What is water to a toddler? It's a drink, a bath, a toy. It falls from the sky and makes mud. But there's more to learn about our valuable friend. Water is a magnificent, life giving resource, and toddlers will be amazed at the diverse ways we use it. Try the following activities to educate and entertain your toddler about the natural connection between life and water.

Water is Food

Explain to your child that without water plants will die, and we would not have delicious fruits and vegetables to eat. Then tell them that you will show them how plants need water. Fill a paper cup half full with potting soil. Allow your child to drop a pinto bean, watermelon seed, or pumpkin seed into the soil. Show how to gently press the seed into the soil and bury it about an inch. Write the word 'water' on the cup. Repeat the planting process in a second cup, and mark the cup 'no water'. Place the cups in a sunny window and allow your child to add about 2 tablespoons of water to the 'water' cup every other day. In a few weeks, the seed that has been watered will develop into a sprout. The un-watered seed will not. Pour the un-watered seed into the child's hand and let them see that without water, plants do not grow.

Water is Environment

Visit a local aquarium to see the fish and other water animals. Pose questions to encourage your child's thoughts about water as environment. Which animals live in the ocean? How do they breathe under water? Discuss the arctic region of our world, and talk about animals that live in snow and ice. What do they eat? How do they hide? If you live near a river, pond, or lake, plan a family outing to these environments. Help your child name the creatures that live in and near the water. Why do some animals live near water? What would life be like if we were mermaids and mermen?

Water is Steam and Ice

Explore the properties of water with your toddler with this fun experiment. Pour water into a plastic cup and allow the child to touch the water. Tell him this is liquid water. Place the cup in the freezer. After 24 hours, remove the cup from the freezer and pop out the ice cube. Let the toddler play with the ice for a moment. Tell him this is solid water. Then place the ice into a pan and put it on the stove. You and your child can discuss the uses of water while the ice is melting. When the ice turns to water, spoon some into a bowl for the toddler to see. When it cools, allow him to touch it. The remaining water on the stove should be heated to boiling. Hold up a dark cloth or sheet of construction paper so the steam is visible. Tell the child it is hot, but it is water. It is water as a gas.

Water is Beautiful

Life and water are intertwined by nature, and humans have developed art that symbolizes our appreciation for the valuable resource. Visit the library and check out books that feature stories or poetry about water animals, rainy days, or the ocean. Check out art books that contain water related prints, such as On a Painted Ocean (New York University Press, 1996), which features 150 works of maritime art that spans centuries. Online you can visit Christian Riese Lassen's website at www.lassenart.com. He posts his bright, dynamic sea life art for admirers to enjoy. Children will enjoy spending time in an adult's lap, discovering the colors, shapes, and messages in art. For a hands-on water and art appreciation activity, allow your child to play with food coloring in water to learn how the colors billow and mix, forming new colors. You can also add some liquid soap into the water to form bubbles. Deposit a drop of food coloring on a bubble, and then lay a piece of paper over it to create bubble art.

Water is Fun

Summer time is the prime season for families to enjoy water activities. From a city pool or a water park, to splashing in a stream or running through the sprinkler, children learn to appreciate water as a source of entertainment at an early age. Discuss with your toddler all the fun times you have together in the water. Revisit photos of family members enjoying water plan a vacation to the ocean, a boating day on the lake. The animal channel is a good resource for children to witness animals from around the globe enjoying water. Look for opportunities in everyday life to point out a bird bathing in a birdbath or a bug skittering across a still pond. Explain that all living things rely on water and can use it to have fun like we do.

Water is Valuable

Tell your toddler that we can only drink clean water. Dirty water will make humans sick. Because animals live in ponds, lakes, streams, and the ocean, we have to clean this water before we can drink it. People work hard to clean all the water humans use every day. Sometimes the bad things people add to water make it dirty forever. Explain to your child that water is a gift, and we are supposed to take care of it just like we take care of toys that we like. Taking care of water, and not using more than we need, is called conservation. A toddler may not be able to say the word, but they enjoy hearing big words and trying to mimic them. Tell your child that she can conserve water by not letting the faucet run when she's brushing her teeth, and by running through the sprinkler for fun while it's watering the lawn.

What is water to a toddler? It's science, art, life, and joy. It's a friend to be respected, honored, and conserved. Teaching a toddler to view natural resources in this way is a gift they can benefit from their entire life. It's knowledge that can change the future.