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Those of you who are familiar with my blog are no stranger's to baby X's fantastic expressions.  A few weeks back the Seattle weather, normally rainy until JULY, gave us a little summer teaser and baby X got his first experience with our water table. The photos were just too good to not share, so I thought I'd write a little post about why we love water tables. For those of you with water tables already, there are TEN creative ideas for how to use them at the end of the post.  :)

X loves water.  LOVES it.  And water is really one of the best (and free!) sensory materials ever.  There's warm water, cold water, ice - so many ideas and ways to play using just water.  For the littlest guys, water tables are a great way to practice standing and cruising and splashing.

You can introduce fine motor practice by placing items in the water table for grabbing (please note the items pictured are not baby toys, and do pose a choking hazard - X has an older sister and is always supervised and an adult is always within arms' reach).

As baby X illustrates here - water tables are just THE COOLEST.  We bought our first water table when S was 10 months old and we've used it constantly ever since.  As X gets older, he'll begin to use the water table to practice scooping and pouring like his big sister does now.

Honestly my kids really enjoy a water table with, well, water, but you can spice it up a bit if you are so inclined.  And for those of you with long winters like us here in Seattle, a cleaned/dried water table makes a fantastic indoor sensory table during the colder months (you could fill it with sand, moon sand, birdseed, dried beans - the possibilities are nearly endless!).

For those of you who already have a water table or for those of you who will soon have one, here are ten fun ways to use your water table this summer:

Add some soap and set up a Washing Station like Fun at Home with Kids

 Make a fun outdoor Penguin World that also helps you practice counting like Thrive 360 Living

Make a Dinosaur Sensory Bin like Fantastic Fun and Learning

Do some Sensory Tub Painting like No Time for Flashcards

Add in some letter practice and make Alphabet Soup like My Nearest and Dearest

Explore colors with Colored Ice like Fun-a-Day

Create a Spring Sensory Table like The Pleasantest Thing

Create an Ocean Sensory Tub like No Time for Flashcards

Set up a Marshmallow Sensory Play like Fantastic Fun and Learning

Have some Fizzy Fun like My Nearest and Dearest

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children.  As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family.  I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision.  Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies).  Observe caution and safety at all times.  The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.