The Delight of Splashing – Best Water Table for Toddlers to Stay Playfully Busy on Your Patio

We continue this year’s gift guides with a toy that gets a ton of play and can last into the preschool years – here are the best water tables for toddlers!

Toddlers absolutely love playing with water. They’re happy to spend an entire day near the pool or on the beach enjoying all sorts of activities. Buying a water table for your toddler can bring those activities to your backyard.

This article will help you decide which is the best water table for toddlers. Kids water tables (and water and sand tables) are a great way to incorporate sensory play and keep toddlers engaged and exploring.

Best Water Table for Toddlers Reviews

Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Waterpark Play Table

Besides having an interesting design that toddlers will enjoy, this water table offers features that can help your youngster develop their motor skills.

Your toddler can drop the rubber balls and toys down the spiral and watch them make a splash into the small water table pool. They can also turn the Ferris wheel to scoop out the balls or drop them off again.

This kids water table features a twin water wheel that your toddler can power by pouring water. There’s also a water cup included, as well as five round toys that absorb and squirt water.

The Little Tikes Spiralin’ Seas Waterpark Play Table weighs 10 lbs. and its size is 29.00’’L x 29.00’’W x 31.50’’H. It can hold up to 7 gallons of water.

Pros

• Holds up to 7 gallons of water
• Ferris Wheel
• The right height for toddlers
• Extra toys
• Good price for value

Cons

• Some of the balls might be difficult for your toddler to squeeze
• Leaks are possible

Step2 Rain Showers Splash Water Table

Everyone loves pool parties, and that includes toddlers. This water table is big enough for several kids to play at once (39 x 24 x 32 inches), so your kid can have fun water park adventures with all their friends.

All that you have to do is set up the water table, fill it with water, and let your toddler do the rest. You shouldn’t have problems installing the Step2 Rain Shower Splash Water Table, as the instruction manual is clear and engaging.

It’s worth mentioning the rain shower feature, which allows your toddler to create a rainfall effect by simply pouring some water into the top tier. Admittedly, this doesn’t last long, and your kid might get bored with it fairly soon. But in that case, they can turn their attention to the water maze. Your toddler can rearrange the pieces of the water maze to control the waterfall.

Best of all, the water table comes with a 13-piece accessory pack. This includes two small buckets, one large bucket, two ramps, three spinners, one cattail scoop, one rubber duck, two squirt toys, and one springboard flipper.

To ensure that water doesn’t leak, the manufacturers have added an improved drain plug.

Pros

• Water maze feature
• 13-piece accessory pack
• Improved drain plug
• Big enough for several toddlers to play at once

Cons

• The rainfall effect doesn’t last long and needs constant refills

Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship

If your toddler is obsessed with pirates, you can help them become one. All you need is the Little Tikes Anchors Away Pirate Ship water table.

This toddler-sized pirate ship is 40 x 29 x 38 inches in size. It’s loaded with amazing accessories, so your little Blackbeard or Anne Bonny can come up with a new adventure every day.

There are two pirate characters (one of them gets a life preserver), plus a scooper, a squirting shark, a strainer, and a bucket. The manufacturers have also added a water cannon your kid can use to aim and squirt water. There’s a steering wheel, and when it’s time to stop in the middle of the sea and look for lost treasure, your toddler can crank the handle and lower the anchors.

The interactive spinning features are a massive upside. Simply pour the water on the top tier and watch everything spin.

Pros

• Pirate-themed
• Lots of spinning features
• Lots of pirate toys
• Interactive water cannon and anchors

Cons

• The package might miss a few assembly screws

Water Tables with Umbrellas:

Step2 All Around Playtime Patio with Canopy Playhouse

This awesome patio playhouse is a water table, sand table, and pretend play kitchen all in one. It features an open design covered by a canopy so that kids can play together. The open space in the middle gives this a fort-like feel encouraging toddlers to play house, pretend they own a restaurant or live in a castle. It’s a sand and water table with years of play potential.

Pros:

• Large space so multiple kids can play
• Features sand and water play
• Comes with water and sand toys and a few grill items
• Good for toddlers and preschoolers
• Easy to assemble

Cons:

• Sink has no drain so can be annoying to clean
• Top to the sections don’t fit very tightly, can blow off in the wind
• Does not include the play food

Step2 Water Table with Umbrella

The Step2 Water Table with Umbrella is one of the few water tables that offer sunlight protection. It comes with a big removable umbrella that you can easily set up to create shade for your kid to play in.

It features a large play table with two sides. One side is designed for sand, while the other one holds the water. The sand side of the table can hold up to 20 lbs. of sand, and the water side can hold up to 1.5 gallons of water.

Once your child’s playtime is over, you can easily drain the water by using the drain plug. This water table includes an 8-piece accessory set (two boats, two bridges, two buckets, one shovel, and an umbrella).

You can strap down the water table to make sure it’s safe from bad weather and animals. This water table is 26 x 46.5 x 20.8 inches in size.

Pros

• Umbrella included
• 8-piece accessory set
• One sand and one water side
• Elastic straps for security

Cons

• Table legs could leak
• A bit pricy

Step2 Splish Splash Seas Water Table

The Step2 Splish Splash Seas Water Table is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 5. It features a removable umbrella and 10 interesting accessories your toddler can play with.

One of them is the nifty island lagoon that your youngster can fill up with water. Besides that, there are several water toys and slides. The play figures can easily fit the slides and create a powerful splash in the diving pool.

The whirlpool spinner can be used to create wild whirlpools. Once the fun is over, you can drain all the water in a matter of seconds using the easy-open drain plug.

The Step2 Splish Splash Seas Water Table is big enough for several toddlers to play (27 x 42.2 x 30 inches).

Pros

• Umbrella included
• 10 interesting accessories
• Several toddlers can play together
• Easy-open drain plug

Cons

• Difficult to assemble

Little Tikes Fountain Factory Water Table

If you are interested in STEM hands-on learning for your toddler, then this is definitely the water table to consider. This water table can hold up to 7 gallons of water and comes with several different pieces so that your toddler can make endless combinations with all of the included interchangeable parts.

It comes complete with 13 interchangeable pipes, fittings, and faucets, as well as three accessories, including a boat, a water cup, and a funnel to help pour water.

Pros

• Inspires kids to create endless combinations
• You can create splashing fountains by pumping the water
• Provides STEM hands-on learning
• Encourages fine motor skills
• Teaches critical thinking, logic, and scientific learning
• Builds an interest in engineering through play

Cons

• Assembly may take some time due to all its parts

Why Purchase a Water Table for Your Toddler?

Kids water tables are big enough to accommodate more than one child at a time, so your child's friends or even siblings can have lots of fun splashing in the water together. It allows your toddler to build their communication skills with the other children and also develop social skills while being naturally playful.

Water play also helps your child develop their problem-solving skills while encouraging them to explore and learn more about the mechanics of water and how it flows and pours. Many water tables also come equipped with moving parts, so they can also work on their hand-eye coordination as well!

A Few Points to Remember

We all know how a toddler can get when put in front of water. With that being said, a water activity play table is definitely a toy for your toddler that is best suited for outdoor play. Many of these water tables also require some assembly before they can be used.

To prevent any leakages, you need to make sure to follow the assembly instructions to make sure everything is properly plugged in.

If the water table has a spinning wheel or other fun accessories like this, then the water capacity of the table will likely need to be at full capacity for the accessories to work properly.

You may also want to find a water table with a drainage hole to make it easier to empty and clean. However, with a drainage hole also comes the possibility of a leak sometime down the road.

Cleaning Your Water Table

To keep mold and mildew out of your child's plastic water table and to keep it safe for playtime, you want to know the proper way to clean it out. If you don't clean the water table regularly, you will begin noticing a buildup of icky gunk.

Remember, your toddler will probably try to drink the water or put the toys in their mouth at some point, so you want this to be clean. Kids love to test their boundaries, remember?

A spray bottle with white vinegar, Dawn Dish Soap, and water is an easy and effective way to clean the water table if it just needs a wipe down from the dirt.

If there is mold, then you will need a bleach solution to kill the mold in your activity play table. Make sure to follow the instructions when using bleach. Let the bleach solution sit and then drain the table and allow it to air dry. The best way to prevent future mold and mildew growth is to drain the water table after each use.

What a Table!

Why not surprise your little one with their own personal beach or pirate ship? This addition to your patio will delight your tot and keep them happily entertained with water play while encouraging the child's development.

The best water table for toddlers is versatile, safe, and durable enough for daily use. All the models on our list fit that description, so you won’t make a mistake whichever one you choose. Introducing a sand and water table gives them the opportunity to make sand castles, pour water, and further improve their skills with one activity play table that has everything!

This article contains Amazon affiliate links to related products. Should you purchase through one Bounceback Parenting will receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

Related fun for Toddlers:

• Toddler Years Bucket List
• Best Outdoor Play Toys for Toddlers
• Fun Water Toys for Toddlers