Water play at our centre is much more than splashing and having fun — it is a meaningful learning experience closely connected to the ECE Curriculum, Te Whāriki.
Recently, our tamariki have been enjoying a variety of water experiences, from bubble-filled tubs with scrubbing brushes and real dishes to outdoor play on the water slide, muddy puddles, and other wet and messy activities.
While these experiences look playful and exciting, they offer rich opportunities for exploration. As children scrub plates, scoop bubbles, slide down the water slide, or jump into muddy puddles, they naturally learn from one another. They observe friends’ ideas, copy new techniques, test their own thinking, and share discoveries.
These moments help children develop communication skills as they learn alongside others and gain confidence in group interactions. Water play also supports important social, emotional, and physical growth. Children practice negotiating turns on the slide, making space for friends at the water tray, and checking in with peers before splashing or reaching across. Through these experiences, they build empathy, cooperation, and self-regulation, while also strengthening both fine and gross motor skills.
Scrubbing and squeezing build fine motor control, while sliding, balancing on wet ground, climbing, and jumping in puddles support gross motor development, coordination, and body confidence. Language learning naturally emerges as tamariki describe textures, movements, and feelings, while kaiako extend thinking through open-ended questions and new vocabulary.
Water play is one of BestStart’s 16 areas of play, encouraging curiosity, creativity, confidence, and joyful learning in every splash.