Water Play

Water Play in the Classroom

Water play and its associated materials are relatively inexpensive classroom tools with endless uses. The most common way to include water play in the early-childhood classroom is through the use of a water table or water center, either indoors or outdoors, that includes various materials that promote exploration. As with any type of play, setting up the environment and materials in thoughtful, innovative, and purposeful ways to support water play is essential to its success in young children's learning. Basic materials may include containers of various shapes and sizes (pitchers, squeeze bottles, tubs, plastic soda bottles, buckets or pails, dishpans), plastic and PVC tubing, colanders, sieves, funnels, spoons, and shovels.

Additional materials, such as hand pumps, basters, spray bottles, whisks, egg beaters, aquarium nets, and eyedroppers can further extend children's learning and exploration. Bath and sand toys are also useful for water play. Children can bring in other materials from home, which is a great way to promote family involvement, or create their own water play tools in the classroom. Materials in other areas of the classroom can be used in the water center as well, especially to promote creative thinking. In selecting materials it is important to convey to children that there is no “right or wrong” way to use them (aside from safety constraints); the idea is to promote children's exploration of water in numerous varied ways.

In addition to “typical” materials, items with a specific purpose may also be introduced to expose children to certain concepts. For example, an instructor may direct children to add soap so they can make their own bubbles, or to use brushes and other utensils to create surface water designs. Child-sized cleaning tools, such as mops, sponges, and pails, can be used to have children actively involved in the clean-up of the water center and promote self-help skill development. It is equally important for the materials used in water play to be rotated regularly, to maintain children's interests and extend their explorations. It is recommended that the initial introduction of materials is limited in quantity and type, so as not to overwhelm children, and to gradually add new tools over time.

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