Water Play For Summer

[NightOwl]

I see where some of you do water play every day? How do you manage that?? The kids get wet/grassy, have to be dried/clothes changed before coming in. It just sounds like a big job to take on everyday. Especially with a mixed age group, I have 2 under 1yr, 3 2yrs, 3 4/5 yrs.
What are your babies doing during water play?
Do you have water tables/shallow pools? What other water equipment?
Obviously, I need some help. Lol.

[Annalee]

I see where some of you do water play every day? How do you manage that?? The kids get wet/grassy, have to be dried/clothes changed before coming in. It just sounds like a big job to take on everyday. Especially with a mixed age group, I have 2 under 1yr, 3 2yrs, 3 4/5 yrs.
What are your babies doing during water play?
Do you have water tables/shallow pools? What other water equipment?
Obviously, I need some help. Lol.

We have 2 water tables outside with accessories i.e. measuring cups, bowls, scoops, boats, etc. The kids get wet but not saturated and usually dry before we come inside but if not, we just change their clothes....I use birdseed with accessories when we are inside. All ages here play together, the little ones just take more supervision.

[Jack Sprat]

Last summer we usually did water play after nap and would change if soaked. If not all my parents were fine with clothes being a little wet. The bigs would change one at a time in the bathroom and the littles were changed on the enclosed porch. I would keep clothes and hang them out to dry or wash them depended on the family.

We now have one water table. We have used it once and that was with two kids. I plan on buying a second one so it won't be so congested. Again, I will change kids if need be.

All ages will play. Except the newborn. She will hopefully be resting peacefully. ::

[SignMeUp]

I use dishpans.
Kids can play alone or two (sometimes three, by their choice) to a pan. Funnels, measuring spoons & measuring cups, various small pouring devices, little animals that squirt water, spray bottles, larger medicine syringes, small boats & people.
Different toys on different days, warm water, cool water, baby soap in the water that bubbles up as they play, etc. Dishpans are spread out across the lawn so any spills just water the grass.
Kids sometimes get a little damp, but not too bad.
For babies who are sitting up, I'll set the baby in a dishpan, with a vintage J&J fishbowl with some water and toys inside the bowl.

[Angelsj]

Mine spend the biggest part of their summer days in swim suits.
Change to swimsuits for outside in the morning, play in sprinkler/kiddie pool/hose for two hours. Rinse off, go inside. Suits go in the dryer.

After rest break the whole thing goes again. I bring them in about 15 mins before pick ups start and throw the suits in the wash for the next day.

[nothingwithoutjoy]

We put on suits to go outside on hot summer days: all ages. Sometimes it's the wading pool, sometimes the sprinkler, sometimes we go wading in a nearby stream. Sometimes it's just for a big bin of water in the mud kitchen, so they can get as wet as they like (sometimes we don't bother with suits for that and just get clothes wet and change when we go in).

As far as managing it, we've got it down to a good system.
--When we take off clothes, I don't have them put them into their baskets, or they often end up changing into new clothes later. Instead, I have them each make a pile on a chair.
--Before coming inside, we stop the water for a few minutes so the kids have some time to dry off a bit and don't come into the house sopping wet.
--We use our hand towels to dry off so I don't have tons of big huge towels to deal with.
--I clip all their suits to a laundry hanger and hang it outside the door to dry off in the sun.