I'm all here for the Summer weather but of course, being British we have to complain about how inconsistent it can be!
Sometimes the heat can get a bit much for the little ones... and of course we often get those dreaded rainy days too. We've put together some simple sink play ideas, which are brilliant for cooling and calming down when it's a little bit too warm, but also ideal for bringing the water play indoors when we're not able to get out into the garden.
This can be as simple as popping some bubbles and cups and spoons in there for them to scoop, fill and pour, but I love taking a few extra minutes and getting creative and then leaving the set up as a surprise for the kids to find.
Granted it can get a bit messy, but the clean-up is normally pretty simple. I pop all the figures and other bits and bobs in a colander and wash them in the bath, and then wash around the basin. A bathmat on the floor catches most of the splashes and can be thrown in the washing machine once you're done too!
So here are a few of our sink play ideas, all perfect for cooling down in this sunny weather.
Amazon river
I added a little cocoa powder and corn flour to the water and soft brown sugar around the edge, plus lots of ‘treasures’ that the kids had collected on a walk.
Apple boats
If you remember apple bobbing as a child, you'll know that apples float! These little boats were very easy to make (although if I was doing it again I'd use fabric or a plastic bag for the sail instead of paper!) and the children loved using straws to blow them around the water.
Arctic world
This might not be very seasonal, but the ice makes this even more refreshing for a hot day! Alternatively, we've frozen toys in ice in the past and popped them in the sink with some salt and child friendly tools for them to try and rescue.
Citrus sink
My children would be happy making potions all day long. This simple activity engaged them for hours as they mixed and poured and juiced and made a whole variety of different mixtures.
Dinosaur swamp
For this set up I used all the components of our Dinosaur Play Kit, set on a base of brown sugar and added a teaspoon of corn flour and drop of food colouring to the water. Sometimes I like to add peppermint or lavender oil to the water too, as both essential oils are known for their calming properties.
Duplo swimming pool
I admit that I may have had a bit too much fun making this but it was relatively low effort, easy to tidy and the kids literally played with it for hours (while I read my book outside in the sunshine!)
Horse meadow
I dyed some salt using a drop of food colouring and sprinkled it around the sink before using the components of one of our play kits and our favourite Schleich horses to create this sweet meadow scene. Because the salt dissolves, the clean-up is easy and much less sticky compared to the sugar!