Gather a few supplies, including magnetic or foam alphabet letters, and you are on your way to having a happy, busy toddler.
This quick set-up, indoor water play activity will have your toddler engaged for HOURS!
It’s easy to customize if you don’t want to use alphabet letters, and the best part is, you don’t need to have a water table!
We have been working on introducing letters and emphasizing the importance of written word through play, and while this post-it race is fun, we were ready for something different. We also just posted an alphabet rescue mission activity as well!
My two-year-old, Ella, HATES baths, but loves to play with water.
Typical toddler!
I threw together this quick and easy, indoor water activity with letters to help us work on literacy skills and have a little fun at the same time.
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How We Did It: The Alphabet Wash Activity
To set up, I laid a clean dish rag on top of Ella’s table to soak up spills.
Then I filled a rectangular plastic container with water (just an inch is enough!) and placed magnet alphabet letters in a smaller square container.
We are missing about half of our magnet letters, otherwise I would’ve used a bigger container!
I covered the letters in shaving cream and added a little blue food coloring to the water, just for fun.
Two cut up sponges and a pipette completed our Alphabet Wash Activity set-up.
How We Played
First, I let Ella explore all the materials however she wished.
There was lots of alphabet letter washing with the sponges.
And some pipette action.
She discovered she could transfer water by squeezing it out of the tiny sponges and onto the alphabet magnet letters.
Of course, the easiest way to transfer water was by pouring it from one container into another!
Once the letters were thoroughly washed, Ella laid them out to dry.
Teaching the Alphabet through Play
Throughout the activity, we worked on learning the alphabet while she played. I asked her to name the letters she was washing, or asked her to hand specific letters to me.
Although I still had to name the majority of the letters, she could identify A and E at least, which are the ones we’d been working on previously in our alphabet game.
We sang the alphabet song a couple times during the alphabet wash.
And I started a discussion about how letters spell words and words tell stories.
It was a very one-sided discussion…
Once our hands were thoroughly pruny, it was time to clean up.
Clean up was super easy, thanks to the thick dish rag I had out to catch spills.
And thanks to my little helper!
Your Turn: The Alphabet Wash Activity
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Alphabet Wash
Supplies
- 2 small waterproof containers
- water (with food coloring, if desired)
- shaving cream
- plastic or foam letters
- small sponges
- pipettes (optional)
Instructions
- Place about an inch of water in one of the small waterproof containers. Dye it with food coloring if you wish.
- Put the letters in another container and cover with shaving cream.
- Put the two containers on a table with a thick towel underneath. Set out the sponges and pipettes.
- Let your child wash the shaving cream off the letters and set them out to dry. Help him name the letters.
Don’t have letters to wash? This set includes capital and lowercase letters made of a durable, washable foam, with magnets on the back for fridge or magnetic board play.
More Alphabet Letter Recognition Activities
Other Ways to Play
Try washing other things besides letters, such as,
- blocks and balls
- plastic animal figurines
- foam shapes
- a baby doll
- play dishes and play food
You could also do water play in the sink. Just add a stool for your child to stand on.
I hope you and your family enjoy this alphabet wash activity!
Although this makes a great independent activity for your child, I encourage you to play together and spark some conversations through play.
Sing songs or just talk through whatever it is you’re doing together.
Spend some time together and wash your way through the alphabet!
