Age: from around 6 months (sitting unaided), but older toddlers and young children will get more out of the activity
Time: 10 minutes or longer
Equipment: plastic tubing cut in half (like a gutter) and something to prop one end of it up (eg: a brick / bucket), small padding pool / basin, plastic balls, watering can, water, and clothes your child can get wet
Development: allows your child to understand more about the properties of water, develop fine motor skills, and have fun splashing around with you!
If your child is old enough, you may want to involve them in the setting up stage. Prop the tube up so that a ball can be slid down it, then put the paddling pool or basin at the bottom.
Next, show your child how a ball can slide down the tube, let her try. Then pour water down together and see how this affects the balls in the paddling pool.
At this point there is a great opportunity for free play – you can sit back and let your child explore the chute and water pool you’ve set up.
If she starts to lose interest, you can show her how to roll multiple balls down the chute / roll them up / add more water, etc. Or try singing some songs about water or splashing.
PPlease remember not to leave your child unattended near water – this is an activity to enjoy together 🙂