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Outdoor Activity Tables For Toddlers – When it comes to keeping your kid busy this summer, there’s no better way than with water tables! I’ve been sharing some of the best water table activities here for years and now I have the best guide for you to find
I bought our first water table when my daughter was little, second hand for maybe $10. At the time, I had no idea how much fun they were or how many hours of outdoor play they could provide. It was a simple board with absolutely no game equipment. It had two different sticks attached to a slide but boy did that board get tons of use.
Outdoor Activity Tables For Toddlers
Although the used table worked at the time, I was never able to clean it completely. It was abandoned by the previous owners and was always dirty. Also with the addition of not just one but more children to our family, I knew we would need an upgrade next summer.
Kids Activity Table And Chair Set
I did a little research on the best water table and chose one that had attractive play surfaces, good drainage for cleaning and was big enough for most kids (I’m sharing the one below). It met my needs, my aesthetic and my budget. This guide will help you understand what is important for you to make a quick decision when it comes to water.
As well as being a lot of fun and a great way to stay cool in the summer, water tables and water sensory play provide plenty of opportunities to develop key skills.
While playing with water your little one will work on their fine and gross motor skills by pouring, pulling, carrying, moving and removing the water and other sensory toys around the table.
When it comes to sensory exploration, water play  is probably one of my favorite mediums. From the sound of splashing water to how water feels (cold, hot), water play is great for kids to explore their senses. Adding other items such as water bottles or Pom Poms will allow children to reinforce the sensory feedback. by different means.
Easy_fun_cheap_water_table_play_ideas_for_preschoolers_and_toddlers Simply Sweet Days
Water play can provide many opportunities for language and communication development, especially if your child is playing with other children or you are involved as a parent or caregiver. These may include having to share equipment or describe an experience they enjoy or working cooperatively with another child to achieve a desired result with water. All these experiences help to improve their social and communication skills.
Early math skills developed during water play include measuring and filling containers, counting objects or determining whether they will be able to carry a full pot to the brim or if they will have to throw some away. Water play also helps introduce and develop early math and science concepts. In addition to this water play, it also helps children develop problem solving skills and even cause and effect.
One of my favorite things about water play is how easily your child can get caught up in the activity, losing themselves in the play. It often leads to long periods of play and exploration in a particular activity. This can encourage children to focus and when an activity can hold a child’s attention for a long time it helps to increase their attention span as they progress.
I have made a short list of 4 things to consider when choosing a water table. These are the things that have come up for me and my kids over the last 6 years of using water tables.
Easy Diy Play Tables For The Kids
You don’t need to buy one with a billion bells and whistles to keep your child engaged in their water bath. In fact, from my experience your child can have just as much fun with a water table with lots of play accessories as a simple one.
When looking at different water table toys, consider your child’s age. Young children may not be able to use all the shoes at first. Ideally, something to soak up the water or sand and a path or channel for the water to flow is all that is usually needed at this age. For older children, look for a sensory corner with fine motor elements, such as accessories that spin, turn or have levers that can be used to change the direction of the water.
When it comes to water tables, bigger is not always better. Think about how big a water supply you will need. Think about how many children you plan to use the table. For example, when I bought our current table, I knew that eventually three kids would be playing around it, so I needed a table that was big enough for everyone to play comfortably. Also consider how much storage space you have in a garage or shed to protect your table from the elements, especially if you live in a 4-season climate.
Some water tables come with a small drain on the bottom where you can keep the contents while others do not. This is something to consider when deciding on a water table. Those without drainage must be emptied by hand. Being able to dry your desk is probably important because it will ensure that mold will not grow.
Multipurpose Activity Table
Having shelter along with your water table is also something to consider. If your backyard or patio is very sunny, you may want to attach a shelter such as an umbrella over the water table to protect from the sun on very hot days.
If you find a body of water you like but it doesn’t have shelter, you can always place a beach umbrella in the grass next to it to provide shelter.
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It is said that there are many things in this water table to keep your little one occupied for a long time. And armed with my other 40+ great water ideas you’ll be able to keep them all summer long.
Spiralin Seas Water Table
This water table is big enough for many children to play. I used this table for my daughter’s third birthday party and at one time 7 small children of 2-3 years old were playing in it. All three of my kids can comfortably play with this table with plenty of arm room. It is very light, when water is poured and can be easily stored in our shed.
The spiral in the center is great for kids but it is too long. When my twins were little, they couldn’t reach up to put the balls in.
I ended up with a center spiral that left a hole in the middle of the table. But it also left a small platform in the middle where they could place other things such as bowls, pots and pans. In the end I much prefer the changing table we have because it is a little more versatile and has tons of room to do other water table activities. At the
In my experience water tables are wonderful outdoor toys and they will provide hours of fun in the summer but eventually the novelty of the water table will wear off. When that happens you’ll want to have a board that can be used for other sensory activities. For example, a table where you can add dandelions or buckets of water or ice to help them. For me, this water table had the perfect balance of fun play accessories and open end room sensory play.
Isabelle & Max™ Hong Kids Round Interactive Table And Chair Set
This table is a little different but great for sensory play in addition to water. Great for sand, water beads or ice.
Boring afternoons are made interesting with awesome animal rides, like Salty Shark Bay or Darn Farm. Play games like the Birthday Cake Sensory Game or Bubble Tea Party to encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Looking for more summer activity ideas? Check out these other round-ups for more ways to stay busy this summer:
WILL YOU TRY THESE WATER MYTHS WITH YOUR KIDS THIS SUMMER? WHY NOT PIN FOR LATER! Add sand and water to the filled slides for extra fun and hands-on fun.
Buy Kids Sand Water Table For Toddlers
Use the play bench for a sand and water table or all kinds of other activities for hours of outdoor fun.
Mark the leg space on the front and rear leg supports (48 inches). Mark a ¾ inch margin at each end, and mark 4 inches inward from the top edge.
Using these marks to guide the placement of the legs will allow these supports to be the back supports and for each other.
