Hi Friends! Happy Thursday! I hope you’re all having a great week so far!
One of my favorite bloggers, Joanna Goddard of Cup of Jo, once posted about some parenting advice she’d received. She had asked followers to share some all-time favorite parenting advice. A reader, Chloe, commented:
“My favorite parenting advice is, ‘If they are crabby, add water.’ This has served me well over the years and believe it or not, with a 14, 10, and 8-year-old, I still use it. Run a bath, take a shower, water the garden, wash the dog, have a hot drink, have a cold drink… just add water. It works 99% of the time.”
While I’m not here to offer parenting instructions, I do have to say, I agree with this 100%! Water seems to fix everything. Along with trying to beat the Florida summer heat (and humidity- ugh!), we often spend late afternoons out on our back patio, splashing in any and all kinds of water. We have an inflatable kiddie pool and water table that L loves exploring.
Our water table came with several different size pails and buckets. One day while playing, I saw that she was attempting to pour water from pail to pail. It was a difficult task for her. I realized two things: this is a life skill she will eventually need to master and it’s something she’s interested in right now.
So the next day, I set up a little “Pouring Station” activity for her.
It was super easy to set up (and a huge hit)! I started with a large, clear under-the-bed tub. I simply filled it with plastic pouring containers (various sizes) that I found around our house. I filled the containers with water and added a couple of drops of food coloring (just for fun). I put the bin outside and then just let her go for it.
This essentially was a zero-cost activity that taught L so much. She was able to gain skills such as: pouring a liquid from container to container, understanding cause and effect, and practicing hand-eye coordination.
Like I said, at first, this was a difficult task for L. She couldn’t quite figure out how to successfully pour the water from container to container without spilling. After a couple of refills and retries, she got better! She concentrated on this independently for about 20 minutes the first day and wanted to go right back to it the second day. I consider this a WIN in so many ways!
Do you think your little learners would enjoy a “Pouring Station?” What other life-skill activities have you done with your little learners that turned out to be successful? I would love to hear from you in the comments below!
I really encourage you to let your little learners show you the way! Watch to see what they’re interested in, and think about how you can turn their interests into learning opportunities. Just run with it! See what happens.
Thanks for reading! I hope you continue to follow along to find (and share!) inspiration, information, and innovation! :-)
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