Young kids have short attention spans, which makes it hard to keep them entertained for long periods of time. And it’s no secret that kids love playing and exploring with water. But playing with plain water can often get boring so why not add a pop of color… or three? In this water activity, your toddler will not only be entertained for a long time but will also be learning color mixing fundamentals!
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Benefits of Water Play
Not only does water entertain for hours but children gain a range of rich and valuable benefits. It has sensory benefits that bring along various physical exploration and development as well as creativity and imagination.
In terms of hand-eye coordination, children improve their sense of accuracy and control by simply pouring water from one container into another or controlling the direction and size of a splash.
Children get so immersed into water play activities that they grow their attention span through focus and concentration.
And of course, motor skills, through coordination and strength from pouring, carrying, and transferring water from one place to another.
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Color Mixing Exploration Water Activity
We love exploring while playing so this primary color water activity was perfect for keeping the kids engaged on a Sunday morning outside while my husband and I took care of the garden.
The setup was simple. I grabbed an ice cube tray, food coloring, a clear bin, and plastic syringes or droppers (we used old 5mL oral syringes). And for the water, I brought out a large measuring cup to refill the tray. The ice was just a bonus experience which could have also been an extension of our play with sensorial aspects. But they were so busy with transferring and exploring with the colors and water that we didn’t get to it that day.
Learning While Playing
Generally speaking, playing with water brings along several educational benefits. But adding color to a water activity enhances the opportunity for more conscious learning.
The focus of this color mixing water activity was to explore how primary colors (red, blue, and yellow) could be combined to form secondary colors (orange, green, and purple).
On their own, the kids explored how to grab water from the ice tray, using the syringes. This was their hardest fine-motor skill to grasp. Again, droppers also work great for this! Then they transferred the water to the bin with ice (which kept the colors a little separated and was more of an aesthetic bonus).
Try the activity without colors at first. Then add a drop of food coloring for each primary color within the ice tray for your child to transfer individually and discuss the changes. Once confident, allow them to mix two colors within the syringe to watch the colors mix instantly.
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My name is Paula and I’m a mom of two scrumptious cuties. Thanks Mommy Blog became a project for me to help guide other new moms and current moms through any of my own personal experiences and struggles. My hobbies include singing, doing jigsaw puzzles, baking, designing and trying to stay creative.
