“Happiness means quiet nerves.” ~W.C Fields
There comes a time in every childcare giver’s day when they just need some peace and quiet. Am I right?
Of course I’m right.
But the thing we sometimes forget, is that the children in our care need peace and quiet just as much. Their little minds are working overtime all day long, learning and discovering, assimilating, and adapting in this loud, fast-spinning world they live in. When this all becomes too much, they are affected just as we are…and though they may not know how to ask for it, they just need calm.
When I need calming down, my favourite place to go is straight into a hot bathtub…with my lavender soap and my lavender bath oils. I love lavender. It is the smell of relaxation and comfort.
I wanted to re-create this calming “bath time ritual” with the smalls, but you just can’t have a bath at day care. So I had to compromise. I filled the water table with warm water. I dropped about 20 drops of the lovely doTerra lavender essential oil (gifted to me by one of my lovely readers) into the water, along with drops of blue and red food colouring, and let the smalls swirls them about until the water was purple and the lavender scent was filling the air. *Please note that the pure lavender essential oil is perfectly safe if ingested…this means even the smallest smalls can play without a worry.
Once the water was all nice and “purply”, I gave the girls some clear plastic tubs, some scoops, a jar full of dried lavender blooms (also safe to eat), and assorted purple toys from our playroom that I thought might be interesting for the girls to experiment with, including squares of purple cellophane. These turned out to be their favourite, the sun shone through them so nicely, making them even more purple…
The girls played in that water until it got cold. I added some more hot water, and they played some more.
They scooped and poured…
They mixed and stirred…
And they filled their jars right to the brim…
In the end, we all calmed down. The playroom smelled like the Aveda spa. The warm, scented water had soothed their spirits. The smalls were happy.
And quiet.
Thanks for stopping by!
~Arlee, Small Potatoes
Small Potatoes 
Too funny to read this right now–we just came in from a cold walk through freezing puddles. When we got back, we stripped off socks and sat in a circle of chairs, feet in a bin of warm water with lavender oil. Great teachers think alike!l
Awesome!!! That’s a perfect way to finish off a chilly walk! I’m going to remember that! 🙂
What an awesome idea Arlee! One question.. Does the food coloring leave stains on clothes or skin to be concerned about?
I need to try this!!
Char
Char, it does not stain their skin… it’s so diluted. Clothes, if they are white or light-coloured, maybe…but I insist on aprons or smocks during water play, so that’s never a concern. Have fun!!! xo
Sounds wonderful. Next time. Can i join in?
x
That looks so beautiful and peaceful!
Thanks for sharing. The children seem pleased, and enjoying their activity. Is it easy, and not hard getting their hands cleaned? Mtetar
The water didn’t stain their hands, it was too diluted. I kept a towel hanging close by so they could dry their hands and move on to another activity. Not hard at all.
Thanks for the rapid reply. I’m going to try the activity my granddaughter loves purple. Thanks so much for sharing all your great ideas. http://projectsbyMtetar.wordpress.com
I love your blog and you even more now that I know you use doTERRA E. Oils!!!! It is the best oil in the world!!!! You have such wonderful Ideas and it is a blessing to get your posts.
Thank you for this post! I had forgotten about an old habit of putting lavender oil in hot water as I got ready for bed – it helps me sleep, and you reminded me to try it again last night. Now my room smells delicious and I had a good night’s sleep.
Do you have any handy tips for motivating the kids to pour water in and over the water table instead of onto the floor. I haven’t tried a water table inside, but my kids love water play in our bathtub and once they start pouring water onto the floor I can’t get them to stop and bath time has to end. Thoughts?
We have very specific rules at water play time…”hands stay over the table at all times” is one of them. Children are given a chance after the first “mistake” or “accident”…If they’ve used up their chance, they can’t continue playing if they break the rule again. It’s that simple. Good luck!!
I just adore this idea. Maybe I need to go get some lavender now =) I’m really enjoying reading through your blog, by the way! It’s just what I need to put a little sweetness into my day.
Wow, Arlee!! This is INCREDIBLE!! I want to get a water play table now just so we can do this!! I just love your blog and your creativity. Thank you for the inspiration!! xoxo
In addition to Monday Kid Corner Weekly Linky Party, this week’s theme is WATER. Brush off those archives and link them up at thejennyevolution.com. See you there! Jennifer
This is a stunning idea….love it!
I almost fell asleep while looking at the calm relaxed looks on the faces of these tots. Thank you for sharing alk these ideas with us. I am inspired to press on and create a space and place that my little friends can grow and happily thrive in.
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