

Age
⚙ 1.5 years and up
Time and Place
⚙ Any time of day
⚙ Any time of year
⚙ Indoors or outdoors
Materials
⚙ Water
⚙ A large bin or sensory table
⚙ Sponges
Optional Materials
⚙ Bath toys
⚙ Other objects (e.g., measuring cups, containers)
Safety
⚙ Supervise children at all times
⚙ Take extra precautions when playing with water

Instructions
Fill a bin or sensory table with water and add sponges. Let the children explore the sponges. Encourage older children to measure the amount of water that sponges can absorb by squishing the water out of a sponge into a measuring cup.
Questions You May Ask
⚙ What else can you use sponges for?
⚙ What other liquids can you use besides water?
⚙ What will happen if we put this [wet, dry] sponge in the [freezer, sun, sandbox]?

Play-based Context
An educator noticed children having fun squishing rubber toys at the water table and added sponges to encourage the children's further explorations.

Related Children's Books
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