Invitation to Make Lemonade

We recently read the story When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L.B. Deenihan & Lorraine Rocha, which is about a grandma who gives her grandchild a lemon tree. The story celebrates the pleasures of patience, hard work, nature, community, and learning "when life gives you lemons, make lemonde." 

After reading the story we just had to set out an invitation to make lemonade inspired by @friendsartlab. 

For this invitation, we used three grid drink dispensers filled with water colored with yellow Colorations Liquid WaterColors and Shiney/Fluorescent Tempera paint, along with acrylic ice cubes, ladles, plastic cups, and lemons. The children were invited to mix, pour, and create their own "lemonade."

Water play offers numerous developmental benefits for children, including sensory development through exploring textures, temperatures, and sounds. It also supports physical development by refining fine and gross motor skills through actions like pouring and scooping. Cognitively, water play introduces early math concepts and problem-solving. Socially and emotionally, it encourages interaction and can be a calming experience.

Additionally, water play fosters language development, creativity, and imagination as children explore and describe their experiences.