Play this Water Activity with your 1.5- 3-year-old
How is it August already?! As the summer winds down, we’re trying to sneak in some more water activities — one last trip to the pool, splash pad, or just plain old fun at home. Here’s one of our favorite activities to play in the backyard or bathtub — toss colored balls into buckets of water with your 1.5 to 3-year-old.
Toddlers develop the coordination necessary to roll or throw a ball between 18 months and 3 years. They start by rolling a ball towards you. Then they’ll practice flinging a ball in any direction and bouncing it. After that, they’ll start throwing underhand, and finally, they will throw overhand. Based on your child’s age and abilities, you can encourage him to drop the ball into the bucket instead of throwing. You may also substitute small, lightweight balls for larger ones.
Set up by filling two or three buckets or storage containers halfway with water. Assemble an assortment of small balls. If you have sets of balls with matching colors — even better! Show your little one how to throw the balls in the water from a few feet away. Ask him to pick up a specific color ball and throw it into one of the buckets. Emphasize the color of the ball you would like him to throw. Cheer him on even if he misses! Count the balls out loud as they land in the bucket. If you have balls with matching colors, see if he can get all of the balls of the same color into the same bucket. Around 2.5 years old, your little one is learning to show you an object when you ask for it by color. Weaving in the different colored balls and separate targets for each colored ball helps him pause and pay attention to the color, reinforcing his understanding of the colors. Throwing balls into the water helps your little one work on his hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. When the balls land in water and produce a small splash, it’s a delightful surprise that he may be excited to repeat.
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