WATER PLAY.. SIMPLE HOW-TO AND THE WHY BEHIND THE PLAY

Animal Washing Station… We used our favorite animals, but you should use anything your children are interested in.  Truck washing, baby-doll washing, dish washing, it all works the same.  

We used soap, sponges, an old toothbrush and dishwashing tool, some little cups and pitchers, and of course… WATER! We also set this activity up in our IKEA sensory table, but any old bins and buckets on the floor work just as well.  

Why is water play a great activity for YOU?

1. You can use things you already have

2. It is basically free

3. Your child will likely play for a long time even though the activity takes less than five minutes to set up.

4. There very little mess to clean up. It is probably the cleanest mess your child will ever make.

5. Your child will probably get soap and water all over themselves so you can count it as a bath

Why is water play great for your child?

1. Your child will be exploring washing, which is a something they’ve been experiencing their whole lives. Having the opportunity to master their own life experiences by repeating them on a smaller scale helps them process and make sense of their world. 

2. They are playing with concepts like empty and full, cause and reaction, wet and dry.  They are using their developing muscles to work up a lather and fine motor skills to fill and pour. 

3. They will inevitably spill and be given the opportunity to wipe up after themselves in a no-pressure situation.  Sometimes a big spill during dinner-time can feel overwhelming and upsetting. Letting them clean up these smaller spills allows for the opportunity to practice and master the skill of mopping up on their own terms.  

4. Private Speech:  When you child is engaged in this washing station, you will likely hear them chatting away with themselves.  Why does this matter? Private speech is an indicator of cognitive development.  It is so important for language development, self-regulation and problem solving.  (Plus, it is so darn sweet to listen to.)

How to support your child in playing successfully with water: 

Give them space. Don’t ask a million questions, do not direct the play or micro manage spillage.  It’s just water after all.  Do not worry about regulating the amount of soap or water.  That is not the point here.  The goal is to allow them to engage in self-directed play.  Give yourself permission to let your child use as much as they want.   A little trick? Save old soap bottles and just fill them with about an inch of soap and the rest water.  That way they can still make lots of soapy bubbles and you do not need to worry about wasting.  

Do stay nearby, but be engaged in your own work.  When they try to draw you in and ask you to play, simply say, “I am dong my work while you do yours.”  Be nice, but boring. When they ask you questions and try to chat with you, act very interested in whatever you are doing. 

I am providing a materials list for this project, but PLEASE do not feel that you need to buy anything.  Be creative and use what you have around the house. Bins, buckets or the bathtub work! 

 If there is one thing you should buy if you don’t already have one, it is this water dispenser. 

Why? It helps children be independent, and you don’t need to continually get up and retrieve more water.  Using a self-serve jug encourages self-regulation.  Children learn more and faster about how much soap and water they need when they can do it themselves.  

Materials List 

Water Jug

IKEA Sensory Table

Animals

Scrub Brush

Baby Soap

Metal Cups

If this post was interesting to you, you also might like THIS post.

I hope you found this post helpful.  If you want to hear more from me, please be sure to subscribe to my blog and join the conversation over on Instagram.  

-Lizzie 

QUIET TIME AND INDEPENDENT PLAY EBOOK

This downloadable ebook is your personal guide to Quiet Time and Independent Play.  This ebook will teach you the basic steps to implementing a Quiet Time and Independent Play strategy that works. The guide teaches you my proven 5 step method for implementing a daily break without using screens. (Guide includes 5 bonus invitations to play.)

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THE PLAY PLAN

The Play Plan is an ebook containing play invitations that are easy to set up, inexpensive, and apply children of all ages. The 25 play prompts are divided into five categories and use  items that you most likely already have at home. These play prompts consider children of all ages, all developmental stages, and all learning capabilities. Each prompt can be tailored to fit your unique child’s needs. Play is meant to be simple.

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5 Ways to Help Your Child Cope With Stress

Have you ever noticed that whatever type of mood you’re in, your family follows suit?  Whether you like it or not, your mood as the parent sets the tone.  

Whether you’re feeling happy and energized, or down and stressed out, your child is most likely feeling the same way. 

Let’s talk about what you can do to help your child cope with stress and find relief when times are tough. 

Stress is Inevitable

Stress makes it so hard to regulate our own emotions.

• Snapping at your child because you are mad at your partner.

• Tuning your child out because you are worried about finances. ⁣

• Being impatient with your child when you are waiting on crucial medical results. ⁣

• Feeling exhausted and defeated before your little one even plants that first kiss on your cheek. ⁣

All of these feelings are completely valid and normal to have, and I understand wanting to find a way to try and eliminate stress altogether.  

However, stress is inevitable.  Stress is part of living a full life, and eliminating stress is not the answer.  Rather than eliminating stress, learning how to tolerate stress is the goal.

Even as adults, learning to tolerate stress can be difficult.  So just imagine how hard it can be for your child. 

The best thing we can do for our children when stress comes knocking on the door is to teach them coping skills by modeling and practicing them ourselves.   

How to Cope with Stress

Here are 5 things to try the next time you notice your little one may be feeling overwhelmed, anxious, or stressed out:

1. Offer Sensory Play

Sensory play is a great way to reduce stress, as well as calm and soothe anxiety. By stimulating your child’s senses through sensory play, they become more grounded and are able to better regulate what they are feeling. This activity doesn’t have to be anything fancy. It can be something as simple as spinning in a chair, running and jumping in the wind, cooking, or water play.  

If you need a resource of uncomplicated play prompts, The Play Plan might be for you!

2. Increase Sleep

Sleep reduces irritability and anxiety, so it only makes sense to make sleep a priority when you are feeling stressed out and run down. If your child is out of the napping stage, a way to ensure that they are getting extra rest is to make a conscious effort to get them to bed earlier. Don’t overcomplicate it - just aim for a bedtime 5 minutes earlier than the night before, and continue this for a few days. 

3. Go Outside

Getting outside is not only an easy way to reduce stress but it has also been scientifically proven to reduce stress hormones! Don’t think that you have to plan an extravagant outing for your family in order for this to be effective! It could just be you and your child taking a walk around the block. Even the smallest amount of Vitamin D will work wonders to help you both feel more at ease. 

4. Add Water

Water in all forms reduces stress. Try adding fruit to your and your little one’s drinking water for some extra flavor, go swimming, jump in puddles, even take a mid-day bath just for fun! Honestly, the possibilities are endless with this one. 

If you’re looking for a fun activity for your child that is sure to lighten their mood, check out this blog to learn how to put together a toy washing station.  It combines sensory play, water, and you could even do it outside. They’ll love it!

5. Connect

Take 10 minutes for just you and your child to connect. Turn off the screens, put the toys away, and just be. Sometimes the only thing our children need from us is our full attention. Be present and enjoy this time with them. Make eye contact, and let them know that you’re there for them. 

I wish I could take away your worries and make everything turn out the way you want it to. 

I know what it’s like to be feeling stressed out and then have “mom guilt” sneak in and make you feel like you are not doing a good job. I also know that you are an amazing parent.

By learning to cope with stress and teaching your children to do the same, you are giving them one of the best and most valuable life lessons you could possibly give them!

I hope you enjoyed this blog!

For more support and tips related to this topic, join The Workspace for Children community on Instagram!  Let’s parent together.

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CHECK OUT OUR EBOOKS!

THE PLAY PLAN

The Play Plan is an ebook containing play invitations that are easy to set up, inexpensive, and apply children of all ages. The 25 play prompts are divided into five categories and use  items that you most likely already have at home. These play prompts consider children of all ages, all developmental stages, and all learning capabilities. Each prompt can be tailored to fit your unique child’s needs. Play is meant to be simple.

$28

QUIET TIME AND INDEPENDENT PLAY EBOOK

This downloadable ebook is your personal guide to Quiet Time and Independent Play.  This ebook will teach you the basic steps to implementing a Quiet Time and Independent Play strategy that works. The guide teaches you my proven 5 step method for implementing a daily break without using screens. (Guide includes 5 bonus invitations to play.)

$27

FIVE MINUTE SOAP FOAM FOR SENSORY PLAY

Soap foam. I love it. It is simple to make with ingredients you already have on hand and a snap to clean up. It feels and smells amazing. Children of all ages love to sink their hands into it. This is a great activity to put in your back pocket this winter.

Stuck inside on a freezing day? Soap foam in the kitchen sink.

Need an extra long bathtime to kill an afternoon? Give them a big bucket of soap foam.

Looking for an independent play idea? Soap foam plus favorite cars, dinos, or baby dolls.

Read on to find out more….

First, let me share the most simple recipe and how-to:

Yup, it’s really that simple. You can use dish soap, bath soap, bubble bath or anything you have around the house. If you are making this for small children, make sure it’s tear-free soap.

You can set this up in the sink or a big bin. The thing I love most about this sensory material is its versatility. Babies can play with a small amount on the high chair. Toddlers can explore it with a few scoopers. Preschoolers love to use it to with sponges, whisks, or any old kitchen tool.

When your child is ready, you can set this up like I did below for my (then) six year old. She washed her cars and then made up a road trip game about driving to a hotel. She set up her roads and made a hotel out of magnetic tiles.

On another day, she washed a dried her animals after they ‘swam in the ocean’.

On yet another day I set this up with rocks and animals. This one turned into a ‘river in the woods’ trip for her animals. Her game sounded just like the trip we had just taken to the woods the week before.

Soap foam is a simple way to ease yourself into non-messy sensory play for your child. You truly do not need to even add color. If you are looking for a way to get your little one busy playing and learning this summer, do yourself a favor and whip up a batch of soap foam. The five minutes you invest making it will set you up for a loooong play session.

Helpful Clickable Links:

Ikea Flisat Table

Water Color Magic

Way to Play Roads

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I hope you found this post helpful.  If you want to hear more from me, please be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and join the conversation over on Instagram.  

-Lizzie 

HOW TO DYE CHICKPEAS FOR A SENSORY BIN

It’s as simple as that!

-Lizzie