Kids love water play — it’s fun, exciting and stimulating. However, water play also offers excellent developmental benefits, from building motor skills to improving communication skills. It helps kids learn more about the big world they live in and sparks curiosity for discoveries.

Whether you’re looking to build a new water play space or add floatables and other elements to an existing area, Soft Play® has what you need. Child development and water play go hand in hand, and our water play elements provide the perfect foundation for both. Here are some of the many ways water play can have a lasting impact on kids:

1. Develops Motor Skills

Motor skills are the foundation of many essential daily activities, such as writing, talking and moving. One of the main water play benefits is that it helps children develop their motor skills in a fulfilling way. Actions like swooshing, scooping and pouring build fine motor skills that children require to succeed in other areas, like writing and tying their shoelaces. This style of play also builds gross motor skills through more movement-heavy activities like going down water slides.

Water play improves motor skills for kids of all ages:

• Toddlers aged 3 and under: Water play features like splash pads allow toddlers to build their grip strength by reaching out and trying to grasp the flowing water. They help parents bond with their kids and allow toddlers to engage in movement in a controlled environment.
• Kids aged 4 to 11: This age group is more demanding of interactive spaces requiring physical strength that focuses on a combination of fine and gross motor skills. Water play elements like slides and climbing areas allow them to build significant muscle groups and balance. They also offer these kids the opportunity to socialize and make new friends.
• Teenagers aged 12 to 17: Teenagers enjoy larger water features like wave pools and exciting water slides. While enjoying these elements, they can build gross motor skills and engage essential muscles.

2. Builds Cognitive Skills

Water play builds child development cognitive skills that allow kids to understand foundational mathematical and scientific facts. As they splash about in the water and have a good time, kids learn vital lessons that help them build cognitive skills.

Here are some examples of the essential lessons they might learn from interacting with different water features:

• • Objects that sink or float
  • Changes in states of water (evaporation, still water, moving water)
  • Movement of water upon varying levels of impact
  • Mathematical concepts like equal to/different and more/less
  • Effects of gravity on falling water

• Size comparisons of different elements around water features

The cognitive benefits of water play help kids in all developmental stages. They can apply these lessons to their school subjects and engage with critical thinking at a young age.

3. Develops Hand-Eye Coordination

Hand-eye coordination is an essential skill that provides children with the foundation to perform daily activities like writing, reading and playing. During water play, they come up with ideas to move or reach for objects in the water, which requires hand-eye coordination. As they get older, this skill translates to more complex activities like unlocking doors or getting dressed, so it’s essential they develop it from a young age.

Sensory play with water offers kids a chance to get a feel for the water and objects around them. It causes them to constantly gauge distances between themselves and objects of interest or the level of water, which inherently builds better hand-eye coordination.

Water playgrounds provide structures, such as ropes courses, for kids to navigate above the water. These features require kids to use advanced hand-to-eye coordination skills while gauging how far above the water they are and how to get across.

4. Forms Social and Communication Skills

One of the most significant benefits of water activities for kids is that they help them build social skills. Water activities encourage cooperative play, where kids enjoy exciting games together, like seeing who can make the biggest splash. These play experiences teach kids the importance of working together, being patient and supporting others. They have the opportunity to see what they can achieve alongside their peers.

Playing together encourages kids to build their social skills by sharing resources and ideas. This process inherently improves their communication skills as they observe and learn from others. Parents can help model and reinforce language skills in a fun environment that encourages kids to ask questions and talk to other kids. These social experiences drive children to expand their vocabulary by learning new words to describe the water and words to help them socialize.

The uplifting nature of water play means even kids who are more reserved or introverted can get the social engagement they need while enjoying captivating activities. Kids can practice socializing and create happy memories for themselves and their families.

5. Increases Balance and Strength

Water play improves motor skills and, in the process, helps kids increase their balance and strength. The sensory experience that comes from jumping, hand clapping and walking in water helps kids gain greater movement awareness. Water adds resistance to any movement and requires using more strength to perform even simple movements. It allows kids to engage their muscles while having fun.

One example of a water play feature that builds strength and balance is water floatables, which require kids to use arm and core strength to lift themselves onto the fun floating elements. It also takes balance to sit on one of these floatables. Add in the resistance from the water, and simply getting onto one of them is an excellent strength and balance exercise that kids love.

6. Offers Unbeatable Fun

The best benefit of water play equipment is that it’s incredibly entertaining. Water parks offer fun for kids of all ages with gentle and thrilling water-based activities. When kids have a good time, it improves their well-being and helps them unwind. The soothing sensation of the water can help calm kids who are bursting with energy and improve their mood. It also teaches them that physical activity can be fun and rewarding.

Make Your Playground a Splash With Soft Play

Are you looking for water play ideas for your play area? As the global leader in contained playground equipment, we can help you create a water play area customized to your budget and space requirements. Our water play elements are available for all age groups — even adults!

Soft Play is the leading expert in creating play spaces that work. We have installations in over 60 countries and understand how to build effective play spaces that attract families and entertain kids. Our immersive designs are set up to help kids navigate various developmental stages and create memories that last a lifetime.

Ready to get started on your play project? Feel free to contact our design specialists or request a quote, and we’ll get back to you!