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Cooling down with water play
We have had a lovely hot summer, so our children have enjoyed cooling down with water play! This has been a big interest for all age groups within our Centre. Our babies have enjoyed our little wooden tap where they can mix the water and sand together filling up their buckets full to the top, our babies love to get their hands involved utilizing their senses-touch, taste, smell, hear and see! Our Toddlers and Pre-schoolers have particularly enjoyed the water slide, sea creature water marine parks and colourful Ice play!
Water play has so many values and benefits- Water Play helps to develop and strengthen Tamariki's gross and fine motor skills. Water play enhances their gross motor skills which helps build upon there hand-eye coordination skills and physical fitness through lifting, pouring, carrying, running and splashing. While building upon there fine motor skills they are using actions such as squeezing or tipping to help develop the small muscles in there hands.
Playing with water supports learning across all strands of Te Whariki ( Early Childhood Curriculum)
Water play particularly supports the Exploration strand, where children gain confidence in and control their bodies and where they learn strategies for active exploration, thinking and reasoning.
To learn more about BestStart's 16 areas of play visit: https://centres.best-start.org/16-areas-of-play-home/