Float Your Boat Activity for Kids

Ever wanted to enjoy water play without the massive mess and the clean-up afterwards? If so, you are in for a total treat today!

Water play is one of Nicky's favorite activities, but I just like most parents, I’m not often in the mood to clean up puddles after long days. So, we did this activity that involved water without getting completely soaked. It was just as fun, if not MORE fun, than much messier water sensory activities.

I find that Nicky wants to play with water even in Winter, but I worry about her getting completely soaked and then getting sick. This is why I’ve put together so many water activities where little ones don’t even have to get in the water, but can still play. They have been serious game changers for colder weather.

Not only is this activity mega fun, it is also educational (the whole basis of my activities). We tested water displacement and buoyancy, and even got to talk about water safety! To watch as she participated in sensory play and enjoyed it was really interesting for me.

I made little boats out of aluminum foil and had Nicky put coins in one at a time to see how many coins it would take to sink the boat. It was her first time playing with coins too, and was a great introduction for her. She loved the texture and the sound they made when they fell on the floor (the neighbors below us, not so much lol). I also added fish to the water to resemble an ocean because clearly we are obsessed with the sea in this family.

So, without further ado, let’s dive in and make a splash with this fun water sensory activity!

SENSORY BOAT MATERIALS:

• Large bowl

• Water

• Aluminum foil

• Fishy friends (optional)

• Coins

SENSORY BOAT INSTRUCTIONS:

STEP 1: Add water to the bowl and add in fishy friends. If you don’t have a bowl, a sensory bin will work fine too.

STEP 2: Let your little one use their creativity to build boats out of foil. I definitely recommend making them before you start the activity so that the child doesn't get antsy or have the child help making the boats to keep them enaged.

STEP 3: Add coins onto the boat one by one. You can have the child count or encourage the child to count each coin. Just make sure you keep an eye on your child as coins are a hazard when children are left unsupervised.

STEP 4: Watch the boat sink as you add more and more coins. You can repeat this as many times as you'd like. Nicky would’ve done it 1000 times over if I had let her, haha!

WATER SENSORY PLAY BENEFITS

Water sensory play offers SO many benefits for children, their development, and their enjoyment. Some of the key benefits of sensory play include:

Physical development

This interesting method of sensory play can help to develop fine motor skills and gross motor skills. Splashing, pouring, and using the toys in the water can help greatly to improve dexterity, coordination, and strength.

Sensory exploration

Water play is a great way to stimulate your child’s senses. This is done through tactile sensations, temperature variations, and water movements. All of these things foster sensory development. There are even ways to include texture, taste, and smell elements.

Cognitive Development

Children can learn basic scientific principles like density, buoyancy, and gravity through hands-on water activities. They can develop problem-solving skills by learning how to redirect the water flow and build structures that float. Teaching them to problem solve in a safe, stress-free environment is a great way to introduce the concept and help their brain develop.

Social and emotional development

Water play often involves you and your child cooperating and sharing. This helps to promote social skills and teamwork. Sensory play is also very calming for children, reducing stress and anxiety.

Language Development

Sensory play focuses on helping your child’s development, and this includes their language. Letting your little one play with water will create conversations, helping to improve their language development. You can encourage this by asking them to describe their actions, sensory experience, and observations.

creativity and imagination

This type of play offers an open-ended environment for children to use their creativity and imagination. Children can create stories, invent games, and explore their imaginations in a safe and open space.

Try this activity at home with your little ones

Overall, water play is a very fun and educational activity for you to enjoy with your children. In fact, I think this might be my favorite activity of all (at least for now hehe) . It has very little mess when done, and a lot of excitement and learning. It is so important to encourage your children to learn through play and they will never get bored. 

Although Nicky has no idea what water displacement and buoyancy means, she loved seeing the boats float and making them sink. It is such a great activity for toddlers, all the way up to teens, thanks to the fun and scientific elements it includes. I will definitely be using it as my kiddos get older.

For more engaging activités, check out the Mothercould In Your Pocket resource. For a small, one-time fee, you can gain exclusive access to my whole library of activities, created with your child’s development in mind. In the meantime, head to my blog to embark on a journey through sensory play with my huge range of sensory play ideas and activities.