On a snowy day, partially fill the water table with snow. Have preschoolers wear mittens or old socks over their hands, if desired. Provide sand or food molds for children to press into the snow or fill and turn out a snow creation. Encourage building a tiny snowman. Discuss what is happening when the snow turns to slush, then water.
Ice cubes and blocks of ice provide cold play experiences for any season. Preschoolers can experiment with removing ice cubes from trays or shaped molds. They can stack chunks of ice, build with larger and smaller pieces of ice, or inspect a piece of ice with a magnifying glass. Let the children pour warm water over ice to watch it melt.
Let preschoolers put their hands into warm water. Place one or more child-safe thermometers, such as duck-shaped bath thermometers in the warm water. Show the children how to read a thermometer. Add more warm water as the water cools. Place washable dolls in the warm water for preschoolers to bathe. Discuss how nice a warm bath feels. Talk about the dangers of hot water, if desired.
Let preschoolers help add some liquid soap to water in the water table. Provide strainers, potato mashers and whisks for the children to produce suds in the water.
Discuss times they see soapy water, like when Mom or Dad washes dishes or when the family helps wash the car. Encourage the kids to squish sudsy bubbles with their hands, place suds on their arms and perhaps even put a sudsy beard on their chins.
Place a small amount of water in the water table. Give preschoolers items that absorb water, such as wash cloths or hand towels, sponges, paper towels and cotton balls. The children can soak up water with the items, then wring the water out of the items. Discuss how Mom or Dad wipes up a spill with a cloth or paper towel. Have the kids try to get all the water out of the table with the absorbing cloths and other items.
Let preschoolers fill measuring spoons and cups with water. Help them count how many tablespoons of water fit into a cup or how many cups fill a quart container. Use eyedroppers or turkey basters to pick up water and squirt it into a bucket or bowl. Help the children measure the depth of the water in the table with a plastic ruler. Measure the depth of a cup, bowl or bucket of water.