Who doesn’t love a bubble bath? Or an afternoon at the beach? Water play is rich, engaging, and offers numerous developmental benefits for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Leo Sinclair, a children's aquatic instructor takes us through five benefits of water play.
Sensory Development
Water play provides infants and young children with a hands-on experience that stimulates all senses. "The sensation of water, whether it's the feel of it on their skin, splashing, or pouring, helps children develop tactile awareness" says Leo. Children learn about texture, temperature, and consistency, enhancing their sensory processing skills.
Fine and Gross Motor Skills
Water play encourages the development of both fine and gross motor skills. "Manipulating water with cups, sponges, or droppers involves fine motor coordination" says Leo, which helps children strengthen their hand-eye coordination, finger dexterity, and hand muscles.
On the other hand, activities like splashing, pouring, or jumping in water can improve gross motor skills, such as balance, strength, and coordination. These movements promote muscle development and physical control.
Cognitive and Problem Solving Skills
Water play is an excellent opportunity for young children to practice early science concepts, such as cause and effect, volume, and measurement. For example, toddlers can experiment with how different sized containers hold different amounts of water or discover that water can flow through holes or spill over edges.
"Sink or Float is a fun experimental game that kids love" says Leo, as this type of exploration stimulates cognitive development by helping children learn about the properties of materials and build problem-solving skills. They begin to understand concepts such as more, less, empty, and full.
Language Development
Water play is a fantastic tool for boosting language development in toddlers. As they splash and experiment, children naturally engage in conversations, learning new vocabulary related to water, textures, and actions. Words like "pour," "splash," "float," and of course, "fun", become part of their vocabulary. This sensory activity also encourages social interaction, prompting them to ask questions, describe actions, and express emotions, enhancing both their communication skills and confidence.
Social and Emotional Development
Water play significantly aids social and emotional development in children. Sharing toys, and playing cooperatively with others foster essential social skills and teamwork. "Taking turns during swim lessons supports patience and aids children's social development" says Leo. This activity also encourages problem-solving, and empathy as they engage in group play. Emotionally, water play is a calming, yet sensory-rich experience that promotes joy, builds confidence, and supports overall emotional well-being.
Water play is more than just fun, it's a powerful developmental tool. It nurtures language, social, emotional and cognitive skills while sparking creativity and free exploration. And of course, whether it's at home in the bath, the backyard, public pools or the beach, Leo advises to "always actively supervise your children around water".