLE TUB
For the younger children, you might want to fill something up like a little tote/tub of water to play with outside. I don't like McKenna to lean over the wading pool to splash in water, so this is a better object to use if that is all she wants to do or if she isn't in a swimming suit.

THE BATHTUB
One time, a blog reader from one of my other blogs commented that the bathtub is playtime for us. This is very true. Every day includes water play in the bathtub at least. I am a sucker for toys, and we have lots of bath toys. Children have so much fun. They fill and dump, splash, color, play with bubbles...all while practicing motor skills while they pour water over and over.

YOUR IDEAS
If you have any additional fun things you do with your children that involves water, please share!