With a bucket of water, a paint brush and a dry wall or sidewalk, your preschool students can have fun painting. Instruct them to practice painting letters, numbers, shapes or pattern designs. Allow for fun exploration with free painting. Your students will enjoy watching you participate with your own paintings as well.
Ice cubes easily lend themselves to science exploration and experiments. Float ice cubes in a bucket of water. Your preschool students will try to sink them, they will feel the ice cubes cool the temperature of the water and observe the cubes melting. Take the water play outdoors and allow students to place some ice cubes on the concrete. They can compare which cubes melt more quickly, the ice in the water or the ice on the concrete.
Bubbles provide hours of fun and learning with water play. Mix together 2/3 cup of Joy dish detergent, 1 gallon of water and 2 tablespoons of glycerin. Students can experiment with creating bubbles using anything with holes such as: slotted spoons, cheese graters, hangers, spatulas or a soda bottle cut in half. Students will discover that no matter the shape of the bubble wand, bubbles are always spherical.
Ask families to contribute reusable items such as empty soda bottles, shampoo containers, butter tubs, eye droppers and corks. Students will instinctually conduct experiments if you poke holes in several of the plastic containers. Include items such as funnels, strainers, wire whisks, tongs and new fish nets for this water play as well.