With days & days of extremely hot temperatures, the "Water Play Plan" went into effect.
After viewing some early childhood blogs, I came up with our version of what we will dub
"Funnel Tubes"
These are a bit Redneck & I'm sure Jeff Foxworthy could appreciate our ingenuity.
We recycled/upcycled (depending on your preference) these diet soda bottles. (I have to say I've lost 10 pounds this year switching to diet!!!) And, yes, they are held together with duct tape & they lasted all week.
Notice the cooperative play skill being demonstrated here. They have realized that there is a 'cause & effect' process as well as a supply & demand with each one wanting to have their containers filled by the Pourer.
Another view.
Notice the containers got larger as the Pourer wanted to help more of his friends get filled up.
Empathy at its finest.
Water wheel play became more popular as the Funnel Tubes area became congested.
Our Grand Finale was our 'Water Fence'. More recycled containers attached with zip ties. Pardon the mulch in the background. That's another blog post.
Sensory play
builds language, social, and dramatic play skills as the children negotiate with one another to share tools, create stories, and build dialogues.
Chiseling at Ice Chunks added on our last day of the week.
"Children are wired to receive and utilize sensory input from day one. This is why children will dive in hands first, exploring a new substance. The senses are their most familiar, most basic way to explore, process, and come to understand new information."
I invite you to check out this very informative article from
notjustcute.com on the importance of Sensory Play.notjustcute.com
Final Note:
Just for the record, for obvious safety reasons, our children were experiencing their outdoor water play very early in the mornings. Never past 10 am. It was a dangerous heat according to our National Weather Service. We heeded their advice.
Love all these great ideas Stephanie! Educational, good for the environment, fun!
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