[Nursery/Kindergarten] Water play ideas that kids will love
Water play is essential in the hot summer!
Many children are probably looking forward to touching water or getting into the pool.
Through water play, we want them to grow familiar with water and fully enjoy themselves while feeling the coolness and texture on their skin.
So this time, we’re introducing water play ideas that kids will love.
We’ve gathered plenty of activities to spark their excitement: not only games you can play in the water, but also DIY water toys made from recycled materials, and sensory play using bubbles and colored water.
Since some children may feel fear or resistance toward water, please choose activities that everyone can enjoy, and adapt them to each child’s pace!
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[Nursery/Kindergarten] Water Play Ideas That Kids Will Love (11–20)
plastic bottle shower
Let’s make a shower using a plastic bottle and play with the kids! It’s easy to make: just decorate a plastic bottle with vinyl tape or markers, then use an awl to poke small holes in the bottom.
After that, fill the bottle with water and it will pour out of the bottom like a shower.
Because of the way air flows, the water will stop when the bottle cap is closed, so kids can have fun opening and closing the cap.
Since making the holes can be dangerous, ask an adult to handle that part, but let the children do the decorating—drawing faces or adding patterns—so they can enjoy the preparation stage too.
Water splashing race
Normally, people would get angry if you splash water on them.
But water play is the exception! Scoop up water from the pool with both hands and splash it, or use water guns to splash each other! It might feel uncomfortable at first when you get wet, but after a while you won’t mind it, and on hot days it’ll help you cool down! However, make sure everyone follows the rules: don’t splash faces, and don’t splash anyone who doesn’t want it.
If everyone slaps the water surface all at once on a “Ready, set, go!” to make a big splash, and then races each other, it’ll be super fun.
Water Gun Showdown
A classic toy for water play: the water gun.
It’s not just for shootouts—you can enjoy all kinds of games with it! Fix one end of a long strip of toilet paper to a long stick, and attach a light prize like candy or a small toy to the other end.
Aim your water gun at the toilet paper and soak it; if the prize falls, you win it.
You can also place a plastic bottle with a little water in it upside down on a stand and try to knock it over with your water gun—if you topple it, you win.
With more players, you can come up with all sorts of head-to-head challenges depending on your ideas.
Try creating your own original games and have fun!
fishing
The classic children’s game: “Fishing”! You don’t actually go fishing—instead, you float toy fish in a washbasin or the bathtub and play.
You can easily find toy fish at 100-yen shops these days! If you’re playing at a daycare or kindergarten, it could be fun to start by making the materials.
You can enjoy fishing with fish made from construction paper with paper clips attached, and a chopstick rod with a magnet tied to the end of some string.
Laying the fish out on a blue tarp gives a nice ocean feel!
puyo-puyo balls
It’s fun to float colored balls or super balls in the pool, but why not try these “puyo-puyo balls” too? They look similar to super balls, but as the name suggests, they’re squishy and really fun to touch! Some types expand when soaked in water, so you can enjoy the change as well.
Fill the pool with a bunch and make a squishy ball pool you can get into! Kids are sure to love the new sensation.
You can buy puyo-puyo balls from online shops, so if you’re interested, go check them out!
Bubble play
These days, many soaps come in foaming pump bottles, but why not enjoy “foam play” by making bubbles from scratch using a bar of soap and a homemade ball sponge? You can easily make a ball sponge by cutting a store-bought sponge about 1 cm thick into long strips, bundling them together, and tightly securing the center with a rubber band.
Next, put water and a bar of soap into a washbasin, and use the ball sponge to whip up lots of bubbles.
You can adjust the firmness of the foam by changing the amount of water.
It’s also fun to add food coloring partway through.
Be sure to keep a close eye on infants and toddlers, as there is a risk they may put it in their mouths.
[Nursery/Kindergarten] Water play ideas that children will love (21–30)
Summer at-home activities using dry ice
It’s like magic! Here are some ideas for summer at-home play using dry ice.
The bubbling white “smoke” from dry ice is fascinating for kids, isn’t it? This time, let’s try playing with dry ice.
You’ll need a cup filled with water, dry ice, bubble solution, straws, and so on.
If you blow bubbles onto the cup with dry ice in it, it’s fun to watch the foamy bubbles puff up and expand! When using dry ice, be sure to ventilate well and avoid touching the dry ice directly.