One of the best things about summer is being able to play outside and get all wet. The fun promotes all kinds of early learning and development and kindergarten readiness. It comes with squeals of delight and eager anticipation.
Of course, any water play requires extra supervision from the parents and caregivers. With so much water around, it’s vitally important that kids are safe as they play in and around water.
In summer, there are plenty of ways for getting wet, such as backyard pools, water pistols, sprinklers, water parks, water slides, and splashing in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Kids enjoy playing in all of them. Being active is so important for young children that there have been almost daily articles recently about doctors writing prescriptions for outside fun. And what better time than summer.
A sprinkler outside in the yard is almost a tradition. In this short but sweet video below, running thru the sprinkler is more running around it. It’s quite a new experience for young kids. They may be familiar with water, but they are not at all used to water being combined with running. In a shower, the water is coming down not up so a sprinkler is a different sensation.
Backyard pools are similar to bathtubs but they have lots more room for splashing, pouring, floating, sinking, and squirting. Water parks are like giant sprinklers, combined with showers, fountains, and surprises. Some children like to know exactly where the water will be while others like the game of guessing, so they can either get really wet or not. Large bodies of water sometimes have waves that add another element. Temperature will vary a great deal, too.
Active play is particularly important during the preschool years. In addition to discovering how their bodies move in all kinds of ways, and how to coordinate their actions, kids are also building brain connections needed for thinking skills and strategies. Plus, playing in and around water builds wonderful memories of summer. Do you remember what you enjoyed doing in the summer? What does your child like to do?