Today was a great day for water play. My sons and their cousin gallivanted in the sprinkler…chasing, laughing and playing. They were also discovering. They experimented with water pressure and with blocking holes – discovering ways to make the water flow higher and lower at their command.
Later in the day, as the boys helped me water the gardens, I heard one exclaim, “Look, Mom, I made a rainbow!” Playing with light and water, the boys discovered ways to make the rainbow disappear, dance and move. “The light makes all the colors show through,” one boy observed.
For young and old, water play is a satisfying kind of play. It can be both relaxing and invigorating at the same time. When I worked and lived in Boston, summer trips to playgrounds with water fountains was always high on the list of fun and free things to do. Those last few lingering school days were perfect for class trips to a nearby sprinkler park. Dancing through the streams of refreshing water, I often saw playful sides of students who were reserved and serious in the classroom.
Visiting Boston this past weekend, we made a point of heading to one of our favorite sprinklers. As we played, there were even grown-ups who were shedding inhibitions and frolicking in the mist – my husband among them – to the delight of their companions.
If you are looking for fun, learning and discovery all rolled into one affordable package, find a way to bring water play into your summer entertainment. You’ll be glad you did!
What a wonderful idea! Allowing them to explore with the hose instead of incouraging to"put that thing down!".
I often watch the kids in the tub and think about the cause and effect they are testing out and their understanding of properties and volume. It's amazing what children can figure out on their own. (I guess that's why I consider myself a constructivist!)
Wow, playing with the sprinkler brings back so many great childhood memories both my own as well as my kids. Hours of endless fun!!