Water Play

[NillaWafers]

I have a concrete mix of tub I fill with water occasionally. I might do more water play once my grass is settled in, but I just planted it in may and don't think it could handle the stress right now. Maybe at the end of next month.

I don't really prioritize water play. Summer is really hot here. Right now it's been like 95 with 60% humidity, just too hot for the afternoon! We go out in the morning but my yard is totally shaded then.

[Crazy8]

I do a sprinkler day once or twice a week (more like once since I am only open 4 days a week now). Kids come in swimsuits w/sunscreen on. We go out early because that is when the sun is in the back and when it is not too crazy hot. Then I am only changing them once and usually I continue outdoor play after we shut the water so that they are not even coming inside in wet swimsuits. I have found this the best solution for me!

[KSDC]

OP here. Okay, I can not imagine taking my 6 kids to the pool, especially since none of mine can swim! Do you have older kids? Less kids? How do you do it? I used to have enough trouble keeping just my ds above water before he could swim.

Do you just put life jackets on them and let them go? Inquiring minds over here!

My neighborhood pool has a wading area that starts with "zero entry" access an only goes to 3 foot deep. It is separated by a wall from the deeper areas. This summer I have a 3 year old, 2 four year olds, and a five year old that I watch in that area of the pool. I also have a few older school age children this summer. My policy is that they also have to stay in the wadeing area with me unless their parents have determined that their swimming skills are strong enough to swim in the deeper parts with out my direct supervision.

I am in a small rural town. So, the pool is never very crowded and has a good group of life guards watching the children.

I love taking the kids swimming. All of my littles are quite the fish!

[Unregistered]

Not sure I could be comfortable with having dcks in water without my direct supervision, no matter that there is a lifeguard.
If there is one thing I have heard 1,000,000 times it is that you can never sign away your liability.

[Blackcat31]

OP here. Okay, I just can't with mud. I'm sure it's fun if you like mud, but I just can't. Maybe it's a sensory thing with me. We do all kinds of other messy play, but mud grosses me out.

I don't know why, I mean we pick up frogs and toads, spiders and bugs, splash in non-muddy puddles...but mud itself makes me cringe. When I see the outdoor mud kitchens I want to vomit. Maybe because I know my littles would eat it. Oh yuck.

:: ::

Well, those aren't my feet in the photo...

It was a fantastic activity and every single one of my kids got dirty/muddy. Some VERY willingly and others with a bit if trepidation but eventually ended up right in the middle with everyone else.

The youngest one I had participate is 20 months. No one ate it, no one got it in their eyes or their mouth. (we did have wet wipes and fresh water READILY available)

It was one of THE funnest activities I've done in a while and the kids were heartbroken when it was time to stop and clean up.

Oh, and as for me....I didn't get a single drop of mud on me other than my feet. So any sensory issues I might personally have weren't an issue.

[Mike]

OP here. Okay, I just can't with mud. I'm sure it's fun if you like mud, but I just can't. Maybe it's a sensory thing with me. We do all kinds of other messy play, but mud grosses me out.

I don't know why, I mean we pick up frogs and toads, spiders and bugs, splash in non-muddy puddles...but mud itself makes me cringe. When I see the outdoor mud kitchens I want to vomit. Maybe because I know my littles would eat it. Oh yuck.

That actually looks like fun.
I'd try not to get too dirty myself, but most kids would love it. I know as a kid, I did.

[Snowmom]

LOVE the mud idea. I bet it wouldn't take that long to clean up as long as you have a hose handy before going inside.

We do sprinkler days once a month. Most of mine don't really care for it either.
Most of the time, I just aim it at the playground slide. More fun than the grassy yard.

We DID just have a big water balloon fight day. Those "bunch o balloons" self tying 100 packs are awesome. I bought 3 bunches and they went in a matter of minutes. Of course, the kids didn't like picking up all the pieces in the yard before going inside.

[HL0605]

We do water play 2 or 3 times per week. We have baby pools, 2 water tables and a sprinkler. I usually do it in late afternoon right before pick up, and change the kids back in to their clothes outside either right before or when parents come to pick up. I let parents know that if they want their kids to be dressed and ready to go when they get there, they need to text me when they are on their way. Most parents just change their kids when they get here though. It can be rough on my yard, so I sometimes have a week or two when we take a break from the pools and sprinkler and just use the water tables.

[Unregistered]

I've never had a wading pool. I don't want one

I have two water tables and we use them every day during the summer.

We do different forms of bubble play here and there during the week, we wash play houses & bikes when the mood hits , we paint with adult size paint brushes with water on the deck every day , etc.

I have a sand kitchen.....water and sand. It's fun too!

I get the sprinkler out a few times each month. It's one of those rope sprinklers that wiggle.

[Unregistered]

Ha well, being in Santa Barbara, we would look ridiculous if we didn't do water play every day. I only have my one dck and my 2 personal kids. So our experience isn't really like others'. But, yeah, anywhere I have worked here, every program for kids does water tables, toy car washes, etc every day. Most places do mud every day too. Cause you would just rinse off outdoors right after. It's not so difficult with this perfect weather. The difficulty is paying the rent! 😭

[MarinaVanessa]

Ha well, being in Santa Barbara, we would look ridiculous if we didn't do water play every day. I only have my one dck and my 2 personal kids. So our experience isn't really like others'. But, yeah, anywhere I have worked here, every program for kids does water tables, toy car washes, etc every day. Most places do mud every day too. Cause you would just rinse off outdoors right after. It's not so difficult with this perfect weather. The difficulty is paying the rent! 😭

I know what you mean about not doing water play every day. I'm in Ventura, CA. Hello neighbor!
Water play for us is a water table. I fill it, they play, I dump it, we go back inside. I'm not about to mess with anything more complicated than that 😂😁😃

[Josiegirl]

Water play ends up being a couple times a week for us. And we just drag the hose out, fill up the water table to play in and a 5 gallon bucket to rinse our feet off , then I shut the hose off. My faucet in the basement leaks terribly so I try not to use it very often.

[Controlled Chaos]

I know what you mean about not doing water play every day. I'm in Ventura, CA. Hello neighbor!
Water play for us is a water table. I fill it, they play, I dump it, we go back inside. I'm not about to mess with anything more complicated than that 😂😁😃

I have family in Ventura! I love it there. So beautiful.

We have outdoor water weather here for 3 months.
My water play looks like this:
2 days a week: 2 big tubs I fill with water/boats/funnels etc - its like two big water tables but no legs.
1-2 days a week: Sprinklers
1 day: spray bottles, watering cans
1 day: nothin . We usually take a walk along the river at least once a week.

I have a big wading pool for MY kids, but it is never out for dcks. Emptying it and sanitizing it sounds like a huge PITA and not worth it to me.

I also tip my hat to those that manage to take dks swimming. A dcp friend of mine asked if we wanted to go to the pool with her tonight and I almost cried. No, no I don't want to desperately try to keep my 2,4and6 year old from drowning for a few hours. That sound like He11 to me. ::

[craftymissbeth]

When I was licensed, I never did any type of water play. It was way too much of a hassle.

Now that I'm legally unlicensed (I only care for children related to me), we use a wading pool or sprinkler and only on days that aren't miserably hot. Or any day that I just don't feel like it. Or days that follow days when no one could follow the rules. Or...

Actually, we still rarely do water play

[Play Care]

We do sprinkler days once a month. Most of mine don't really care for it either.

I've said this too. I can't recall a group in 11 years who liked sprinklers. Last year I did sprinklers and I got a lot of pictures of smiling kids. But, had I been video taping, their parents would have been HORRIFIED.
Arguing, bickering, whining, etc. etc. etc.
And, I realized that getting 8 kids in to suits, sun-screening, getting out water toys, setting up the actual sprinkler, etc. only to have about 10 minutes of water play was insane!
So, my new "rule" for any daycare activity is the work to enjoyment/playtime ratio. If the amount of work *I* have to put in, is significantly more than the amount of fun/playtime the kids get out of it, we don't do it.