Simplay3 Blog

Has it hit 100 degrees where you're at yet? It sure feels like it here! With the heat, you may have the urge to keep the kids inside, even though they are begging to go out. Stay cool this summer and let your little ones burn some energy with these fun water table activities.

How Can Water Table Activities Help My Child Grow?

When you add water play to your summer, you’re giving your child space to build coordination, problem-solving abilities, and an early love of science. At a water table, you’ll see kids:

• Pouring and scooping—great for fine motor skills
• Mixing colors and experimenting with floating and sinking
• Inventing stories with toy animals or nature treasures

Whether it's toddlers splashing or older kids creating little worlds, there’s no "right way"—just lots of discovery.

Water Table Activities: Where Should We Start?

Keeping Things Simple and Engaging

Water play keeps kids’ attention because each action changes what happens next. Try this:

• Pouring water between cups and watching the flow
• Adding ice cubes and observing them melt
• Dropping in food dye and watching colors swirl

Adjust the activity as your child’s interests grow. Today it might be floating rubber ducks, and tomorrow, maybe colorful bubble foam or icy boats. Switching things up keeps playtime fresh for everyone.

What Tools Make Water Play More Fun?

Easy Essentials for Your Water Table

• Plastic cups: Offer different sizes for scooping and pouring.
• Measuring cups and ladles: Perfect for kids who love to “cook” or fill up containers.
• Funnels and turkey basters: Great for practicing hand control and making water flow in new ways.
• Everyday kitchen items: Pitchers, whisks, colanders, and egg beaters add new twists!
• Dish soap: Just a drop or two creates endless bubbles and foam.

Don’t worry about having fancy supplies—most families have everything they need in their kitchen drawers.

Dollar Store Gems for Affordable Fun

• Pick up pom poms, plastic cups, small storage containers, and food dye.
• Find kitchen tools like measuring spoons, whisks, or silicone cupcake liners—they all make great sensory tools.
• Keep seasonal finds like plastic eggs, small toy animals, and party tablecloths on hand to swap in new items weekly.

Switching out just a few tools or toys is enough to make old activities feel new again.

Fun Water Table Ideas for Your Kids

These fun ideas can keep your kids busy for hours!

Ice Painting

For this activity you will need:

• Washable paint
• Ice cube tray
• Popsicle sticks
• Foil

This activity requires some preparation, but once you prep for it, you can easily have it at your disposal when nothing seems to be entertaining your toddler. Just fill the ice cube molds halfway with paint, finish filling with water, and stir. Next, place tin foil over the tray with popsicle sticks through the foil as the “paint cube” handle. Once these babies freeze, they are ready to be taken outside with some paper. Let your creativity fly with this cool activity.

Giant Water Table Play

The Big River and Roads Water Play Table from Simplay3 is so big that you can invite all the neighborhood kids to come over and enjoy some of the fun! It comes with boats, cars, and bridges to inspire cooperative and imaginative play experiences. As one of the largest water tables on the market, this is sure to bring all the fun to your yard, all with minimal set up.

Color foam fun

For this activity you will need:

• Dish soap - 4 tbsp.
• Food coloring - 8-10 drops
• Water - ½ cup
• Standing or hand mixer

This easy sensory activity is excellent for any age - and can be whipped up in minutes! Place 4 tablespoons of dish soap in with a ½ cup of water into your mixing bowl. Then add in your food coloring; 8-10 drops are recommended but make it as vibrant or as pastel as you want. Finally, mix with an electric mixer on high for about 2 minutes or until the foam forms peaks. Play with this foam on a water table, baking sheet, plastic bin, or sensory table such as the highly rated In & Out Activity Table.

Ice Excavation

For this, you will need:

• Little plastic toys/treasures
• Tupperware
• Water

To start off this expedition, get your Tupperware, fill it halfway with toys, freeze and then repeat on top of that layer. Once you have your block, take it outside for the excavation to begin. Give your little ones safe tool options like; utensils, water droppers, spray bottles, etc. Toy tools work great for this activity as well. Then watch your child as they chip away at the ice to discover their own favorite treasures.

Sensory Play (Not Just for Sensory Bins)

An activity table is a must-have for summer fun. This In & Out Activity Table by Simplay3 is perfect for all activities, with two storage bins that can hold water, dirt, sand and more. These bins also nicely tuck away under the table top for easy storage.

Water Table Car Wash

Is your little one obsessed with the car wash? Well, bring the car wash home with only two bins, soap and some water. Take one bin and fill it with dirt, mud and cars then take the other bin and fill it with soapy water. This way your little one can get all messy in the mud and drive over to the car wash for a nice bath.

STEM Play

This unique and collapsible Rushing River Falls Water Play Table from Simplay3 is inspired by gold rush STEM activities found at most children’s museums. With pouring buckets and multiple levels, children are introduced to STEM/STEAM concepts like cause and effect. Race down the river with the included boats and see who finishes first. Also available is the Raindrop Falls Water Play Table which rainfall and splash pool additions. 

At home beach

Bring the beach to your backyard with these simple steps. All you need is:

• Sand
• Water
• Bin/Water Table
• Seashells/Rocks

Nothing feels better than wet sand between your fingers when you build a sandcastle. Take some sand and cover the bottom of your water table with it. Place in seashells and rocks that your child can dig and discover. Finish off your beach with some water and boom! Backyard beach! Encourage your little ones to try to create islands and castles with the moldable sand.

Water Balloons

A childhood classic - water balloons. There are so many ways to play with these in the summer, besides throwing them at your sibling. Fill them up and place them in a bin or water table as a sensory experiment. Have them try and hand them to you. Mix up the colors and call out a certain one to find, even practice fine motor skills by figuring out how to pop them, the options are endless.

Travel Water Table

The Carry & Go Ocean Drive Water Table is great for young toddlers to splash and play in. New from Simplay3, that can go with you on vacation or out to the pool. It is dual-sided for double the fun of racetracks, waves and deep ocean fun. Many of the featured activities above can be done with this lightweight yet durable water table as a base. 

How Can We Bring Imaginary Play to The Water Table?

Ocean Adventures with Toy Animals

• Add plastic or rubber ocean animals and blue food coloring for a "sea" effect.
• Create gentle waves with a little dish soap and your hand.
• Add shells, pebbles, or smooth rocks for more texture and storytelling.
• Build tiny islands from sand for added adventure.

Encourage your child to narrate what the animals are doing—storytelling strengthens language skills and creativity.

Can We Include Nature Items in Our Water Table?

Dandelion and Flower Petal Play

• Let kids collect dandelions, petals, leaves, or twigs to float and explore in the water.
• Notice together what sinks, what floats, and how things change over time.
• Try freezing flowers or leaves in ice cubes and watching the “nature treasures” emerge as they melt.

This is a wonderful way to inspire curiosity about the outdoors—right from your backyard.

From bubbles and boats to alphabet soup and muddy animal adventures, water table activities offer genuinely joyful, growth-filled play for kids and peace of mind for parents. The best part? You don’t need special skills or supplies—just a willingness to get a bit wet and a spirit of adventure as you follow your child’s lead.

• Start simple, then layer on activities as your child’s interests change.
• Combine learning and fun: sensory play, storytelling, early literacy, and fine motor skills are all built in.
• Treasure the moments—these splashes, giggles, and discoveries are the stuff summer memories are made of!

If you ever feel overwhelmed, remember: there’s no "right way" to play. Be present, be curious, and enjoy watching your child’s creativity bloom—with just a little water and a lot of love.

What kind of water adventure will you create this summer?

Shop all of Simplay3's sand and water toys and more at Simplay3.com.