[Peace of Mind for Beginners] Enjoying Color Water Play with Flowers and Plants | Environmental Setup and Support Points for Younger, Middle, and Older Age Groups

The season from early summer to summer is the perfect time to get familiar with water. This time, it is about “Color Water Play”. There are various types of color water play. This time, I will introduce color water play using flowers and plants from the school garden.

[Introduction] 📖 Read a picture book so they can notice the flowers and plants in the school garden

If your school has been doing color water play for generations, you might not need to spend much time on the introduction, but reading a picture book before playing can change the way they play.

Munmun Atsui Hi (A Hot, Humid Day) <Monthly Reserved Picture Book, Kodomo no Tomo Younger Version, August 1999 Issue, Vol. 269> Yasuko Koide (Author) Fukuinkan Shoten

This is an August magazine from a yearly subscription. If your school has the 1999 Kodomo no Tomo younger version, please try reading it. (It is expensive because it is a used purchase 💦)

A story about Nacchan who makes color water with various flowers and plants and plays as a water shop owner. Through Nacchan's figure, you can share with the children the fun of colors being born from flowers and plants and the joy of color water play.

If you cannot prepare a picture book, copy the flowers and plants color water from a natural science picture book, or use photos of last year's color water play to look back, saying things like, "We played like this last year, didn't we?"

[Environmental Setup] 🔬 Prepare the tools necessary for play

You won't know what kind of play the children will come up with until you try it. Anticipate how the children will make color water, prepare the necessary tools in the teaching material room, etc., so they can be brought out immediately, and refine the environmental setup plan.

(Tools to enjoy the fact that color comes out at first) Younger, Middle, Older
First, prepare so they can enjoy the surprise that "color comes out from flowers and plants!"
・ Plastic bags
・ Pudding cups or plastic cups
・ Funnels
・ PET bottles

(Once they get used to it) Middle, Older
An environment where they can pursue the color water they want to make
・ Mortars
・ Pestles
・ Tea strainers
・ Measuring cups
・ Stylish glasses (plastic)

(When the play expands further) Older
An environment where children can show each other and incorporate it into their play
・ Setting up a place to show each other
・ Setting up a place to line up the color water they made
・ Environment for playing juice shop (stand/cafe)
・ Painting using color water (brushes, drawing paper, dyed paper, etc.)

If there is support such as the teacher going to see it with the younger children so they can become interested in the play of the middle and older children, and the teacher acting as a bridge so the middle children can be taught the wisdom and ingenuity of the older children, they can play in mixed-age groups.

Also, when they become older children, they might find pudding cups unsatisfactory, so prepare waste material parfait containers, etc. Also, plastic glasses from 100-yen shops are sure to make them happy and lift their spirits.

Wine Glass/Champagne Glass 25/50/100 Piece Set, Hard Plastic, Unbreakable, Lightweight, 150ml, Impact Resistant

[Development of Play] 🫗 Supporting children's excitement and inspiration

Let's make color water with the children.
(Support)
Younger ・ Convey the amount of water, how to rub, etc., concretely
・ Be surprised and happy together that the color came out
・ Support to notice the difference in color and concentration even if made in the same way

Middle ・ Think together, "What color do you want to make?"
・ Think together about ingenuity to realize it
・ Be happy about what was made and make it so they can also look at their friends' ingenuity

Older ・ Support that watches from a distance while supporting children's inspiration and ingenuity
・ Support to realize the color water they want to make or want to be seen
・ Setting up a place to have their happy feelings listened to
・ Setting up a place to be acknowledged by friends

Configure an environment where children can be excited and inspired to make it more fun according to each developmental stage. If you hear murmurs like "I want to make it a darker color" or "I want to play juice shop," that is a chance for the next day's play to expand.

[Reflection and Reconstruction] 🔍 Making play more fun

The teachers in charge share the children's appearance today and examine the direction of tomorrow's play.
Check if the play environment was well-prepared
Predict what kind of play they want to do next from the children's murmurs
Examine what kind of environment to prepare tomorrow to make the play expand more.

For older children, learning how to interact with friends is also necessary.
Just by looking back, "Who were you playing with?" or "What were you talking about?", you can find hints for creating the environment for the next day.

Based on these, I will prepare the environment needed for tomorrow's play and consider what kind of encouragement to provide.

There are activities that can only be experienced during the summer season.
I hope this serves as a hint for creating an environment where children can get comfortable with water and play to their heart's content.

I hope this article provides some kind of hint for someone.
Thank you for reading until the end.
May tomorrow be another fun day of childcare! ♡

📚 Other Recommended Books

A picture book that helps children notice familiar flowers and plants.
Field Mouse Siblings' Flower and Plant Play: From Early Summer to Autumn
Etsuko Aizawa (Author), Naoko Hasegawa (Illustrator) Fukuinkan Shoten

A book filled with nature play tips for childcare workers.
New Flower and Plant Play
Etsuko Aizawa (Author) Yama-to-Keikokusha