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Jun 25, 2020
Posted by: Kidzapp Team
It is certainly heating up outside and though we're almost allowed to visit our gorgeous beaches again for a refreshing dip, sometimes, all you want is a simple water activity you can set up at home. Check out some of our picks below and don't forget to check out the app for loads more ideas on what to get up to this summer!
1. Paint With Water
Enjoy mess-free painting that's buckets of fun for your little ones. Give them large paintbrushes or rollers and let them paint the walls, sidewalk and more, using only water! You can even use this as an opportunity to practice painting letters and numbers.
--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--
A bucket of water
Paintbrushes/rollers
--STEP 1--
Have your little one fill their paint tray with water
--STEP 2--
Go wild with your imagination and get creative on the walls, sidewalks or pavements.
2. Dino Ice Dig
If your child loves dinosaurs, this Dino Ice Dig activity is going to be a huge hit! It’s easy to set up and will have your child melting ice with salt and water to free toy dinosaurs and other treasures from a frozen block of ice. Science, water play, and fine motor development are all wrapped up in one in this fun, icy activity!
--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--
Toy dinosaurs
Stones, shells, plastic crystals (optional)
Large container
Salt (coloured with a few drops of blue food colouring)
A shaker container for the salt
Spoons, syringes, tweezers
Bowl of hot water
--STEP 1--
In a large container, freeze your ice block in layers, over the course of a couple of days, adding a few items to the water, placing the container in the freezer, and repeating with another layer when the previous one is frozen.
--STEP 2--
When your ice block is ready, pour a little hot water over the container and wait till the block slips out. Then set up a space for "digging" either out in your garden, bathtub or dining table. If setting up in your living room, cover your table with towels.
--STEP 3--
Start out by getting your kids to sprinkle some of the colourful salt all over the ice block. This kickstarts the melting process.
--STEP 4--
Use spoons or syringes to pour hot water over the ice, and get digging with your spoons.
--STEP 5--
As the ice block gets smaller and smaller, help your kids break off chunks of ice and free the different treasures.
3. Deep Blue Sea Activity Bin
Create your very own DIY sensory bin with a deep blue sea theme that your little explorers will love.
--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--
Clear bin
Rocks
Sea-themed toys/accessories
--STEP 1--
Fill a clear bin with pebbles, rocks (and anything else you have) to create a shoreline.
--STEP 2--
Add in a few drops of blue food colouring and add in some marine toys like fish, scuba divers and whatever you have at home.
4. Frozen Lego Fun
In Frozen Lego your little one won't be playing with Elsa but instead with colourful ice cubes of LEGO blocks! This is a great sensory activity, perfect for a hot summer day.
--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--
LEGO or DUPLO blocks
Ice cube tray
Water
Turkey baster, syringe, eye dropper
Toy cups, pots, spoons, bowls etc.
Warm water
Clear bin (large)
--STEP 1--
Choose an array of colourful Lego or Duplo Blocks and place them in an ice cube tray. I filled the ice trays with water and placed them in the freezer overnight.
--STEP 2--
Once the water has frozen I placed the frozen ice cubes into a bowl and placed it in a sensory bin.
--STEP 3--
Choose a few play kitchen supplies like pots and pans and cups. I also added spoons and slotted spoons, as well as some fine motor tools like eye droppers, a turkey baster, syringe. Finally, give your kid a jar of warm water to melt the frozen Lego!
5. Laundry Fun
Fine motor development and water play come together in this fun clothesline activity for toddlers and preschoolers.
--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--
Rope (cotton rope, thick yarn)
Clothespins
Bucket or bowl of water
Doll clothes, face cloths, clean baby socks
Small amount of soap
--STEP 1--
String your rope up between two posts or deck rails (if outdoors), or two chairs (if indoors).
--STEP 2--
Fill a large bowl or bucket with water, and add a few drops of mild dish soap or a bit of mild laundry detergent. Place the bowl or bucket on the floor covered with a towel.
--STEP 3--
Hand your kids some doll clothes, colourful face cloths or even some of their own socks and watch them wash, squeeze out water and hang the items up to dry.
6. Colour Mixing Lab
A fun and simple way to practice your kiddies' fine motor skills.
--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--
Cups and bowls of different sizes
Spoons and scoops
Eye droppers
--STEP 1--
Set up the cups and bowls on a table covered with a towel. If you've got a garden, you can even set this up outside during the cooler part of the day.
--STEP 2--
Drop food colouring to each container and stir.
--STEP 3--
Hand your kids spoons, scoops and eye droppers and watch as they play around while transferring water from bowl to cup and vice versa.
For added fun, squirt a bit of dish soap in one of the bowls and whisk to make a bubbly foam
7. Colourful Ice Cube Soup
If you've got little fans of water play, this ice play set up is sure to be a huge hit! Plus, it's a cool and refreshing play idea for hot summer days.
--WHAT YOU'LL NEED--
Large bowls/containers
Ice cubes coloured with food colouring (make lots)
VERY cold water for play (you don’t want the ice cubes melting too quickly)
Tongs
Cups
Spoons, scoops and funnels
Small bowls and containers
--STEP 1--
Freeze about a dozen ice cube trays full of colourful ice cubes. Rather than adding food colouring to the individual sections of an ice cube tray, add several drops of food colouring to a jug of water, and use that to fill a few ice cube trays.
--STEP 2--
Once your ice cubes are frozen, transfer them into a plastic bag and leave them in the freezer. Give your ice cube trays a rinse, and begin again with a new colour.
--STEP 3--
Fill your large container with very cold water and watch as your kids scoop, pour and transfer water from one container to the next using scoops, ladles and funnels.
— Want more ideas on what to do this summer? Get Kidzapp now!