Explore and Play: Let’s Get Wet!

Materials

• water table or large tub; plastic wading pool (if outside)
• containers of different sizes and shapes
• chart labeled “Our Ideas About Water”

Key Science Concepts

• Water takes the shape of its container. 
• You can use lots of different objects to move water.

Directions

Gather children around a water table or large tub with different containers nearby. (Give children turns at the water table, limiting the number to four or five at one time.)

1. Have children explore the different things they can do with water and ask:
• What can you do with water?
• What does the water look like in the container?
• What do you think it would look like if I pour it into another container? What is the same and what is different?
• If I wanted the water to be in a square shape, what do you think I could do? 

2. Record any new ideas they have on the “Our Ideas About Water” chart.

Then introduce children to this week’s learning centers—the water table/tub they are playing with now as well as the other learning centers.