03/10/2026
The children have really enjoyed taking part in this colour and water exploration activity together. Having toddlers and preschool children learning alongside one another has provided valuable opportunities for shared learning, social interaction and developing confidence. Although the children were taking part in the same activity, each age group was able to explore it at their own level and focus on different areas of learning that were appropriate to their stage of development.
The preschool children particularly enjoyed experimenting with the different colours and discovering what happened when they mixed them together. They were encouraged to make predictions, observe the changes and talk about the new colours they created. This supported their curiosity, problem-solving skills and understanding of cause and effect. The children also enjoyed talking about their emotions during the activity, giving them opportunities to develop their emotional vocabulary and communicate how they were feeling. They practised taking turns when mixing the different coloured water, helping to develop their social skills, patience and understanding of sharing resources with others.
The toddlers approached the activity through sensory exploration and developing their physical skills. They particularly enjoyed filling and emptying the different containers, scooping the water and carefully tipping it into another container. These experiences supported their hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and understanding of quantity, movement and cause and effect. The toddlers were also encouraged to recognise and attempt to name the different colours they were using, supporting their language development and early understanding of colour.
Having the two age groups participate together created positive opportunities for children to learn from one another. The preschool children were able to demonstrate skills such as turn-taking, naming colours and explaining what they had discovered, while the toddlers were able to observe, copy and learn from the older children. At the same time, the preschool children benefited from developing their communication, confidence and social awareness by interacting with and supporting the younger children.
The activity demonstrated how one shared experience can provide different learning opportunities for children depending on their age and stage of development. The toddlers were able to focus on sensory exploration, physical development and early language, while the preschool children were able to extend their learning through experimentation, communication, problem-solving and emotional development. Learning together helped create a supportive environment where all the children could participate, explore and enjoy the experience in their own way.
