Otherwise known as frugal summer fun in small places! I was indeed tempted this summer to find a small pool for Karis to play in as she loves water, but then I decided to stir up the creative juices and come up with a frugal and fun alternative. It has become Karis’ favorite activity! She will stay out on the back deck for a good hour, frequently multiple times a day, just using her cute little moter skills, pouring water, stirring water in the bowl, and splashing it around!
All you need is a large pan (we used a 15×11 pyrex pan that wasn’t getting much use anyway -too large for our small family), and a number of measuring cups, baby food jar, and plastic spoons and eatery from her collection. Fill up with a little water and have fun!
When winter weather decides to kick in, I may just lay this setup on the kitchen floor and let her have at it. It is a great learning activity as we talk about how to pour, scoop, touch, and develop the senses. I would tell her to fill this cup or stir that water, and she would learn how to do so.
I just found your site today when looking up how to make cloth napkins…
I found this very similar to what my kids love to do in the summer. We take a bucket or bowl full of water and old paint brushes and they “paint” the deck.
Hours of fun!
Thanks for the interesting blog, I enjoyed reading it.
My mom used to always put some water in the bottom of the sink and I would play with measuring cups and medicine droppers in there for a long time with my brother!
We just did this last week the kids loved it. It’s so much fun to watch them play!!
too cute! you’re a fantastic mom!
What a cute idea! My daughter is only 6 months old right now but I’ll be sure to try this in the future
By the way, your daughter is adorable!
Cherish these sweet simple moments while they last. So cute! When my 2 oldest girls were still little, they wanted to help me wash dishes so badly. Of course they just wanted to play in the water. So I stripped them down to their undies, pulled up two chairs with towels on the seats and filled the sink up with LOTS of bubbles. I gave them all the unbreakable dishes to “wash”. They were thrilled. It entertained them for a long time. I just hope they have the same joy when they have to wash dishes for real!
It will be a sad, sad day in our house when water fails to keep someone entertained. It really is the perfect frugal fun for little ones.
I forgot to mention in my first comment that letting the older kids put on swimsuits in the winter and “swim” in the bathtub is a great way to pass time on a cold winter day. It can get a bit messy, but they have fun.
Gen loves doing the same thing! I have jars, watering cans, flower pots, and spoons outside on our patio, and she stirs, mixes, and pours all day long!
Blessings,
Michele
I’m trying this even as I type in the kitchen as it is quite muggy and warm outside. I am really hoping that it doesn’t translate to playing in the cats water bowl though. She seems to enjoy it thus far.
I have never done that with water, good idea! Do you get snow where you are? If so, in the winter try filling the large pan with snow and letting her go to town in your kitchen (that way it is easy to clean up the water mess). I have done that with my son each winter and he loves it. She can even make mini-snowmen. Her hands may get a little cold so let her use her mittens. Much easier than getting her dressed in warm weather garb from head to toe!
I did a similiar thing with my little one last winter. It was too cold to go out and play, so I brought in a huge bowl of snow and just set the bowl and the boy on the kitchen floor with some spoons and we played until it all melted. We did this several times and had a lot of fun, plus it’s a great way to wash the floor after!
I used to do the same thing with my daughter when she was that age. Yesterday she went outside with just a cup of water and an old bottle brush and told me she would clean the outside of the house while I cleaned the inside. My 10 month old will do just about anything to get into water. It is amazing how they can be entertained by something so simple.
Love it! My boy (20 mos) is entertained for great lengths of time with just some water in a bucket! The weather is starting to be “not as hot” here in AZ so I may be able to bring this fun game back!