I think it’s safe to say that the warmer weather is FINALLY here to stay in Michigan (fingers crossed) and we couldn’t be happier about it! This means water play ideas for preschoolers will be the name of the game. We need all the outdoor time we can get, especially since our stay-at-home order got extended to mid June.

Water Play Ideas for Preschoolers!

My 3-year-old is bored? We ride our bikes! My 1-year-old is extremely fussy? We go for a stroller walk! Spending time outdoors has a way of solving all of our problems. 

But we’ve had some 85-degree days this week that we weren’t quite prepared for. It was [almost] too hot for us to be outside and we know there’s nothing worse than an overheated child. She was begging for some water fun and I couldn’t blame her. 

That’s when I realized that I’d need some water play ideas for preschoolers that I could use all summer long. This was the perfect excuse to bust out the kiddie pool! 

Supplies for these water play ideas for preschoolers:

• Kiddie pool or water table
• Chalk
• Variety of bath toys or objects you don’t mind getting wet
• Something to scoop with (bucket, colander, etc.)

How to use this water play activity:

First, I filled the pool/water table with water and tossed in all the toys. I gathered all the bath toys we had but also some play foods and shapes from our shape sorter for some variety. 

Then, I used the chalk to write the letters A-Z on the ground. 

At this point my daughter was just dying to get in the pool! As soon as she got in, she grabbed her bucket and scooped out a bath toy block.  Then, she walked over to the alphabet to place the block on the letter “B”. She continued to do this until there weren’t any toys left in the pool. 

My daughter loved getting to play with her bath toys in the pool, as well as using a bucket to scoop and dump water. But I loved that she was engaged and learning while having fun in the sun. It was a win-win for both of us!

Questions you might ask your child

– “What toy did you scoop?”

– “Can you hear the sound it starts with?”

– “What letter makes that sound?”

– “What other words begin with that sound?”

Extension Activities

The next time I do this activity with my daughter, I’m going to try two different variations. I could make it easier for her by using foam bath letters instead of toys. It would be a great way to practice letter recognition!

Or I could challenge her a little more by starting the activity with a little game of “I Spy”. I’d say, “Find something that starts with the letter ____” to have her scoop a specific toy.  

I hope this water play idea for preschoolers keeps your little one cool and engaged all summer long!

Nataly is a certified elementary teacher turned stay-at-home-mom to two little girls. She enjoys sharing simple yet fun kids activities to help make playtime meaningful!

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