I have a 2 year old who loves playing in the sink. I was thinking of getting a water table that she can use inside while it is winter and then later. (Am I crazy?) Some seem very small. Do you have any that you really like and that would work for inside?
Just get a tarp/plastic you can place on the floor and some tubs/storage units with water and other items.
My son got this one for Christmas:
http://www.amazon.com/Step2-Fun-Flow-Play-Sink/dp/B0032BD...
It's really nice. I only have two complaints. First, the pump doesn't build up any pressure, so if you want the facet to work, you have to stand there and pump it the whole time, and second, there is no drain, so you have to lift it to dump out the water. However, it's very light-weight, and so far, my son loves it.
I bought the Little Tikes water table and had it indoors and got some really nice replacement toys from Little Tykes when it leaked and ruined my child care center carpet. They have now added that they are not for indoor use and can damage property if not used as intended. The drains in the bottom can leak, if there is a place for the water to come out it will eventually come out of said hole.
We built other types of water features after that. If you google how to make a home water table you will find lots of ideas.
We used PVC pipe, blue goo to stick it together along with a few screws, and a clear plastic storage tub. The benefits were that I could just pick up the tub and go empty it when it was done for the day. It also did not have a drain so it could not leak onto the floor.
It's a very good idea to have one. Kids love them but they are still very much a serious choke hazard and should be treated as so. Little guys are head heavy and if they fall forward into water they don't have the neck strength to lift their heads up. This is also why so many kids drown in toilets they just are not strong enough to save their lives by lifting their heads out of the water. Make sure you never leave them even for a second.
Here are some of the links I found.
http://talesofanordinaryhousewife.blogspot.com/2008/09/ho...
http://www.earthskids.com/sensorytable.aspx
This is similar to the size and shape of the one we made. The corners were the PVC joints and the bars were regular PVC. The main water area was 1 bigger tub, not 2 small ones.
http://www.littlepeoplescove.com/cf905-026.html
Another style that is cute too.
http://www.littlepeoplescove.com/cf905-133.html
My google search link:
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGdX9.NhxNusIAc_BXN...
Hi M.-
I was the director of a child development center (donkey years ago) when I only had 3 kids...The teachers in my center had FITS because I insisted in 'sand and water' tables in the rooms...the sand could be switched up with rice...macaroni...etc....but the water stayed (and was played).
When I was able to stay home...the 'water/sand' play area was the guest bathroom...or, in summer...the back yard!
Call me crazy!!
Take Care
michele/cat
since your child is young, and a single kid, there are many ways to do this easily and cheaply.
First you can just use a rubbermaid container - fill it with water and wala - a water table. You can make it a bigger shallow one and get a nice sized one still now a days. And the plus is when you are done you just have to slip it under a bed or the couch or in a closet and it's out of the way. Negative is that you have to fill and drain it and that can be hard to drain.
SO, you can take that one step further if you or your husband is handy. Take a small wood table and the rubbermaid container. Draw around the base of the container so that you have a template for cutting out a hole. Cut out this hole and drop in the container. If you are really handy you can add a drain/plug to the container as well and your draining problems are taken care of. LOTS of home daycare providers do this and add casters to the legs to make a nice portable water table. PVC pipes can also be used to create one.
Commercially any ones you find in a regular store are going to be pretty much the same. Discount School Supply will have sturdier options like you see in daycare centers.
I'd put her and the water in the bathtub to play.... way easier to clean up afterwards.
With my preschool, I bought a medium-sized zinc tub and an old quilt. The tub gets filled with water, dry rolled oats,rice, beans, etc. The quilt is great because it quickly can scoop up spilled dry goods, and when they are playing with water, it will absorb spills which helps prevent slip and fall accidents on the hard floor. And it's less expensive/easier to store than a water table.
Have fun!
