I am so excited for the warmer weather! May has been a bit all over the place here in Virginia–one week it’s 50 something, and this week it’s been in the 70s/80s. One thing I do know is that warmer weather is coming, and as a mama, I LOVE having a bunch of water activities in my back pocket for those extra hot days. My boys love to cool down on a hot day with water, so I thought, why not compile a list of super easy (hardly any supplies needed) activities for those days that are just too hot for the park.
10 Easy and Fun Water Activities for Toddlers:
Toss water balloons – get out a few water balloons, fill them with water and play catch with your toddler. This is bound to get you wet but will at least keep you cool! If you have older kids, you can try tossing the balloons from towels for an extra challenge.
Create your own “pool experience” by filling a large bucket or container with very shallow water and letting your little one sit in the “tub” keeping cool and playing with toys. (*obviously since this mimics a pool or bath, you’ll want to keep a very close eye on your child while they play)
Pull out the old Sprinkler or hose and keep cool the old fashioned way. Let your little ones run and jump over the sprinkler in their bathing suits; invite neighborhood kids to play along and maybe even pull out some popsicles along with it. Or, let them use the hose to try watering the plants or yard!
Play Tag with spray bottles – if you have a couple of spray bottles, fill them with water and let your little ones spray each other and play “tag”. This probably works even better for older kids, but I know my 3 year old loves to use our spray bottle, so why not turn it into a game?
Create a Pouring station – Get some pitchers, measuring cups, bowls, and plastic cups, and let your little one go to town practicing their pouring. They can do so while sitting in a big tub or mini pool so that the water that spills just gets collected and can be used once again. You can get even more creative with this if you add a little food coloring to make the water a couple of different colors!
Have a Race to fill a bucket with water using a big sponge – this is as simple as it sounds. Have 2 buckets, 1 full of water on one end of the yard, and an empty bucket at the other end. Let your little one take a big sponge and soak up water from the one bucket and race to squeeze it into the empty bucket. You could let your kids race each other or even just do it alongside your little one!
Try making “polka dot soup” – Soak some Water beads the night before and then put them into a shallow bucket of water. Give your little one a couple of pots and spoons and let them play with/make some “polka dot soup”.
Make a “Lemonade” stand – Pull out pitchers, some plastic cups, ice and colored water and let your little one pour drinks of “lemonade” and serve it!
Create a “Car wash” – Use one plastic container to hold some warm soapy water, and another container to have just water, and give your child a scrubbing brush. Let your toddler pull out their play cars and have a car wash using the brush and the various tubs of soapy and plain water.
If you’re looking to add a kid-friendly water activity to your collection of outdoor toys, some good options might be a water table or a kiddie pool. Honestly, we found our water table in the neighbors’ trash; just cleaned it well and put it to use! Another friend found hers from a Buy Nothing group on Facebook, so check around for free options to add fun water activities to your collection.
There you have it, mama! 10 ideas for fun and easy water play for your toddler this summer. I can’t wait to put these ideas into action and I hope they bless your family, too!
