Click here to read Simple Sponge Squeezing Activity to Increase Hand Grip Strength (aka Fine Motor Skills) on Hands On As We Grow®
Your toddler or preschooler can strengthen their grip and enjoy water-play indoors or out with this simple sponge squeezing activity!
Got Grumpy Kids? Just Add Water!
I’ve heard somewhere that the two best solutions for grumpy kids are to take them outside or to let them play with water.
In my experience, these solutions work every time!
This water-play activity was inspired by my grumpy toddler, Clara, on a day when it was too chilly to play outside.
Just a few plastic containers, some sponges, and a splash of water had her giggling in no time!
She already loves water play, and adding sponges upped the level of fun!
Squeezing and squishing sponges also gave her the opportunity to work on her grip strength during this activity (and to squeeze away that post-nap stress).
Download FREE Go-To List of Fine Motor Pre-Writing Activities HERE
Squeeze and Splash Sponge Activity
For this activity, you will need:
- Plastic tubs/bins/bowls
- Clean sponges
- Water
- Art smock/t shirt to keep clothes dry
- Towels
Setting Up for Indoor Sponge Squeezing Activity
For this activity, I rounded up some empty plastic storage tubs.
I like keep a variety of bins on hand for sensory activities, such as this one.
I spread out some towels and put two smaller tubs inside a larger one in hopes of containing the mess.
A little water ended up on the floor and table by the end of the activity, but the floor needed mopping anyway, so no harm done.
After setting up the tubs, I gathered every kind of sponge I could find in the house.
I used a variety of sizes and textures of sponges to make this squeezing activity a fun sensory experience.
The giant sponge is from the car care section of the grocery store.
I bought it for this activity, but I think it might be great to use in a water obstacle course once it warms up!
Transfer Water by Squeezing Sponges
After setting up the tubs, I added a few inches of water to one of the smaller tubs and left the other empty.
I wanted to see if Clara could move the water from one tub to the other using just the sponges.
After suiting Clara up in a smock to keep her (mostly) dry, I showed her how to squeeze the water from the sponge into the empty tub, and encouraged her to try to fill it up.
She loved it!
While she eventually lost interest in her activity mission to fill the empty container, she had a blast squishing and squeezing the different sponges and watching the water pour out!
What is your child’s favorite way to play with water indoors?
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