Inside: Cheap. fun summer water play for kids that cost less than $15.
Ham and Cheese.
Mustard and Ketchup.
You know, some things are just meant to be together.
And when $15 can get you 30+ minutes, it is a GAME CHANGER. Remember, sensory bin activities like this and this lemon sensory bin can also have a tremendous amount of benefits as Busy Toddler explains here.
First sensory bin? Start here.
RELATED: If you are looking to keep 50+ activities in your back pocket this summer, check out our Alphabet Activity Cards.
Set up this summer fun in a flash.
Another great thought about this $15 cheap summer activity is that most of your materials are probably already in your home! Search around and you are sure to find some similar variations.
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CHEAP SUMMER ACTIVITIES START HERE:
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Water
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Food Coloring $5
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Dish Soap – assuming you already own
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Sea Shells $8
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Dollar Store Ocean Stickers $2 – OPTIONAL
If you do not already have a bin, this activity will take you over the $15 limit. However, you will use this bin for many activities to come.
I prepped this cheap summer activity in less than 8 minutes.
You can prepare fun sensory bins with or without your kids help.
I enjoy mixing it up. Sometimes we all get it together (this helps children understand sequence of events). Other times I quietly prep as they play independently so I have something ready for them when they remember they are hungry. AGAIN.
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Place your ocean stickers UNDER your ocean bin. – Remember, this is optional.
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Place your ocean bin over the stickers. Now they will stay put.
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Fill your ocean bin with water.
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Add blue food coloring and dish soap.
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Add shells, driftwood, large white ocean rocks, etc. into your ocean bin.
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Invite your friends to come play.
RELATED: Enjoy water play? You’ll love this water play roundup from Happy Hooligans!
A few tips to make this water play successful and some extensions:
Kitchen utensils you ALREADY OWN make a great addition.
Here we threw in some:
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ladles
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water pitchers
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funnels
Remember the outdoor bin we shared? You can find all our favorites in this outdoor supply list.
What do you have that would make a great addition to this ocean water bin?
My three-year-old and four-year-old loved this activity so much that they played with it for almost an hour!
Take a look around your kitchen and get this set up today!
Who wants more water play? Find 35+ Water Play Ideas HERE all in one place.