The Ultimate Water Play Table

200 items for Sensory Bins and Sensory Tables

Rainbow snow slime & backyard play

First we grew some water beads, then sorted them on the light table for some Montessori inspired Reggio Style fine motor! Then we made rainbow snow slime!!

We used 6 scoops of insta snow, dunecraft brand water marbles(water beads), a few drops of coconut extract, some water, and a large package of gobbledygoop by dunecraft, then mix!

As you can see we played with it inside, and also outside!!

Check out all our other awesome slime concoctions HERE!

Click HERE to see where to buy the ingredients! 

We used an egglands best egg carton (cleaned), 

DuneCraft Water Marbles(water beads) and measuring spoons/cups.

These are the measuring spoons and cups we use. 

You can get the spoons HERE and the cups HERE

DIY Water Ramp

This was a fun project! Last year (2012). I discovered a baby/toddler show called Eebee's Adventures. I wrote a post about it here The Amazing Eebee. I was really inspired by all of the wonderfully creative props they used in the show for play. First,  I decided to make an inspired version of their wood ball ramp. You can see my DIY 2 in 1 ball and car ramps here Wood is good part 1 and here Wood is good part 2! I really loved the clear ramp they were using for water play. So I searched all over town and online looking for something like it, but found nothing. So one day I thought to myself, "why not call the Eebee company" and I did! I had a really pleasant conversation with one of the creators of Eebee's adventures. He informed me of how they created the clear ramp used in their water play DVD. So, I decided to finally get the materials together and make it! It turned out great and I love it as much as the kids do!! It was very easy. I just purchased clear acrylic from Lowes, had them cut it for me and then I took it home and assembled it! I used the acrylic glue sold where the acrylic paneling is in Lowes, then let it dry for 24 hours. The next day, I went over the dried glue with hot glue on the inside and outside and in any cracks or crevices. Basically you have one wide bottom piece and two shorter side pieces that you glue to the bottom piece to create a rain gutter like ramp. I used a chair and another piece of acrylic to hold it in place while it was drying. You will need a helper to hold up the pieces while you glue them. Then use things to prop the sides while they dry for 24 hours. It is such a hit with my kids that I plan to make another one for indoor play with balls and such. They are really a lot of fun. I have a few indoor things planned for it for this week! The overall cost of the materials cost me a total of $40. From time to time I know I will have to re-glue it, like the Eebee company said they did as well. But it is so worth it! Let me know if you want any specific information about it or have any questions. Feel free to comment on this post or email me at [email protected] Let me know if you make one too!

Check out my masterpiece!

Adventures with toys

Here are some highlights of fun things that Graham and Parker have been doing this week.

Translucent bracelets, plastic gems, and a pretty piece of plastic
that came off the end of a dollar tree water baton

My twins said it was a beautiful Octopus

I converted my twins step 2 car and canyon table into a discovery/sensory table

Inside the table is sand, sea shells, river rocks, small wood pieces from Lakeshore Learning, submersible LED lights
Plastic trees, animals, and some little cars, Oh! and a cave from the Fish Aquarium store.

Parker, filling a shell with sand

I changed our mirror play center and made it even more awesome!!
This is what it looked like when I first set it all up. click here.

I moved most all of our wooden blocks to this shelf, and moved the shelf from the other side of the room

Graham and Parker decided to revisit magna tiles on the overhead projector!

They love playing with light!!
See more colorful overhead projector fun here and here

Scented water play, ice, and shaving cream.........

Playing with colored ice shapes

Playing with a big ice shape made from a fancy cake pan

The ice floats in the water that is inside of the glass jar, and sticks to the large ice shape!

I changed our water play area around just a little

Lots of fun water play components 

Additions of shells, gems, and pine cones. They were moved from the sand play area

you can see the waterways pipe builders toy from Lakeshore in the center of the two white shelf tables

They still love this a year later!

The sand box was moved closer, see it in the far right corner

Inside view

close up inside view of shells, glass gems, and pine cones

I put one of the water tubs up high on a table this time, I added cinnamon extract and mint extract to the various water play vessels around out water play area!!  IN the past we have used mint, peppermint, orange, cherry, lemon, vanilla and a few others that I buy at wal mart

shaving cream and food coloring, an old favorite

busy

the waterways piple builders from Lakeshore Learning

water tub, up high

pure joy!

so pretty and filled with water and food coloring

more pretty water play items

playing with shaving cream

Shaking water from a salt shaker

Filling up a big water bottle from a water cooler with a carafe filled with water and food coloring

checking out the inside of the big water bottle

squirting water into the big bottle with a container I recycled that lemon juice came in

great aim, Graham!!

This boy loves shaving cream!

Using a face wash pump bottle I recycled to put colored water into the table of shaving cream

looks so fun!

adding food coloring

Graham said this was a red and white rainbow

awesome color mixing, so pretty!

scooping, funneling, and pouring water

a little man in the funnel, makes the water move slower  ;)

he painted himself  ;)

paint in a condiment bottle

When in Rome.........

After 15 years of not painting, I decided to paint on Graham and Parker's easel with their big toddler
brushes and tempera paint....  amusing results below....

While I am adding to my painting, Graham is painting on the next panel

A weasel was added....  haha

close up of my goofy weasel

another tree

My silly finished product  HAHA!!