15+ Creative Indoor Water Play Ideas

Looking for some great indoor water play ideas? You don’t have to wait for it to be hot for water play. Kids of all ages can benefit, learn, and have so much fun with these indoor water play ideas. From painting, to activities, crafts, and sensory fun and everything in-between, we have all sorts of great indoor water play ideas. These water play ideas can be done at home or in the classroom.

Water Play Ideas

You don’t have to wait for summer to enjoy water play.   We’re showing you how to splash around inside! Grab a few towels and get ready for your kids eyes to light up when you tell them they get to play with water somewhere besides the bathtub.

Creative Indoor Water Play Ideas

1. Make A Sail Boat

Make a sailboat out of a small foam base, a toothpick and a square of paper.   Float it around in the sink or a pan of water!

2. Transfer Water Activity

Set out two containers, one with water, one empty. Let your kids use an eyedropper to transfer the water from one container to the other.

3. Water Fountain Game

Simulate a water fountain indoors and toss change in! We also show you how to make it into a game.

4. Frozen Water Play

Let’s play with frozen water! Ice cubes. We are playing with different colored ice cubes and exploring colors.

5. Mini Water Blob

Make a mini water blob for babies and toddlers. This is a great way to play with water and learn in a mess-free way.

6. Thin Ice Play

Create thin ice in a pan to replicate how the top of a lake freezes in winter. It’s fun to break it!

7. Paint With The Rain

Paint with the rain by coloring on paper and leaving it outside in the rain to smear!

8. Ice Digging Game

Freeze tiny dinosaur figurines in ice and let your kids use small plastic tools to drive and break them out.

9. Blowing Water Science Activity

Blowing water in drops along waxed paper is a simple, fun way to demonstrate water science with kids.

10. Bathtub I-Spy Game

Make bath time fun! Let’s play bathtub I-spy using bath time toys like rubber duckies, balls, and foam toys.

11. Bath Time Bubbles

Teach them how to make bath bubbles with a plastic container for extra bath time fun.

12. Ice Fishing Game

Try ice fishing by  freezing some small toys in a plastic container.  When you put it in the bath, the ice slowly melts to release the toys!

13. Float Or Sink Game

Experiment and chart which items in your home will float or sink if they are submerged in water.

14. Pouring Water Practice

Let the little ones practice transferring by pouring water to and from different size containers.

15. Mixing Paint and Water

You can paint inside with chalk and water mixed together. Two fun summer activities mixed into one!

16. Ocean In A Bottle

Make an ocean in a bottle that they can explore and carry around with them.   You don’t have to live near an ocean to explore it!

17. Indoor Car Wash

Let them have an indoor car wash by simply filling a pan or tray with warm soapy water and let them scrub their toy cars clean.

18. Salt Water Experiment

With this project, run an experiment to explore what happens when you place items in salt water rather than fresh water. Examine ocean water vs. fresh water.

19. DIY Ocean Sensory Bag

Look at the sparkly ocean water full of sea animals. This ocean sensory bag is a great way for water play and learning.

20. Fun Ocean Activities

Explore the ocean with these water activities and pretend water activities. Kids of all ages will love these fun ocean activities.

More Water Play Fun From Kids Activities Blog

Which water play ideas are your favorite? Which ones have you tried? I think my kids would love to try the indoor car wash!