Tea Party Water Play

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Set up this oh-so-simple tea party water play sensory invitation in minutes. Children love to pour water from a tea pot into cups, or from one cup to another, so will be super excited to explore it. Easily add in or change supplies to further extend the play experience.

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Supplies To Collect

Just a few supplies will have your little learners eagerly engaging in a tea party sensory experience. Gather the following:

bus tub
liquid food coloring
water
miniature tea sets
flower-themed confetti
spoons
waterproof table cover

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The Tea Party Water Play Set Up

To set up this low prep sensory invitation indoors, cover a table with a waterproof table cover. If you plan to offer the activity outdoors on a warm weather day, you can skip this step.

Next, pick a sensory tub to use. My go-to tub size is a white bus tub. It comfortably allows two to three children to play in it at one time and is easy to transport to any location. It is also very sturdy.

Then add lukewarm water and squeeze in a few drops of liquid food coloring.

Sprinkle in flower-themed confetti to add a dose of sparkle.

Lastly, drop in a miniature tea set for each child participating, and include a few larger spoons.

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A sensory play invitation couldn’t be easier to offer.

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Variations of the Tea Party Water Play Experience

To add interest and extend the tea party sensory play experience, include flowers and buds. These peonies look beautiful and offer a tactile experience.

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Note: Peonies are safe to touch but should not be consumed. If the children in your care are prone to explore by putting things in their mouths, choose edible flowers such as roses (featured below) for this activity.

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Rose flowers and buds are an exquisite choice for the bin. All parts of a rose plant are safe to eat. Just make sure there are no thorns on the rose stems as they are very prickly!

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Changing up the color of the water from a neon pink to a neon turquoise adds interest too.

Additional water play ideas for the bin are selecting a larger tea set, and offering play food desserts.

And finally, instead of filling a tub with colored water, simply set a miniature tea set on a low-edged tray and add a small bottle filled with water. Little learners will delight in transferring water from the bottle to the tiny teapot and cups.

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Benefits of the Tea Party Water Play Invitation

Practicing the skill of pouring, developing eye-hand coordination, enhancing fine motor skills, labeling flowers and parts, color recognition, experiencing beauty, and having a pleasurable play experience are all benefits of this simple and economical tea party sensory set up.

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