The Benefits of Water Play

It's really hot and sunny at the moment and we have been enjoying lots of water play here at Little Explorers Childminding. Whilst your Little explorer is splashing about having fun cooling down in the water they are actually learning a lot too. Water play provides children with hours of unstructured play where they can use their imagination, creativity and discover things for themselves.

Here's what they are learning

Physical Development

The children are developing their gross motor skills as they pour water from one container to another. The use of syringes and pipettes strengths those finger muscles and helps to master the pincer grip which enables them to hold a pencil correctly. As they get older and practice more they gain more control over theses tools.

Communication and Language

Children are learning lots of new word as they play in water, such as pour, tip, splash, wet, drop, drip, soaking, saturated, damp, moist, squirt, squeeze, drizzle, jug, container, funnel, bubbles, sink, float, splash, syringe pipette and many more. They also learning language from the conversations they have with other children whilst playing in the water.

Personal Social and Emotional Development.

Children and learning a lot of social skills such as sharing and co-operation as the help each other to achieve a goal. This morning at Little Explorers two children worked together to fill bottles with water. One child held the bottle and the other poured the water in.

They are also leaning to manage their behaviour, your friend may not be happy if you pour water over their head. How are you going to manage this conflict?

Expressive arts and designs

We added a few drops of food colouring to our water at Little Explorers the children explored the different colours and how they could be changed me changed by either mixing them together to adding more water to make a different shade.

As water play is so open ended many older children also begin using their imaginations to introduce a story line or narrative to their play in the water.

Mathematics

Children are learning simple mathematical concepts such as full, half full, empty. The learn a grate deal about volume by pouring water from a large container to into a small container. What happens? By adding numbered measuring jugs younger children are developing their number recognition. Children can also develop problem solving skill as well as their counting as they work out how many small containers of water it takes to fill a large container.

They are learning about the size and weight and capacity of the different containers they use. One of our Little Explorers who is just 18 months old picked up a jug of water and commented "It's heavy". What happens to the weight when we pour some of the water out?

PS if you would like your little explorers to be part of our OFSTED OUTSTANDING home childcare provision. Contact us now on 07582957013!

#EarlyEducation