Vivvi

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7/2/2024

When I Play: Water

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At Vivvi, we believe children learn best through play; it’s how they make sense of the world. Every playtime activity—even the most seemingly small—has a much larger learning or developmental benefit. Our new Vivvi series: “When I Play” will help parents understand the greater purpose behind their children’s play, and help you get in on the action… even if you’re a playtime novice.

When I Play with water…

Nothing sends young children into a squealing frenzy of happiness more than water play. Whether it’s a sprinkler at your local playground, a peaceful creek, or even a strategically timed bubble bath—water has magical powers for young children.

Your child’s time spent playing with water is time spent hitting major developmental milestones… and having lots of fun!

…This is what I’m learning.

When young children engage in water play—whether it’s soaking up with a sponge, pouring from cup to cup, or splashing in a large tub—they’re honing their fine and gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination, cognitive skills, and so much more.

Water play is a great open-ended activity. Open-ended activities give children the freedom to explore and use their imagination to create a game or play schema of their own design. Open-ended play helps your child develop independence, confidence, decision-making, and creativity.

“Water play is sort of a magic trick when it comes to young children,” Christie Pinheiro, Vivvi’s Director of Campus Operations, said. “Little ones love splashing and playing in water. It’s all so fun for them—but it’s hard work for their brains. In the background, your young child is learning and developing and growing more than you can even imagine.”

When you give your child dedicated playtime with water, they:

Develop gross motor skills by running through sprinklers, carrying buckets of water and engaging their full bodies in play.
Develop fine motor skills by pouring, squirting and squeezing water. These skills are used for writing, feeding, and dressing oneself.
Develop hand-eye coordination by pouring and stirring, or when dodging water or jumping through sprinklers.
Cognitive development occurs when young children start to learn how the world works through water. They develop their problem-solving skills when they learn what sinks and what floats, and about science concepts like absorption and evaporation.
Social and communication skills develop when your young child engages in water play with another person.
Sensory development is huge in water play, as little ones fully immerse themselves in the activity. They’re using their senses of touch, sight, hear, sight and smell.

“One of the best pieces of advice I’ve been given as a parent is that if all goes awry: just add water,” Pinheiro said. “Whether it’s a bath or some cups to pour back and forth, water play can snap your little one out of a grumpy mood or bad day so quickly. And it’s fun you can really feel good about.”

Water play activities by age

Water play is one of those open-ended activities that your child really needs no guidance to enjoy. But for parents who want to lean into the developmental side of water play, here are some of our favorite learning opportunities with age-appropriate activities.

Infant

Create a water sensory bin by laying down a towel, and filling a clear plastic bin with water and your little one’s favorite toys. Your baby will splash and explore grabbing for different toys. Alternatively, create a dry water sensory experience by filling a gallon Ziplock halfway with water and a few toys for your child to squish around.
Create a bubble bin by filling your plastic container with soapy water and toys. Your child will enjoy sculpting the bubbles and seeing how much different they are to interact with than plain water.
Water pouring is a true thrill for little ones. Bring the highchair outside to eschew the mess and set your child up with a few cups of water to pour, pour, pour!

1-2 years

Water painting will keep your child entertained for long stretches. Fill a bucket with water and give them a big paintbrush. Your child will be filled with wonder as they paint the sidewalk and the fence, watch it disappear, and then paint again.
Toy cleaning is a great way to have fun and get your child involved in household chores. Fill a sink or a bin with soapy water and let your child scrub with various brushes or washcloths.
Sprinkler play engages your child’s whole body, strengthening those gross motor skills. It’s also one of the easiest ways to get your kiddo exercising and having a blast.

3-4 years

Experiment with color by adding a few drops of food coloring to various cups of water. Let your child mix the colors to see what happens! Blue + yellow = green, but what happens when you mix them all together?
Make a giant pot of Nature Stew with your little by collecting the perfect ingredients. Start with a pot of water, then explore your neighborhood for flowers, leaves, sticks, and anything else that would make the perfect stew.
Water beads are fun to sort, squeeze, and dig through. Water beads are best for older littles who no longer put things in their mouths. Up the ante by mixing water beads with shaving cream for a unique sensory experience.

Shop Vivvi’s Favorite Water Toys

Water play is an activity you really don’t need to make any new purchases for. Most of the toys you can add to water play are likely already floating around your house somewhere. But if you are in the market for some inspiration, here are some of our tried and true water play favorites.

Water Play Safety

Always supervise your child while engaging in water play. Stay within reach of your child at all times as they play with water. Drowning is a leading cause of death for children in the United States and drowning can occur in as little as 2 inches of water.

Vivvi provides child care and early learning for children ages 0-5, with unrivaled flexibility that works for today’s families. Our inquiry-based curriculum is facilitated by warm, experienced teachers in bright, open spaces that let children make big connections to the growing world around them. Find your nearest Vivvi here.