• Home
  • About Me
  • PR Friendly
    • Site Statistics
  • Copyright, Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Kid Crafts
    • Valentine’s Day Crafts & Activities
    • Easter Crafts & Activities
    • Summer Crafts & Activities
    • Halloween Activities & Crafts
    • Thanksgiving Crafts
    • Christmas Crafts & Activities
  • Dr. Seuss Activities
  • STEM Activities
  • Games for Kids
    • Shark Games for Kids
  • Shop

Sand and Water Play: Building Rivers

July 27, 2014 by OneMommy

 

 

When it comes to messy play there is just nothing like good old-fashioned sand and water play!

 

sand and water play:  teaching about rivers and erosion

 

 

We are lucky enough to have a pond next door at the in-laws’ for plenty of messy fun, but a sand box or even a storage container with play sand will also provide you with hours of entertainment and learning possibilities.

This week we built rivers, dams, ponds, and even talked about erosion.  The kids not only had fun, but they learned a lot, too! (And I really loved that they worked together!)

messy play: sand and water

 

 

It was completely their idea to make a river, and I enjoyed watching them work together to scoop out the sand and use buckets of water to get the river flowing.

After a while I showed them where the sand was washing away in the spots they poured water.  I explained that this is called erosion and happens along creeks and rivers near us.  I also pointed out that the sand wasn’t washing away the ground where the plants were.  It led to a lovely discussion on how the plants were helping the ground stay in place.

sand and water play:  building rivers

 

 

At some point the kids started hauling gravel to their river.  Originally they made a few little waterfalls in it.

When one got a bit larger, I mentioned that they could build a dam.

sand and water play:  learning about rivers and dams

 

Eventually the top of the river became a pond, in which a serious accident involving a semi-truck occurred….

sand and water play

 

(Don’t worry!  The trailer portion of the semi-truck actually was holding a shark, who was very happy to have found a large body of water.)

 

Kids are constantly learning through their play, which is why it’s so important they get those opportunities!

This week it was rivers, next week… Who knows!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Sensory Play Tagged With: playing outside, sand play, sensory play, water play

Comments

  1. Emma @ P is for Preschooler says

    July 27, 2014 at 9:16 pm

    That looks like a fun place to play! I love watching kids learn so much when they just know that they’re having fun!

  2. Susen @ Dabbling Momma says

    July 29, 2014 at 4:30 pm

    This looks like great fun! Love the overturned truck!

    • OneMommy says

      July 30, 2014 at 10:14 pm

      My son loves to add vehicles to every play time! 🙂

Connect with me

Link to my Facebook Page
Link to my Pinterest Page
Link to my Twitter Page

Check Out My New Book & Popular Posts

Engineering Activities for Kids

how to make egg geodes

Straw Weaving -- weaving craft

how to make vanishing ghosts by melting packing peanuts

Search this site

Recent Posts

  • Make Learning Easier with DIY Math Manipulatives
  • Engineer a Truss Bridge with Craft Sticks
  • Dragon STEM Activities
  • Fun and Foamy Elephant Toothpaste Experiment
  • Shark Party Games — Perfect for Shark Week or a Shark-Themed Birthday Party

Proud Member

Women Online
Blog Meets Brand

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in