Foamy Bubbles! Water Table for Infants and Toddlers

Babies need to beat the heat too!

Sometimes working with infants and toddlers can be challenging,

as they have trouble reaching up and into most sensory tables.

You also have to be careful and monitor them for more safety issues,

where you definitely don't want the water to be too deep.

Here is our favorite, tried and true infant
(and toddler.... and preschool.... and school aged)

sponge water table to help beat the heat!

We use an under the washing machine tub,
I think we spent about $10 on ours at a local hardware store.
Then, we fill it with 1" thick craft foam.
Ours is in 4 pieces that are cut to fit perfectly in the tub.
(You do not need to have individual pieces,
we just happened to have this foam already in smaller pieces.
One large piece would work just as well).

Then.... all you need to do is add cold water
and a little bit of soap for bubbles (optional).
The children seem to like the bubbles a bit more
than just plain water, but either option will work!

The washer tub is large enough to allow multiple children

to explore all at once, but it is low enough that

the mobile infants can easily crawl right up to it

and reach over the edge to participate in exploration.

When you add the soap to the water,
pushing down on the sponge repeatedly creates bubbles!
Lots of foamy, fun bubbles!

We also discovered that when you push down
on the sponge foam- your hand-prints become visible!

(Check back for more explorations with these "prints" on Friday)

Have you ever made a foamy bubble sensory table?

What is your favorite way to cool off with infants and toddlers?

We would love to hear about it!

Comments

Easter Egg Caterpillars!

OOOPS! This post has moved, please click on the photo to be redirected!

My friend died

I learned a hell of a lot from Dan Hodgins. He was mentor, a friend, and a "bone shaker" for many of us in the field of Early Childhood Education. He was and will always be a champion for children, and protector of childhood. I have so many great memories of time spent with him, it just doesn't seem like we had enough time. Dan died this past Saturday. Interestingly enough, Dan and I talked about death quite a bit. It is one of those topics that isn't talked about all that much in our field, but is super important. All living things eat, all living things poop, and all living things die. Dan and I recorded a podcast for awhile called "Shaking Bones." Dan was always shaking bones, even before I met him. To say I was honored to be asked to be his co-host would be putting it lightly. I loved recording with him. He was never afraid to touch on topics that were a bit edgy, or issues that sometimes weren't talked about much at all. We even...

A Few Ideas With Marker Caps (As Promised)

Yesterday, I hope I convinced you not to throw away your markers that "don't work." Today, I will share with you a few ideas for what to do with all of the caps. The possibilities are nearly endless, but here are a few of our recent creations: 1) A Leprechaun/Fairy Ladder/Rope Ladder: 2) #1 if not permanently secured can also double as a rope bridge: 3) #1/#2 can also be made into a train track for your homemade trains :). (No photo available) 4) You can use them as beads for a necklace: 5) You could make them into a wind chime. (No photo available). 6. You can use them as small manipulatives to count, sort, and make patterns with. (No photo available). 7) You could use them as playing pieces in your own homemade board game. (No photo available). 8) You could put them on a wire and glue them in place to make a twirling whirly-gig. 9) You could top them with a lid from a milk jug to make tiny tables or toadstools. 10) You could make them...

Ms. Amy's Blog @Child Central Station

Search This Blog