Do Any Of You Not Do Water Play?

[permanentvacation]

On one hand, I love water play. However, for many years now, I only watch children ages 6 weeks - 4 years old. All of them need help undressing and getting their bathing suits on and then taking their bathing suits off, drying off, and getting dressed again. Every time we start playing with water, someone has to go to the bathroom - even though everyone went potty while getting their bathing suits on. And if a child is inside, I'm required to be inside with them (meaning I can't stay outside with the others playing in the water and just let the one child inside to go potty.) So, we all have to come inside because one child has to pee. And of course that one child is all wet, so I have to dry him/her off first, help them out of their bathing suit, and then put their bathing suit back on them!

It's A LOT of work to let the kids have water play time!

So, I was wondering if any one truly does not ever do water play and if your parents are okay with that.

[permanentvacation]

I guess I could require that the girls wear only bikinis so I don't have to take the entire bathing suit off when they have to go potty. That would help a bit.

[kendallina]

Some people use little potty chairs outside too, maybe that would help?

Btw, I can't imagine doing water play with such little ones, that is a ton of work! I have 6 kids, but they're ages 3-7 and I generally have to help the 3-year olds, but the rest can really do everything on their own. I wouldn't be as excited about water play if I had to change all the toddlers too.

[racemom]

I work at a center, and only 4 years and up go swimming two times per week. No other water play. We started the pool last year, to entertain schoolagers, and never had complaints about not having water play.

[permanentvacation]

We can only use potty chairs in the bathroom here.

[MarinaVanessa]

I know you asked for people that don't do water play and I do have it but I don't do swimming or pool time so maybe that will help?

I just have a water table that I fill with water and I add water toys, measuring cups, funnels, containers etc. There's little mess water-wise and so if we have to come back inside it's not such a big deal because the kids aren't all soaking wet.

I also keep extra shirts and shorts for the kids here and so sometimes when I'm feeling adventurous I'll change the kids into those clothes and give the kids little buckets of water, sponges and some soapy water and they have a "car wash" and wash our ride-on toys down. They get to play with water and have a blast and all of my ride-on toys get cleaned ::.

I don't think a wading pool is necessary if you don't want to deal with the fuss and as long as you offered some sort of water play.

Here if I wanted to let the kids play in a wading pool I'd have to fill the pool while we were all outside and dump it right away if we had to go back inside. I wouldn't be able to fill it in the morning and leave it for later to use or leave it filled if we came back inside for a potty break. That would be a class A violation for us if licensing came by and saw a "body of water" filled and left like that so I just don't even bother. Too much hassle for me so I just don't do it.

[Controlled Chaos]

We do sprinkler play two days a week. I put their swim suits on after snack, we do potty and sunscreen at this time anyway, so its not too much more work. Then, I put their regular clothes in a bag to take outside with us. The kids play in the sprinkler and just about the yard for an hour, then I turn off the sprinkler and change them back one at a time outside before heading in. I have diaper stuff (roll up changing pad, diapers, wipes, bags to put the dirty ones in and hand sanitzer) in a storage tub outside so it also takes care of a diaper change when we change back which is nice. Then the big ones go when we get back in. The kids know if we have to go back in to go potty we are done, so it rarely happens,

Every other day there are several small tubs (water table sized), on the grass filled with water, boats, funnels etc. I don't care if the kids get their clothes wet as it is so hot it feels good for them, and they dry quickly. I just take the water away 15min or so before we head in.

[Play Care]

I just have a water table that I fill with water and I add water toys, measuring cups, funnels, containers etc. There's little mess water-wise and so if we have to come back inside it's not such a big deal because the kids aren't all soaking wet.

This is what I do as well. I do have a sprinkler that I will occasionally use, but all of that is at my convenience.

[Josiegirl]

So far I've been putting it off. My faucet that I use leaks like crazy. And I so dread the mess it makes. Seems the older I get the less tolerant I have become of sand/mud/water/dirt messes. I usually fill up the water table in the a.m. and they're happy. I've done sprinkler play before but as I said, my faucet needs to be fixed. Besides with all the rain we've had lately, they find enough water. Getting to be an old killjoy I guess.
When we go outside at 9ish it can still be a bit chilly here, especially if you get soaking wet. And in the p.m. dcps sometimes pick up soon after we make it back outdoors. (at least those are my excuses)

[DaveA]

I just have a water table that I fill with water and I add water toys, measuring cups, funnels, containers etc. There's little mess water-wise and so if we have to come back inside it's not such a big deal because the kids aren't all soaking wet.

This is as far as I go. Right now I have four 3 or under and don't want the headache of more involved water play.

[Annalee]

On one hand, I love water play. However, for many years now, I only watch children ages 6 weeks - 4 years old. All of them need help undressing and getting their bathing suits on and then taking their bathing suits off, drying off, and getting dressed again. Every time we start playing with water, someone has to go to the bathroom - even though everyone went potty while getting their bathing suits on. And if a child is inside, I'm required to be inside with them (meaning I can't stay outside with the others playing in the water and just let the one child inside to go potty.) So, we all have to come inside because one child has to pee. And of course that one child is all wet, so I have to dry him/her off first, help them out of their bathing suit, and then put their bathing suit back on them!

It's A LOT of work to let the kids have water play time!

So, I was wondering if any one truly does not ever do water play and if your parents are okay with that.

I have 2 water tables that I put some water in with boats, pouring materials, etc....We get wet but not drenched. We have extra clothes for everyone, but usually not everyone will be wet enough they need to change.

[Shell]

I do water play a couple times a week with my group, ages 1-5, and it's a real hassle! The parents always bring their bathing suits, do I kind of do it out of obligation. It's really a pain- and someone always poops right as we get outside, every single time, without fail.
So, no real advice, just commiserating!

[rosieteddy]

The last few years my group was pretty young 6 3yrs and under.I would fill 2 water tables give boats small toys and detergent cups.I sometimes just took their shirts off they played dried and put shirts back on and home.I fought many years with pools /slip and slides and sprinkler so much work.Wter tables cooled them down parents never ccomplained.

[Rockgirl]

Water play is a big part of our summer. I've done it two different ways, as far as swimsuits go. One is having each child bring a swimsuit and towel to leave here. I wash them and put them back in cubbies. The other is letting parents know which days we will play in the water, and they come here already in swimsuits, with clothes over them. It works fine, because we do water play in the morning.

[permanentvacation]

When I had an older group, we did water play with the sprinklers every morning and the parents brought the kids to daycare already lathered up with sunscreen and wearing their bathing suits. When we were done, they would go to the bathroom one at a time and dress themselves in their clothes. But with up to 8 little ones that I have to dress, it is a lot.

However, I did go ahead last night and bought a cute flower water sprinkler and 2 water tables. I recently got some money and have invested a good bit of it into my indoor daycare furniture, toys, and educational activities. Then it occurred to me that I hadn't bought anything to upgrade my outdoor area. I was trying to decide if I could get away with not having water play. But parents in my area really like it, so I went ahead and got some water play items.

I do think I am going to have the parents put sunscreen and bathing suits on their children in the morning (and do my best to have the girls wear bikinis so it's easier for them to go to the bathroom). That way, I just have to help everyone dry off and dress one time when we are done with water play.

Since you guys are saying that they don't get too wet with the water tables, I think I'll do them a couple of times per week and only do the sprinkler once or twice per week. At least their hair shouldn't get all wet from the tables and I won't have to brush and style everyone's hair every day.