5+ Other Ways To Play with a Water Table

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Other Uses for a Water Table

The holy grail of outdoor kids’ toys these days comes in the form of a water table.  There are many great ways for kids to enjoy the water table with …water.  And sand.  I think we all know that, right?

But if you’d like to REALLY get more bang for your buck with these tables, consider alternate uses for the water table.

5+ Ways to Play with a Water Table

  1. CARS!  Most water tables have slanted surfaces, with ramps and other road-like twists and turns.  Also, try trains, or any other wheeled hand-held toy.
  2. Make it a sensory table.  Fill it with a few cups of rice and beans one day, along with scoopers and small cups. Cotton balls and colored pom-poms the next day with kid-friendly tweezers, as well as big cups to transfer them in to.  For preschoolers ready for scissors, toss in some straws, scrap paper, and kid scissors and let them practice.
  3. Play dough.  Seriously, what a great surface to create and mold with little hands.  Toss in the play dough rollers, molders, and other fun toys, and let them go at it!  For a fun textural change, mix the play dough with a little sand and/or glitter.
  4. Noodles and rice make for another great sensory experience.  (Dried, of course!)  Grab scoopers, cups, and other toys you might use with your Play dough (see above) for a new sensation.
  5. PAINT it!  Water colors, some butcher paper or cardboard or just regular ol’ paper, some brushes, and -boom!- you’ve got a nice little, change-of-pace easel.  Or kids can paint right on the water table, especially if you have washable paints on hand.
  6. Mix it up: Fill it up with sand, or make your own “moon sand”, and toss in some cars, dinosaurs, scoopers.
  7. Water Gun Station.  Melissa from Stockpiling Moms suggested using the table as a water-gun filling station.
  8. Shaving Cream – My kids frequently get “shaving cream baths” or showers – but you can also let them use shaving cream on a water table too.  Bonus: the shaving cream acts as a cleaner!
  9. Ice, Ice, Baby – Yeah, I just went there.  Fill up some ice cube trays with small trinkets and freeze them.  Toss a few small toys in small to mid-size tupperware containers, cover with water, and freeze them, too.  Fill your table with the ice, and arm the kids with squirt bottles, and let them “rescue” the treasures inside!

Also, check out other ways to keep your kids cool this summer, free and frugal ways to beat the heat around Atlanta (splash pads around Atlanta, local water parks and aquatic centers, or indoor venues around Atlanta), great outdoor toys for tots, and outdoor toys for kids of all ages!

Frugal Ways to Keep Your Kids Cool

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Backyard Toys for Kids of All Ages

Keep on saving!  :o)
--Barbara

**Remember, y'all, this post may contain affiliate links. I receive a small amount of compensation when you purchase from my links, which I"ll totally blow on waffle fries and sweet tea, y'all!**

Comments

  1. These are some super- fun ideas! We finally got rid of our water table a few summers ago, but I will share this post with my friends who have little ones! 🙂

  2. These are great ideas. If I had little kids i would totally give this a try. I do have nieces and nephews that this would be perfect for as well.

Trackbacks

  1. […] Use these suggestions along with my Free and Frugal Ways to Beat the Heat in Atlanta guide, and you’ve got a great variety of ways to mix it up this summer, whether you’re looking for splash pads around Atlanta, local water parks and aquatic centers, or indoor venues around Atlanta – there are plenty of ways to stay cool this summer, AND keep your kids entertained — all without breaking the bank!  And while you’re at it, check out all these other nifty ways to use your water/sand table: […]

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