Explore these fun and playful water activities with your child this summer. A collection of 25+ water activities, books, and toys for tons of summer fun for kids. There are so many benefits of water play!
Water Activities for Summer Fun
There’s just something that is ever so magical about playing with water with kids! Here are a few fun water activities that your child will LOVE plus they sneak in some learning too.
Why Water Play is Important for Kids
Water play is a fun and refreshing way for kids to cool off on a hot day, but it’s also good for their physical, cognitive, and social development.
Here are just a few of the benefits of water play for kids:
- Water play helps kids stay cool and hydrated. When kids play in water, they sweat, which helps them cool down and stay hydrated. This is especially important during hot weather, when kids are more likely to become dehydrated.
- Water play helps kids develop gross motor skills. Water play activities like splashing, jumping, and running help kids develop their gross motor skills. These skills are important for activities like running, jumping, and playing sports.
- Water play helps kids develop fine motor skills. Water play activities like filling and dumping buckets, using water toys, and painting with water help kids develop their fine motor skills. These skills are important for activities like writing, drawing, and using tools.
- Water play helps kids learn about cause and effect. When kids play in the water, they can experiment with different ways to make the water move. This helps them learn about cause and effect, which is an important cognitive skill.
- Water play helps kids develop problem-solving skills. When kids play in the water, they often encounter challenges like how to get a water toy to float or how to build a dam. This helps them develop problem-solving skills, which are important for everyday life.
- Water play helps kids socialize. Water play is a great way for kids to socialize with other kids. They can play together in the water, share water toys, and help each other with water activities. This helps them develop social skills like cooperation, sharing, and taking turns.
So next time it’s a hot day, take your kids to the pool, the beach, or even just the backyard sprinkler. They’ll have fun, and they’ll also be getting a lot of benefits for their physical, cognitive, and social development.
25+ Water Activities for Kids
Here are our favorite Water Activities for Kids…
- Water Table Themes and Activities
- Rainbow Sea Shells
- The Best Collection of Water Books for Kids
- Learning About Land and Water with Maps
- Pool Noodle Boat Races
- Dory Letter Sensory Bag
- Finding Dory Sight Word Sensory Bag
- A House for Hermit Crab Water Coloring
- 30+ Ocean Themed Activities
- Water Math and Science Fun
- Shark Teeth Hunting
- Water Play Alphabet Activities
- Alphabet Slap Water Game
- Alphabet Soup Sensory Play
- Boat Dot Art Painting
- Water Week for Tot School
- Using Water Beads to Build Imagination
- Water Beads on Ice Science Fun
- Skip Counting with Water Beads
- Number Match Sensory Play
- Number Spray and Water Dump
- Water Balloon Math Game
- Painting with Ice Art Project
- Wet Chalk Painting with Siblings
- Water Balloon Painting
- Alphabet Fish Bowl Game with Water
- Learning How to Water the Garden
- DIY Thermometer with Water
- Water Virtual Field Trips for Kids
- Glass Bottom Boat Ride
- Visiting an Aquarium with Kids
- Water Activities at Science Museum
- Learning How to Do Paddleboarding
- Taking Kids to a Water Park
How will you explore the water with your child this week?
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.
Water Books for Kids
Kids and water are like magnets. Here are some fun children’s books that are all about water and swimming. For more water books, check out this collection of water books for kids!
Are you ready to dive into summer reading?
- Hey, Water! by Antoinette Portis
- Water by Frank Asch
- Drop: An Adventure through the Water Cycle by Emily Kate Moon
- I Am Water (Scholastic Reader, Level 1) by Jean Marzollo
- Bubbles . . . UP! by Jacqueline Davies
- The Great Big Water Cycle Adventure by Kay Barnham
- All the Water in the World by George Ella Lyon
- Water! Water! Water! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace
- Leo Can Swim by Anna McQuinn
- Pool Party by Amy Duchêne
- Llama Llama Learns to Swim by Anna Dewdney
- Daniel Learns to Swim (Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood) by Alexandra Cassel Schwartz
- Froggy Learns to Swim by Jonathan London
- Maisy Learns to Swim by Lucy Cousins
- Peppa Goes Swimming by Scholastic
- Curious George Goes Swimming by H. A. Rey
- Dino-Swimming by Lisa Wheeler
- Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
- Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves by Lauren H. Kerstein
- 1, 2, 3, Jump! by Lisl H. Detlefsen
- Cannonball by Sacha Cotter
- Together We Swim by Valerie Bolling
- Summer Vacation, Here I Come! by D.J. Steinberg
- I See Summer by Charles Ghigna
- Mouse’s First Summer by Lauren Thompson
- Over and Under the Waves by Kate Messner
- Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae
- Ocean! Waves for All by Stacy McAnulty
- Earth’s Incredible Oceans by Jess French
Water Toys for Kids on Amazon
I’ve found my favorite water toys for kids on Amazon for easy shopping for these warm months ahead. Take a look here at my storefront on Amazon.
Here are a few tips for making water play safe for kids:
- Always supervise kids when they are playing in water.
- Never leave a child unattended in a bathtub or swimming pool.
- Make sure kids wear sunscreen when they are playing in the sun.
- Teach kids water safety rules, such as how to swim and how to avoid drowning.
- Have fun!
Here’s why we recommend that every child should take swimming lessons for water safety!
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