Summer's here - the paddling pool came out

Summer must officially be here because we have had the paddling pool out.

This picture was on a Tuesday in November and Grace, Eva and Isla had been in the pool after lunch while Theo was asleep. Later, Eva and Isla decided to have another paddle - and Theo just climbed in in his clothes. (His trousers were probably already wet anyway...!)

Isla was very intent on her job filling the pool. (The earlier lot of water had been 'mysteriously' transported out of the pool.) Theo was quite keen on catching that glittering stream of water (not at this particular moment.) And Eva was just delighted to be getting wet, splashing and paddling.

I was pleased that we had a paddling day, because it turned out that this was Eva's last regular day with me. As a little one she just adored climbing into the water, and it could be quite hard on her to have to get out and go home. This is what I said on Feb 8 last year:

"I set up the water trough in the shade this afternoon, and after the Big Kids got home Sophie and I got out the paddling pool. Great fun! E had an absolute ball, and both Little Kids were SOAKED when their mums came to collect them. I love my job!"

Eva will be back for our end of year party.

Imagine swimming in the harbour!

(Actually, better not to imagine too much.....!)

But, yesterday it was so hot (and we'd been invited to a beach BBQ by friends) that I swam in the harbour for possibly the very first time.

I'm a bit of a wuss as regards getting into cold water. We have swum every day at Mt Maunganui and Rotorua lakes since my last post (not Lk Rotorua itself), but I have always only paddled at the beaches round here, due to the Antarctic currents that tend to swirl round te Upuko o te Ika.

But, on a very hot day round about 6pm, the water at Hataitai Beach was lovely.

One acquaintance I met there says she doesn't put her head under (just in case), and another lady swimming recommended sandals (rocky bottom might have glass....). But the friends who invited us for the BBQ have swum there often for years with no mis-haps. So it must be all right.

The picture is from Google Images. We swam to the left of the changing sheds.

Rainy day in the sandpit

You don't need it to be sunny to enjoy mucking around in mud!

It's raining just a bit now, and Isla arrived talking about splashing in puddles, so on went the gumboots and coats and out we went.

They have all been having a lovely time, washing the tea set in warm bubbly water, and digging around in the wet sand in the sandpit.

(This generally means more washing of tea set as it has got sandy again!)

A bonus is that the warm, bubbly water is ideal for washing sandy hands too.

Water play ideas

Just doing a Google search on play ideas, and found this one on water play. Seemed appropriate for today.

I've also added a link to the sidebar - a play ideas page from Little Treasurers magazine.

ps, I just read the site properly and the photos are from a playcentre in Southland. Good on them!

Rain, rain, rain, rain, rain

Well that's how it feels. It has rained all day without stopping. We did lots of inside things today, like building with blocks and making pikelets.

Later in the morning we all put on coats, hats and boots and went outside anyway.

The initial idea was 'stamping in puddles'. Cara, Isla and Grace quickly moved to filling and carrying watering cans and teapots and watering the garden (which didn't actually need it, but no worries!).

A rainy day provides a lot more interesting places to get water from than just the trough or hose. A dripping downpipe, shaking it off the bushes, etc - and those great puddles of course!

Jumping in puddles

We've had a bit of rain lately. Actually, everywhere has had a lot of rain lately!

We've also had quite a lot of talk among the Little Kids about gumboots. This started as Isla had new gumboots (which she liked to carry around, but not wear), and I got the Red Thomas gumboots that Elanor used to have back from the farm. We have had lots of mix'n'match gumbot days, with hopefully everyone getting to wear some of them some of the time.

The other day, all the girls had come with gumboots. As it had been raining, but there were gaps in the rain, it seemed appropriate to go looking for puddles - one of the more satisfying aspects to winter water play. As it happened, the puddles out the back had dried up a bit, so we had to add to them with the hose.

Splashing ranged from gentle tip-toeing to two-footed jumping. (Grace did the best jumping, but stopped every time the camera came out! Can't win 'em all.)

Minimalist water play

Because I am teaching toddlers at the moment, my programme has a strong focus on exploring the elements of the natural world. That means providing opportunities for water, sand, (dirt!!) and natural materials every day. Water in particular has a very strong fascination for most toddlers, and though it's something they interact with every day (eg, drinking it, washing in it), they never tire of exploring all its properties. At 1 and a 1/2 they are developing 'working theories' for how it 'works' and how it interacts with other substances (like their clothes, or the ground). They also find it very familiar and soothing.

However, waterplay has one or two limitations. It is quite possible for a toddler to drown in fairly small amounts of it (eg, if they knock their head falling into a bucket of it), and they will also get soaking at any opportunity, until they practice and develop their motor control. (One reason for lots of practice with the stuff.)

One of my favourite ways of offering water play outside is in a shallow tray. I have a plastic tray which I weigh down with biggish stones, and put 1/2 inch of water in it. This needs hardly any supervision as it's impossible to drown in, but provides patting and small splashing opportunities, as well as allowing the toddler to see how stones will change appearance when wet, and then dry in the sun. They can get their hands wet, but won't get their clothes soaking (unless they very carefully sit down in the tray - which I haven't seen yet, but this doesn't mean it won't happen).

I sometimes put a tray of water out as well as a water trough, along with buckets, watering cans and the teaset. But it's particularly useful when I don't want to change the kids clothes again, but still provide water exploration opportunities.

And here are Sophie and Elanor cooling off in the paddling pool this afternoon.

First day back at Playgroup

This morning the Little Kids and I went to our local Playgroup. Most of the usual suspects were there, plus some new faces for the new year. It was great to see the outdoor area had been set up and was being well used. After a patchy weekend weather wise it is definately Summer here again.

The water trough which Playgroup bought last year was out and seeing lots of fun. E, at a quite tall 18months, can just reach into it and grab cups and boats. She LOVES water at the moment so was as happy as ..... a toddler in a water trough!

I, (a shorter 18month old) mostly played indoors. My impression was that she needed to revisit the environment and equipment, touching and playing with everything in turn. Next time I'll see if she is big enough for that trough, or else we'll have to imporvise a step. There are a lot of kids about the same age (and size) at the moment.

Summer's a great time to work outside!

It has taken a while, but Summer has finally arrived in town. Just a two day week for me this week, but both yesterday and today were scorching! The Little Kids and I spent a lot of time in the back yard, but we had to retreat inside for some shade near the middle of the day.

I set up the water trough in the shade this afternoon, and after the Big Kids got home Sophie and I got out the paddling pool. Great fun! E had an absolute ball, and both Little Kids were SOAKED when their mums came to collect them. I love my job!