Pouring stations have limitless options and endless engagement. Whether you provide colored water, rice, water beads, sand, dried beans, and so on, it is simple set up that is packed with so much learning.
To set this invitation you will need a sensory bin, Learning Resources Gallon Measuring Set , Graduated Beakers, Graduated Cylinders, Liquid Measures #gifted, water, liquid water colors or food coloring. Invite the child to pour, scoop, measure, and mix, in the sensory bin.
Invitation such as these provide "life skills" that they will carry on the rest of their life. As they twist open the containers and pour from one to another they will refine skill sets that will help in other aspects of their life. Pouring through water play aides children to understand capacity & investigate with ideas such as more/less, same/different, many/few, empty/full, before/after, greater than/less than. Not to mention cognitive skills through cause and effect as well has hand eye coordination when pouring the water. Throughout the whole process a child will also build upon their language skills as they speak throughout the process whether they state observations or ask more questions.
This type of learning through play by doing the work, helps their brain engage and create and expand their neural pathways since so many of their skill sets are being used and further developed. Hence why play builds brains. The more children are given opportunities of opened ended play such as this the higher their level of thinking will grow and develop along with continuing to build life skills.
