Posted on: 22.07.2021.
Hot summer days make us want to spend time near water. Children are often thrilled by water and happily include it in their playtime. That is why summer is an ideal opportunity for water games that can turn into an abundance of fun and new discoveries for children. Playing with water is both fun and educational and has a number of benefits for social, emotional, cognitive, and physical development.
Playing with water is a very rewarding activity because we can use the items we have at home to play with. Different bowls, buckets, glasses, spoons, and other everyday objects can be used for play, and by playing with them, children can explore their creativity.
Below we bring the reasons why it is good to play with water and some suggestions for playing with children, regardless of whether you plan to spend the summer near the sea or not.
One of the games, often very interesting for children, is pouring water from one container to another. We can give the child a bucket of water and a few glasses and ask him or her questions that will encourage him or her to understand different concepts. We can ask the following questions:
- How many glasses of water could fit in this bucket?
- How many tablespoons of water fit in one glass?
- What happens if we put this toy in a bucket full of water?
- What happens if we immerse the sponge in a bucket of water?
Pouring water from one bucket to another is a great way to develop hand-eye coordination desperately needed in our daily lives. Controlling the direction and intensity of the spray allows children to develop a sense of control and accuracy along with fine motor skills. Children can develop their physical readiness by pouring, running, carrying, and splashing, while movements such as squeezing contribute to the development of fine motor skills.
Such a game with water allows children to learn mathematical concepts such as counting, measuring volume, and also allows them to understand various cause-and-effect processes.
One of the experiments with water that children can do on their own is also the study of objects floating or sinking in water. The experiment can include various items such as bath toys, stones, coins, rubber balls, leaves, and the experiment can be done anywhere - at sea, in the bathtub, or in the sink. The child can put all the objects in the water and observe which objects were left floating and which have sunk. Then they will probably discover that heavier objects sink and lighter ones float on water. By asking additional questions, we can help the child understand why this is happening and encourage them to do more research. Other children can also play and guess which objects will sink and which will float.
Playing with water can be an individual, but also a group activity because it encourages children to cooperate, socialize and communicate. Kindergarten children often turn playing with water into group activities with the same goal. Together they can build a moat in the sand or gradually fill a larger bucket with water. In such games, each child has a role to play and contributes to the common ultimate goal.
Water games are an ideal activity for summer, and with this article, we tried to show you how to turn them educational. Get a bucket, a pool or fill the bathtub and have fun with your kids today!
Article written by: Maja Cukon, mag.psych.
References:
https://www.parents.com/toddlers-preschoolers/activities/the-benefits-of-water-play-and-7-fun-ideas-to-do-this-summer/
https://www.busybees.edu.au/blogs/the-benefits-of-water-play-for-childhood-development
