DIY Water Wall is an amazing STEAM activity for kids this summer! Its a great way to beat the summer heat!
Making a Water Wall
The hardest part of building this water wall was gathering the supplies. I happened to have the funnels and clean tubing from another activity that I did when we went camping. I was cleaning out my craft corner and thought that instead of toss it I could reuse it in another activity. Its still pretty hot here and I wanted to get the kids outside and playing with water. We have done a pool noodle water wall and that as a real hit so I knew if I committed the time to build a water wall with piping and bottles it would definitely get significant use.
This activity is a great way to keep cool on a hot summer day but its also a great STEAM activity for toddlers, preschoolers and even older kids! They can learn about gravity and how water flows. My kids made so many interesting observations during this activity and asked so many great questions. It really got them thinking about the way water flows and why. I also love this activity because it made use of many bottles that I had been saving for something awesome like this!
Supplies to Make A DIY Water Wall
How to Make A DIY Water Wall
The Wall
The size of your wall will depend on where it will be located. I used the banister on our back deck. It’s out of the way and not used by adults. It’s close to their mud kitchen and play house in the kids section of the backyard.
Recycled Containers and Tubing
You’ll need a large rubber piping for this activity. I had about 10 feet but you can use more or less depending on the size of the water wall you want to build. I used duct tape to attach funnels to the top of the tubing. Then I attached the tubing to the banister using two zip-ties. I attached one zip tie to another in order to make it longer.
Constructing the Wall
I then cut the bottom off of several different types of bottles such as a sturdy Evian water bottle and shampoo and conditioner bottles. I used box cutters to slice off the bottom of the bottles.
To attach the bottom to the banister I made to slits in the back of the bottles and then thread the zip ties through and then attached them to the posts.
I angled everything downwards so that the water would flow nicely. Placing a large bowl at the bottom of the tubes and bottles to catch the water. This is a great way to save water in this activity.
Water Wall Variations
After my kids were playing for quite some time, I decide to add some liquid water colors to the water.
They mixed the water and poured it down the tubes and bottles. Sooo much fun!
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What age is a DIY water wall best for?
A DIY water wall is perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and elementary-aged children. Younger children enjoy pouring and watching the water flow, while older kids can redesign the wall, test different pathways, and solve engineering challenges.
2. How do you attach a water wall to a fence?
Zip ties are one of the easiest ways to secure materials to a fence because they’re sturdy and easy to adjust. You can also use string, bungee cords, reusable hook-and-loop straps, or clips depending on the materials you’re attaching.
3. Can I make a DIY water wall without buying supplies?
Yes! Most DIY water walls can be built almost entirely from recycled household items. Save plastic bottles, yogurt containers, food containers, funnels, and cardboard tubes to create an inexpensive STEM activity that kids will love.
4. Where should I set up a DIY water wall?
A DIY water wall works best outdoors on a fence, deck railing, pallet, or playhouse wall. Place buckets or a water table underneath to catch the water and make cleanup quick and easy.
5. How can I make my water wall more exciting?
Try adding funnels, clear tubing, spinning water wheels, spray bottles, measuring cups, or colorful recycled containers. You can also challenge kids to redesign the wall or create the longest path for the water to travel.
6. How do I turn a DIY water wall into a STEM challenge?
Invite children to build a path that carries water from the top to the bottom without spilling, reaches a specific container, or flows through every section of the wall. Encourage them to make predictions, test their ideas, and improve their design just like real engineers.
7. Is a DIY water wall worth making?
Absolutely! A DIY water wall is one of the easiest outdoor STEM activities because it’s inexpensive, reusable, and keeps kids engaged for long periods of time. Children love experimenting with water, and the design can be changed again and again to create new engineering challenges all summer long.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
