Water play

The first morning of summer began with my first activity idea, a water table.  I'd been considering buying one for the kids, but my sitter said I could borrow hers for the summer.  She keeps only teachers' kids and isn't open in the summer, so it was a win-win situation - I got to use a water table and she got someone else to store it for the summer. 

Water tables tend to start at about $40 and go up from there.  The one we're using is basic and seems to work just fine.  If you don't have a water table, consider using some things from around the house.  The bottom line is that kids love to play in water.  They don't care if it is an official water table or not.  Use some large plastic bowls and cups from your kitchen or that old infant bathtub that you've been trying to figure out what to do with.  Use a cooler that's just taking up space in your garage or a plastic tub used to keep beverages cold at parties.  You could even bring a few bath toys outside and play with them in a different setting.  Look into borrowing one, like I did, or do a toy swap with a friend.

I dressed both kids in swimsuits and water friendly shoes.  They played for about 30 minutes, a pretty long time in the land of one-year-olds.  My son loves wheels and enjoyed pouring water into the wheel (it's red in the tower on the left of the table) or even just moving it with his hands.  My daughter loved using the cups to pour water out onto the ground. 

Overall, it was a successful activity and got summer started off on the right foot.  I plan to use this activity again in the mornings before it gets too hot.