Waterplay Wednesday: The Baby Edition

Water-play is a great introductory sensory activity for very little ones. During the first year, almost every type of play is a sensory experience for babies as they explore textures, colors, and all of their five senses for the first time. With children of all ages, adequate supervision is imperative with water-play, as even a small amount can be a drowning hazard. My son always loved (and still loves) playing in the bathtub, so using our shared apartment complex backyard space for a kiddie pool seemed like a great way to expand on this interest during the summer when he turned one. Because of minimal indoor space and the backyard being a common area, we opted for an inflatable kiddie pool that we could easily store inside under one of our beds. 

If space or comfort level prevent the use of a kiddie pool, large plastic bowls paired with favorite discovery basket items (i.e. kitchen utensils, teething toys, colanders and containers) make for just as much splashing and fun!

discovery basket in action

fishing for teething toys was a favorite activity especially when cutting those first chompers

We have a favorite Shabbat song about preparing chicken soup--we used plastic food and dishes in the kiddie pool for a hands-on backyard rendition of "Put the Chicken in the Pot"

Then, just for fun, we added some "matzo balls!"