Summer is synonymous with water. The pool, the beach, the sprinkler in the yard. Many opportunities for fun and learning while having fun! Not only can babies and toddlers learn a variety of sounds and words during water play, but they will have sensory experiences that will teach them to tolerate how things sound, taste, look, feel, and even smell. Teach your baby about the different temperatures as they splash around in the cold water from a sprinkler or a hose vs water in the pool that is heated or has sat in the sun. Model “Brrrr” for your child to imitate when it’s cold or “Ahhhh nice and warm” when the water is a warmer temperature. Teach them hot vs cold during these hot summer days, as well as concepts wet vs dry. Use water toys to play and splash with while naming them for your child to either find or pick up or to imitate the name of. Sing songs such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, “Five Little Ducks”, or “Splish Splash”. Teach actions such as “scoop” or “dump”. Make bubbles and help them pop them while modeling “Pop!”. When they are old enough, teach them to blow bubbles in the water. Whether you are at home or away, water play is a fun way to teach your child and a fun way for them to learn!
Words/sounds to include: Water, splash, wet, dry, hot, cold, plop, pop, bubble, boat, duck, fish, frog, bucket, shovel, cup, scoop, dump, swim, kick