Pool Party

Materials

1. Three small plastic wading pools: small, medium, and large
2. Hose
3. Stopwatch
4. Sprinkler
5. Variety of water toys and containers for transferring water

Instructions

1. In warm weather, have a Sprinkler Day!
2. Ask the children to help arrange the three empty pools in a line by size. Let them fill each pool using a hose. Predict how long it will take for each pool to fill. Use a stopwatch to keep track of the time.
3. After filling all three pools, compare how long it took to fill each one.
4. Ask the children to predict how many of them will fit in each pool. Let them sit in each pool, one at a time until the pool is full of children. Count how many children are in the pools when full. Again, make a few comments that will lead to the children brainstorming about why each pool held different numbers of children.
5. Provide water toys and containers for transferring water. If the children show interest in transferring water, ask them to predict how many times they will have to travel back and forth in order to move all the water in the small pool to the other two pools. You will need LOTS of time for this!
6. Turn on the sprinkler and have fun! More to do Make some mini-pools for tabletop play when the weather is cold. Purchase three pie tins in three different sizes. Add small plastic dolls, some finely cut blue tissue paper, and some small rubber balls, and have a pretend pool party!