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CHILDREN AND WATER PLAY
As a parent, you want your children to, as Nick Junior, the part of the Nickelodeon TV network aimed at preschoolers says, "grow, learn, and play." Some children like to play with water. Some parents do not like their children to play with water. They see this as accomplishing nothing, while making a mess. Thus, they do not allow their children that experience.
I would tell the parents who deny their children water play, that they are denying their children a great opportunity for playing and learning. I would ask those parents to take a closer look at what is going on, with the children and the water. If they do, they will notice that children are both playing and learning. Also, they are learning quite a bit about water.
ALWAYS SUPERWISE YOUR CHILDREN AT ALL TIMES DURING WATER PLAY!!
One thing that children will learn is what water is.
This includes how it feels on their hands, (and maybe faces and hair too) what it looks like, what it smells like and how to handle it, so it will do what they want it to do. Water may not always do what they want it to do, but that is part of the learning process. Parents can ask children childrens to help with this, more on that later.
Another thing that children can learn is conservation. They can move water from one cup to another. In doing that, there will be more in one, and less in another. Also, one possible result is that if there is too much water in a cup, it will overflow the cup. Another possibility is one cup will become empty.
Children can also begin to learn about gravity, as they pour the water from one cup to another, or from the cup to the floor.
In addition, children can learn hand-eye coordination and motor skills as they work with the water.
Another fun activity is mixing water with other liquids to see what happens. If water is mixed with milk, the milk will sink. Children who watch this, get a basic introduction to the fact that some liquids are diffeent than other liquids. Milk sinks because it has more volume than water. If it did not, it would simply float.
In addition, food coloring can be added to water. This will change the color of the water, and delight children. You can discuss what they think will happen. In addition, adding water that has food coloring in it, to other water that also has food coloring in it, will show children that when colors are mixed, other colors are formed.
Finally, children and adults can gather a variety of household items, and put them in the water. They can discuss if rhey think they will sink or float or not, and then test their hypothesis. Getting toys boats involved in the bath tub is another great idea. If there are multiple boats, there can be bost races. This activity may work better in the bath tub. It can also make bath time, much more fun.
Parents can join in the playing and learning as well. They can acquire and present a variety of water toys. In addition, simple things found around the home, make great toys. In fact, those could be better than commercial toys, as children are more famillar with these objects, and will probably find more creative uses for them.
Any time that parents can find situations and opportunities, that allow children to think on their own, they should be encouraged to do that. The media today has largely removed that from childhood.
One way that parents can do this is by posing what if questions to their children: What will happen if you pour the water out? What will happen if you pour the water from the bigger cup to the smaller cup? What will happen if you pour the water from the smaller cup to the bigger cup? What will happen if we add this food coloring? What will happen if we add this food coloring to this food coloring?
These questions will allow children to think about what is going to happen next. Also, by discussing them, you can get a sense for where your child's thinking is. In addition, somply asking children to tell you what they are doing, will also allow them to think about what they are doing, and allow you to see where their thinking is.
During the entire process, it is important for parents to let their children by the guides, and follow their example. This will also build the self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-concept of children. If parents get too involved in the progress, it will not be fun for the children anymore, and they will get bored and upset. In addition, they will not be as open to learning and playing.
Finally, if some water gets on the floor, or a mess is made, so what? In fact, this will only add to the learning process. It is important, even when children make a mess, to not get upset. This situation will provide you with a chance opportunity to teach them about cleaning up. Children are not able to learn about cleaning up, if there is not a mess. While you are cleaning, you can teach children, this fun cleaning song, "Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere. Clean up, Clean up, everybody, everywhere." Another song that works well is, "It's time to clean up now. It's time to clean up now. It's time to clean up now now and put all the ___ away." You can also substitute another song. If you are wiping up something, you can subsitude wipe up all the ___ in the last line.
It is just water after all, and your children will have had fun and learned a lot!
