Water activities and summer weather go together, and when it comes to water exploration, the possibilities really are endless! Water can be the focus of science experiments, art projects, sensory play, and more. In this article, we share a variety of activities and ideas for water-based learning and exploration, as well as a children’s book that takes little ones on a journey to discover the many different places that we find water, in our daily lives and in the world around us.
Antoinette Portis’ popular children’s book, Hey, Water! is a simple story that explores the many different forms that water can take…from rivers to fog, and from tears to dewdrops. This story will spark interesting conversations with children about the many different places that water can be found. The book can be paired with any of the activities below for a deeper dive into exploring and learning about water.
Image & activity idea from The Pinay Homeschooler
Making their own rivers and waterfalls is an easy and interesting activity that introduces children to the movement of water as they create their own beautiful natural scenes. All that is needed for this art activity are pipettes, watercolors, and a tray– you can offer the watercolors in many watery shades of blue, green, and purple by mixing tempera paints with water. As children squirt the pipettes of watercolor onto the paper, they’ll be able to observe the colors flow down the paper like a waterfall. As a note, this activity can be messy, so it’s a great one to try outdoors!
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This water song from Sesame Street is great to pair with the children’s book, Hey Water!, since it examines the many places that we can find water, and the different ways that it is used in our communities.
Image & activity idea from Happy Hooligans
With just paintbrushes and a bucket of water, you can set up a simple painting activity that is ideal for children to explore outdoors. Children can dip brushes in the water, and use them to paint — just as they would with watercolors or other artistic materials! This activity allows children to practice fine motor skills as they hold the brushes while expressing their creativity. It can also be used as an opportunity for children to practice writing their letters (as shown in the image above), or it can be more open-ended, by inviting children to paint and create whatever they are interested in. This activity is best done outdoors on a surface such as sidewalk where the water really changes the color and leaves
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This activity is a great learning opportunity for preschoolers to experiment with a variety of materials and observe the way that they break down in water. To prepare this activity, collect items of varying textures from the outdoors or from your kitchen that children can place in water and see if they dissolve. If you’re able to plan ahead for this activity, you might even invite parents to bring in some items from home that their children are curious about. Some examples include…
Image & activity idea from Hands on as we Grow
Flour
Sugar (white or brown)
Raw Noodles
Cornmeal
Oatmeal
Colored Sprinkles
Sand
Baking powder or baking soda
Invite children to make guesses about what they think will happen with each item and then have them revisit their guesses to see how their hypotheses turned out.
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For more playful learning inspired by water…
You’ll find a variety of water-themed ideas and activities to enjoy with the children in your care in these G2K articles:
April Showers: Activities for Learning about Rain
Summertime Fun: Beach-themed Activities and Books for Preschoolers
5 Easy Summer Recipes to Make with Young Children 
Sunshine-themed Children’s Books & Activities
