Water Table Preschool Lesson Plans
Water, water, everywhere! This preschool theme is a great way to beat the summer heat and soak up the water fun! It includes plenty of preschool water table activities and even more! These free water theme activities for preschool and lesson plans are a fantastic introduction to summertime and will perfectly complement your ocean, beach, or sea life activities for preschool.
We’ve got you covered with plenty of ideas for water table activities for preschoolers, including book ideas, art and sensory exploration, and math and science fun. This is just one set of many of our summer preschool themes that we have free lesson plans for.
When the title of your preschool theme has FUN in it, you know that these water theme lesson plans are destined to be a blast! Preschoolers absolutely love to explore the wonder of water, and their curiosity will be sparked by these preschool water table ideas.
While this theme is certainly engaging, there are plenty of opportunities to learn; perhaps your preschoolers will become scientists and explore how water can change form, or become artists and experiment with watercolor paints or wet chalk!
We’ve got a little bit of everything in these water themes preschool lesson plans.
We’ve put together 15+ water fun ideas for your preschool kiddos. We hope you love these great resources to make your preschool water fun theme a success!
Oh, and don’t get me wrong…many of these make great activities for toddlers, too!
Water activities for preschoolers and toddlers should always be supervised by a responsible adult.
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Product on sale* Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans BundleOriginal price was: $60.00.$24.00Current price is: $24.00.
Free Lesson Plans for Preschool Water Theme
This theme is such a blast! Learning with water fun is a preschool favorite since kids sure love to get wet! Here are some popular hands-on activities to keep with your water fun lesson plans.
Water Literacy Activities
Watercolor Name Recognition Activity – This activity is simple to set up and is perfect for helping your preschooler recognize their name. Using a permanent marker, write your preschooler’s name in large print on a piece of heavy paper or light-colored cardboard. Tape it to the table and let them paint with watercolors!
They might notice some of the letters in their name and try to trace them. Or just let them paint a colorful scene! Use this time to talk about the letters in their name and why their name is special.
Water Painting Activity – This no-mess writing activity is perfect for a hot day! Head outside with a large paintbrush and a bucket of water. Paint the sidewalk with letters, names, pictures, or even numbers.
This activity can be made even more exciting by adding chalk and water balloons! Write letters on the sidewalk and toss water balloons on top of the letter called out. So fun!
Preschool Books About Water
Sneak in extra literacy opportunities (and some social studies, too) with these hand-selected picture books. This is a book list for our most-loved picture books for a water preschool theme.
- Hardcover Book
- Paul, Miranda (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Water By Asch Frank
- Asch, Frank (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- Herrington, Lisa M. (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 32 Pages – 10/18/2022 (Publication Date) – Children’s Press (Publisher)
- National Geographic Learning (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 24 Pages – 03/18/2012 (Publication Date) – Picture Window Books (Publisher)
- Foster, Alice (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 26 Pages – 09/19/2020 (Publication Date) – Independently published (Publisher)
Water Math and Science Activities for Preschool
Ping Pong Ball Math Game – This fun game is easy to set up and a total blast! Add some ping pong balls and two dice to the water table or water sensory bin, roll the number, and scoop up that many balls into a container. Add food coloring to the water for even more interest!
Garden Hose Numbers Game – Write numbers in chalk on the sidewalk and have your preschooler find the match. Spray the hose on the matching number. We have a similar post on our site using a water squirter for the pool.
Sink or Float Water Sensory Bin – Let’s have a little fun with the water table! Grab some random items from around your house or classroom and see what happens when we put them next to the water bin. Can your preschooler predict if they’ll sink or float?
Using household materials, grab some objects that will sink and some that will float. Fill a plastic tub/water table half-full of water to create an aquatic atmosphere for this experiment. Place one object at a time into the container, then ask your preschooler “will it sink?” before dropping it below surface level.
Water Play Activities for Preschool
Rainbow Playdough – Make lots of playdough in all colors to have on hand for a rainy day. Follow any of our amazing playdough recipes and learn how to make playdough with a water them twist!
Car Wash – Grab some old (but clean) toothbrushes and some toy cars. Add them to a water bin filled with a little soapy water. Now invite your preschooler to wash the cars! To make it even more enjoyable, invite your preschooler to get them dirty with some mud or sand and then repeat the process!
Mixing Water Colors – Give your preschooler a variety of colored water in different pouring containers. (Use washable watercolor paints to color the water.) Offer a few empty bowls, too. Now invite your preschooler to pour and mix the water to make new colors.
Social-Emotional Learning Activities for a Water Fun Theme
How Full is Your Bucket? – Go to YouTube and read How Full Is Your Bucket by Tom Rath and Mary Reckmeyer. This book is all about our own “bucket”; when people use unkind words and make us feel bad, it causes our bucket to tip and some of the happiness pours out.
We want to spend our days filling the bucket of others, making them happy and full of joy with small acts of kindness.
Encourage your preschooler to share how they could fill up someone’s bucket and give someone joy. Draw pictures to help remind them. It’s also important for your preschooler to express when their bucket feels empty or someone has dipped into their bucket.
Calming Sensory Glitter Jars – Sensory jars/bottles are great for soothing big emotions or enjoying a calming break to reset a preschooler’s body. They’re fun and easy to make, and they last forever! You’ll need water, a bottle, and glitter to make it. Invite your preschooler to make it with you and then place it in a spot that’s easy to grab when a moment of calm is needed.
Preschool Water Sensory Play Ideas
Oil and Water Droplet Painting – Using cooking oil and food dye, this unique art is half science experiment half creative expression! Grab some heavy paper and create your masterpiece.
Fine Motor Water Play – Grab some empty glue bottles and a big bin for some creative water play. Simply fill up the empty glue bottles with water and squeeze and fill up cups or transfer water to different containers. Endless fun! Add colored water in buckets to practice color mixing, too.
Bathtub Water Play – Add shaving cream and water beads to an empty tub. When playtime is over, just scoop out the beads and wash the rest away!
Safe Online Activities for a Water Fun Theme
Online Story – Go to YouTube and listen to the story Hey Water by Antoinette Portis. After listening, ask your preschooler what they thought the most interesting form of water was. How many ways do we use water every day? What is your favorite water form – liquid, solid, or gas?
The Water Song – Water is great fun to play with, but it’s also important to save it and conserve it. Sing along with this song and say no to wasting water!
Water Color Walk Science Experiment – Grab those paper towels and plastic cups and set up an awesome color-walking experiment. Click here for the steps.
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Product on sale* Learn At Home Preschool Lesson Plans BundleOriginal price was: $60.00.$24.00Current price is: $24.00.
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Summer Math Bundle$35.00
Get Your FREE Water Fun Lesson Plans Here
Can’t wait to try some of these water fun activities with your preschoolers? They are a perfect way to end the school year or to kick off the summer season in your preschool summer lesson plans.
Just fill out the form below and the pdf automatically be sent to your inbox.
Make Your Water Fun Theme Even Better
If you’re looking for some great supplies and learning toys to take this theme to the next level, look no further! These are some of the toys that make learning about water a lot more fun and activity kits I like to use with my preschoolers. You can add some of these to your sensory table or smaller sensory activities.
- 36 PIECE SET: This full playset includes measuring cups and 2 sets of spoons, 2 funnels, 2 sections…
- EDUCATIONAL: Assists in introducing the concepts of measuring and comparing to your child
- STEM APPROVED: Reinforces learning in a fun way by fostering curiosity in science and math
- SENSORY TOYS FOR KIDS: Invite a variety of water play with these colorful eyedroppers
- ENCOURAGE KIDS TO EXPLORE SCIENCE: Encourages early science exploration, demonstrates cause and…
- 4 TWISTY DROPPERS: Set includes 4 Twisty Droppers in a variety of appealing colors
- Reusable Water Balls: You will receive 60 pcs 2.36 inches’ colorful water balls (10 pcs of each…
- Soft Material: These water balls for kids are made of quality PP cotton, soft and comfortable,…
- How to Play: Just put balls in water, and these water balls will instantly absorb water, then you…
- The Sassy Wonder wheel, with over 5mm units Sold, was the inspiration for this unique bath toy….
- Suction cup base sticks to the bathtub floor, wall And any smooth surface for frustration-free play….
- Spinning wheel encourages baby’s natural batting action. Soft colorful cups move as baby pours water…
- Bath Toy Bundle: This bundle of Boon’s favorite bath toys includes Boon Pipes, Boon Tubes, and Boon…
- Suction Bath Toys: Each of these bath toys includes suction cups that secure them to the bathroom…
- Functional Gears: Watch Boon Cogs come to life as your toddler learns cause and effect by pouring…
- Put serious science safely within reach of young students!
- Includes 6 chunky plastic test tubes, 6 colored lids, sturdy rack, and activity guide
- Tubes are safe at temperatures from 10°-200°f and feature calibration marks (25, 50, 75 and 100…
I’m Sarah, an educator turned stay-at-home-mama of five! I’m the owner and creator of Stay At Home Educator, a website about intentional teaching and purposeful learning in the early childhood years. I’ve taught a range of levels, from preschool to college and a little bit of everything in between. Right now my focus is teaching my children and running a preschool from my home. Credentials include: Bachelors in Art, Masters in Curriculum and Instruction.
