Water Exploration and Play

Splish splash! Let’s have fun in the bath!

This activity is pulled from our Virtual ExCEL Camps happening summer of 2020! While these activities are written to fit into the larger lesson plan of the camp themes, you can complete them with your little one at any time. Learn more about our Virtual ExCEL Summer Camp here!

Appropriate Age Range: 0-8 years of age

Materials Needed:

• whip cream, pudding, or finger paint
• old paintbrushes

Vocabulary:

Try looking these words up if your child is unfamiliar with them: smear, mushy, dirty, clean, wipe off, sticky, rinse, rub, wet, dry, swipe, left, right, up, down

Activity: 

• Play with different mediums in the bathtub. This may be helpful for students who are tactile averse as the substance can easily be washed off.
• Have fun smearing whip cream, pudding of contrast i.e. chocolate pudding on a white tub or finger paint (homemade or store-bought) on the sides of the tub or walls. Check for the possibility of it staining.
• Using an old paintbrush, try painting the finger paint or other substance on the bathtub.
• Try to draw shapes in the pudding. Can you make a circle, a triangle, or a square in the substance?
• How does it feel? Is it sticky?  Is it mushy?  What color is it?
• Rinse off the substance with a cup and talk about where it went. Is the bathtub water a different color now?

Outcome:

How did your child react to touching the different substances? Did they enjoy smearing them on the side of the tub?  If they are tactile averse, were they able to tolerate this activity a bit easier due to the ability to wash it off quickly?  What were the non-verbal cues they gave that they either enjoyed the activity or didn’t like it?

Extension:

Make your own bath paint using soap, cornstarch, and food coloring!