How to Make a Super Simple Outdoor Water Sensory Table!
B loves playing with water. Give him a bowl of water and some cups, and he’ll be amused for ages. Now that the weather is picking up a bit, these type of play activities are so much easier. You can take everything outside and if they make a mess, it doesn’t matter. Things like these ice eggs and this forest sensory tray work really well outdoors too. We love mud kitchens too and we show you how to make a budget bud kitchen, using simple things from home and even an old desk!
Today we’re sharing a really simple water sensory activity. It’s so simple, you don’t even need a table.
Step 1 – Find a small tray or dish
Basically find something that has a lip. A large tray will work, as do seed trays and plant dishes.
Step 2 – Gather lots of pots and pans
You don’t need to buy anything new as, technically(!), everything can be washed afterwards. Grab some pots, pans, plastic dishes – whatever you have to hand. Tupperware, takeaway dishes and plastic containers work really well. Arrange them on the tray.
Test tubes work really well and I love these jumbo ones by Learning Resources.
Step 3 – Find other things to play with
Think syringes, pipettes and The squeezy tubes that come with Calpol. That’s my technical term for them anyway. They probably have a name. Enlighten me on social media ey.
You can pick up pipettes for a few quid on Amazon here. And measuring cylinders can be a lot of fun too.
If you have any pump hand soaps that are empty, use these too. B finds these very fun.
Step 4 – Spoons and Whisks
Grab some old spoons, whisks, wooden spoons. Anything you can use to mix.
If you don’t fancy using your best utensils, pick up a few bits in the pound shop or have a look at sets like this one by Melissa and Doug.
Step 5 – Food Colouring
Now for the fun part. Fill your pots, pans and Tupperware with water and add some food colouring. I use one that doesn’t stain.
Step 6 – Glitter
If you want to take your water sensory tray a step further, add in some glitter. You can find lots of biodegradable and eco-glitters on Amazon here.
B absolutely loves tinkering with water. If the weather isn’t great, we often set up a water station at the sink too. Bubbles always work well too! Be sure to connect with us on social for more fun play ideas this summer. Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter!
Disclaimer: This post includes some Amazon affiliate links.
We love outdoor play, your sensory table looks delightful and great fun for little ones. #KCACOLS
What a marvelous activity! This will certainly keep the wee ones amused for ages!
#KCACOLS
I used to love doing these when our daughter was little. So much fun for them. #kcacols
This looks such great, messy fun. And outdoors means less work clearing up afterwards. Prefect! #KCACOLS.
I love this idea! I’m going to introduce it at my day activities, where I’m sure my fellow cients will enjoy this. #kcacols
I have never done anything like this before. It looks like great fun though #kcacols
This looks like so much fun!! I definitely need to do more like this with my daughter now the weather is finally looking up. 🙂 #KCACOLS
Ah this is such a good idea. We have a sand and water table but i think my son is getting fed up with the same thing over and over so I might have a go at this next time he’s playing outside 🙂 Thanks! #KCACOLS
Great ideas for using water. We used the Calpol syringe things in the paddling pool for squirting the other day, my daughter loved using them. #KCACOLS
I love this idea. We have a lovely collection of old coffee tins for this very reason. Even in the rain! #KCACOLS
These look so amazing! Pinned for later! #KCACOLS
We love a good bit of sensory water play and like you, anything goes really! I have some fan rainbow test tubes and some potion bottles and pippettes that are always a hit. Now the weather is getting better we will prob do it a bit more – out tuff tray has kinetic sand in it at the moment though! #kcacols
My little boy would love this! I only need to give him a bucket of water and he’s at it like it’s the best toy in the world! This is really going to change things! #KCACOLS
this looks great. Anything that is even remotely messy my daughter is all in on #KCACOLS
We’ve done water play at home before, with bowls and spoons and a few other bits we had lying around, but I really love your ideas for using test tubes and syringes as well! x #KCACOLS
The squeezy tubes that come with calpol are still syringes. I like the table a lot. #kcacols
What a brilliant idea! My two love playing with water, this looks like hours of fun x #kcacols
I wish I knew about activities like this when my kids were younger. They would have really enjoyed it.
#KCACOLS
Great ideas and something we need to do more of.
FYI the calpol thingies are called oral syringes lol
Loving some of these sets though.
#KCACOLS
It is amazing how simple containers and water can keep children busy for hours, great idea for summer when they want to be outside all the time! #KCACOLS
Calpol syringes are awesome for water play!! Amy x We Love Family Edventures
Kids love activities like this. It promotes creativity that nourishes their talents.
Sadly we don’t have any outside space at home as we live in a 4th floor flat but this looks lots of fun! #KCACOLS
[…] Doing messy play outside can make the clean up so much easier, it avoids carpets and sticky hands on soft furnishings. Food play, water, sand or painting are always much easier to clean when outside. Here are few extra ideas for getting out and about to do some messy play Easy outdoor sensory table […]