Wading pools are great at reliably containing a few inches of water for the delighted amusement of small children, but they can be used in many other ways as well. I’ve seen kids use them as roofs when constructing forts and as shields during snowball fights. I’ve also seen them used in many child-created games and as props in dramatic play. I once saw a four-year-old girl spend a summer afternoon under an upturned wading pool, pretending to be a shy turtle.

Other Uses For Wading Pools

Over the years, I’ve used them to contain full-body sensory play–especially with infants and toddlers. The recipe is simple. Mix up some mud (or whatever) dump it into the pool, add some pots and pans and wooden spoons, and top it all off with a couple toddlers or mobile infants. It may not contain the entire mess since many toddlers decide they like to crawl in and out of the pool, but it does contain a lot of it–and serves as a great anchor point for the play.

I’ve also used wading pools as a containment unit for ramp play. Picture half a dozen preschoolers experimenting with ramps. In this case, the ramps are all aimed at a centrally located wading pool. This way, the balls, thread spools, cars, water, or whatever they’re sending down the ramp are easy to retrieve and re-ramp.

For a real good time, you can always add a properly attired pup to the wading pool play.

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