Schools are out (or will be soon) and temperatures are rising! Playing with water is always on the top of our list when we have free time, so we are excited about these activities we are sharing with you!
In addition to doing simple water activities like a toy car wash or drip painting, I love to find more unique ways to teach simple preschool and kindergarten concepts through water activities! Narrowing this post down to just 10 ideas was hard, so you can go to our Toddler Approved Pinterest board over the next week or so to find ones than I didn't include in this post but that are equally as awesome.
Our 10 Ways to Learn and Play with Water post is part of a series that I am participating in with several other kid bloggers. Each post in the series shares 10 ways kids can keep learning now that school is out!
Below are our top 10 ways to learn and play with water! Come share any other favorites in the comments.
These water activities help teach or review one of the following specific skills... learning colors, identifying shapes, recognizing letters, reading or making simple sight words, counting, and doing simple math.
Learning Colors
1. Use a simple coloring mixing station with corn starch and water to introduce color names and teach color theory. [No Twiddle Twaddle]
2. Grab some water guns and create some water gun art while talking about color words and making predictions about which color combinations will make which colors. [Fun Mom Online]
Identifying Shapes
3. Go on a Water Balloon shape hunt in your backyard. This is a great way to keep water balloon fun going for a little longer. Practice saying the shape names and work on matching them to the correct buckets. [Mess for Less]
Letter Recognition
4. Grab a watering can and water a chalk Alphabet Garden (or change it to numbers or words) .
5. Squirt Letters using a water squirter or a spray bottle. Having a cool new tool makes this even more fun! [Stay at Home Educator]
6. Make some alphabet ice blocks to beat the heat and make your name, sight words, or just practice matching similar letters to one another. You can even study some science as the ice melts. [Play at Home Mom]
Counting and Simple Math
7. Play roll and splash counting games with a bunch of friends!
8. Write some simple addition or subtraction sentences on balloons and do some water balloon math. [No Time for Flashcards]
Reading
9. Use a water gun to do a Sight Word Water Gun Spray activity or just shoot chalk letters [Train Up a Child]
10. When you're in the pool, grab some sponges to play Swimming Pool Scrabble. It is a fun way to practice your strokes while learning to make words.
In addition to all of these activities focused on basic preschool and pre-k skills, Jamie from Hands On As We Grow is sharing her Top 10 water experiments for kids... in case you haven't gotten your fill of water fun yet!
Here is the list of the kid bloggers that are participating in the top 10 series. Their topics are listed at This Reading Mama.
Stop by and check out these Top 10 Ways to Keep Kids Learning while school is out!
Sunday: This Reading Mama | The Educators’ Spin on It | Kitchen Counter Chronicle | Rainbows within Reach
Monday: Train Up a Child Learn as We Go | Housing a Forest | Royal Baloo | Living Montessori Now
Tuesday: Play Trains! | 3 Dinosaurs
Wednesday: The Outlaw Mom | Teach Beside Me | Hands On as We Grow
Thursday: JDaniel 4′s Mom | All Done Monkey | Fantastic Fun & Learning | Toddler Approved | KC Edventures | Playing with Words 365
Friday: Teach Mama | The Usual Mayhem | Nature and Play | True Aim Education
Saturday: Creative World of Varya | Craftoart | My Buddies and I
Some great ideas to add learning to the water fun. Will be trying them out this summer! Thanks for sharing!
Love your water ideas for the summer! Kids and water are always a good combination so I love that you add in learning! The alphabet letters in the pool looks fun for reading!