This water game will help keep your little one entertained and learning lots too.
Babies and children will be developing their muscle control and coordination and learning new words, while they explore capacity and the movement of water.
Moments in your everyday routine, like bath time, can be great opportunities for your toddler to play, chat and learn.
On a warm day you can take this activity outdoors, fill a washing up bowl or small bucket with water for your little one to play with outside.
- Collect different sized containers that can go in the bath. Plastic ones will work best – avoid anything that could break easily, and check for sharp edges. Plastic cups, bowls, jugs, colanders, spoons and funnels are perfect, or any toys that can go in the water.
- When your child is in the bath, show them how to fill up the containers and pour the water out again. Once you’ve shown them a few times, encourage them to have a go. They’ll enjoy playing with the water!
- Talk about what you’re doing together as you play, for example I'm filling up the cup and you're pouring the water out of the cup.
- Repeat some words to support your child's understanding and encourage them to copy you, for example, full, empty, pour, all gone, more, again, splash.
As your child gets older you can extend these games by posing questions to work out which containers hold more water, or counting how many small scoops it takes to fill your biggest container.
This game keeps them busy at bath time, so they feel relaxed and confident while in the bath. It also helps develops their strength and coordination, and you will be supporting their language development as you chat to them.
Good to know
You don’t need lots of toys to play with your child. You can use safe items from around the house like plastic bowls and cups, spoons and funnels.
