Explore these fun themed water table activities for your little one for summer fun! Playful ideas using a few fun items from around your house plus a few of our favorite toys for your water table.
There is something magical about water and little ones. From some of those very first baths to their first time in the little baby pool, there’s a feeling of excitement and joy in their faces.
There are so many things that you can do with water and your little ones we thought we’d share some ideas that have worked for us over the years.
Disclosure: This post contains amazon affiliate links.
Water Activities for Babies and Toddlers
Some ideas are very simple and others are from fun toys we’ve discovered along the way.
As they are playing with water they are also developing skills such as fine motor skills, gross motor skills, language skills and even math and science skills.
With the weather getting a warmer and summer almost here, it’s time to have some fun with Water. You don’t always have to head to the pool to get that same experience.
Let’s create some water fun right in your own backyard!
First you’ll need a water table, water container or wading pool. We’ve had the same one for many years now. It was a First Birthday Gift for my daughter from my parents.
It’s been a favorite for my girls and for all our friends who join us for playdates.
Now it’s time for some fun with the water. Of course for littlest ones, water is water and they just like touching it and splashing in it.
One of the important stages in learning to swim is being comfortable with water splashing around you so let them splash and have fun!
One way to make them comfortable with water it’s time to add some fun. Grab some toys and let them explore them in the water.
Here are some of our favorites water toys. You can add more item ideas to the table as your child gets older and able to be trusted with smaller items.
Water Tables Themes for Kids
- Transportation
- Ocean
- Swamp Fun
- Baby Bath Time
- Pirates
- Mermaids
- Pond Life
- Sink or Float
- Cooking
- Rainbow Ice
- Dish Washing
- Car Wash
- Sibling Fun too
Items for Water Play
- buckets
- sand toys
- plastic cups
- boats
- ducks
- turtles
- ocean animals
- funnel
- yogurt containers
- recycled plastic containers
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- cookie cutters
- sponges
- water baby doll
- plastic animals
- plastic bugs
- rocks
- sea shells
- plastic gems
- plastic ice cubes
- large plastic coins or lids
- plastic boxes
If you don’t want to purchase a water table you can always create your own too. We’ve filled up all types of plastic containers with water to sit on the ground and sit beside while we play with our toys. Here are a few DIY Water Table Ideas.
DIY Water Table Ideas from
- Inspiration Thief
- No Time For Flashcards
- Sweet Tea Classroom
- In Lieu of Preschool
- A Secure Base
- Lowes Creative Ideas
We hope that you found something you want to explore with your babies and toddlers.
Water play is such a hands-on experience and a great way to spend with friends for a playdate, plus it’s a fun way to cool off during the hots days.
Go explore WATER!
Water Activity Ideas from The Educators’ Spin On It
- Water Fun and Learning with Kids
- Water Activities for Summer Fun with Kids
- Water Beads on Ice
- Water Bead Fun with Toys
Think WATER SAFETY first!
** Never leave your child unattended near water, no matter how deep.**
~ Keep in mind that Small Toys can be a Choking Hazard, Adult supervision required at all times! ~
I love your ideas for the different themes for the water table! Great ideas for some outdoor fun with my kids this summer.
Such great ideas and great inspiration! My soon-to-be 3-year old is a huge water fan…we usually just visit our local outdoors spots like the lake and sound. We don't have a water table, but we do have a little kiddie pool & this post is a perfect reminder to fill that up in the backyard, and let him go at it! I just might be able to get some yard work done! 🙂
You have come up with so many wonderful tips and ideas! I love this post.
Thank you for linking in to Outside Play: Water!
Thank you so much for sharing all these water play ideas with the All Year Round Carnival, you have included so many great ways to have fun with water! 🙂 I've featured your post here: http://sunnydaytodaymama.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/all-year-round-week-seventeen-7-summer.html
I can't wait for summer to get into full swing! My little guy loves playing with water…thanks for all of the great ideas and for sharing on the All Year Round Blog Carnival!
Love it, and these are also great ways for kids to cool off in the summer. I always loved the water, too, so any learning with water gets my approval! Carolyn
My kids have become obsessed with our water table. Maybe because it was gone when the weather was cooler. It's all they want to do. Great post! Pinning this! Vicky from http://www.messforless.net
This Spring we put rocks and trucks in the water table for my two year old son. He loved splashing and loading his trucks!
Great post.
Yay for warmer weather! Water fun is so, well FUN! 🙂
Thanks Cassandra, my 5 year old is still not a big fan of water anywhere near her face. She started out that way and still is like that to date. We did find a duck theme to be fun at bathtime and she fell in love with the song Five Little Ducks and Little White Duck and we'd sing during bathtime and as a toddler she helped to put some ducks on the tile walls for fun. It gets better I promise!
Great ideas! My 5 month old HATEs bath time. I love water, the beach and the lake so I am hoping he will grow out of it soon and we can enjoy some exploring with sand and the shallow end this summer! Love the list too….