Okay, so for $99.99 dollars at Walmart you can buy the water table pictured above. I know a hundred bucks is a nice chunk of change, but trust me. Water tables provide so much more of an amazing learning experience than you may think. It is not just about your little one splashing and making a mess.
First off, your child will have a great time practicing their sensory skills. Give them a bowl and a tiny cup. Have them count how many cups it took them to fill that bowl.
Other items to use in water tables that most parents/nannies/teachers may not think of:
-Eye droppers
-Toy Cars
-Toy/plastic animals
-Paper
-Sand (Nifty idea: have the child(ren) make animal tracks in the sand with the plastic animals)
-Shovels/buckets/cups
-Sponges
-Baby Dolls
My favorite water play activity is something I’d like to call “Water Babies”. Fill the table up just covering the base, squeeze in a dab of soap (enough to create some bubbles), then throw in some sponges and naked dolls/ babies. Walk the child through the steps of giving the baby a bath and drying them off. This instills empathy, mimics self-help skills, and shows responsibility. Your child will feel important that they are actually giving a “baby” a bath.
This is also a very cute activity, as children typically say the most adorable things while cleaning their baby dolls.
**Remember, this activity is suitable for little boys too. I think it is important for boys to play with dolls because like I said, it instills empathy.
The Nifty Nanny 
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