This Simple Summer STEAM Activity Will Keep Your Little Learners Busy for Hours

If you’re looking for a summer STEAM activity that’s easy to set up, uses materials you probably already have, and keeps little hands busy for a surprisingly long time, let us introduce you to the water wall.

What Is a Water Wall?

A water wall is an outdoor water play setup where children control the direction water flows down a vertical surface. Think pool noodles, funnels, and tape on a fence or wall— and a whole lot of pouring, problem-solving, and experimenting.

It’s the kind of activity that looks simple but is packed with real learning.

Why We Love It for STEAM

Here’s the STEAM question we start with: Can you make water flow down a wall?

That one question opens the door to so much exploration. Your little learners get to decide where to place the noodles and funnels, figure out how to direct the water from one point to another, and test what happens when they rearrange things. They’re engineering, experimenting, and problem-solving all at once — and they think they’re just playing with water.

Water walls naturally touch every part of STEAM — science, technology, engineering, art, and math — all from one activity, one afternoon, and a few materials from your garage. Inside the Member Lab, we break down exactly how to guide your little learners through each of those connections with specific questions and extensions that deepen the learning.

What You’ll Need to Get Started

The setup is simple. You need a fence or sturdy outdoor wall, something to catch the water at the bottom (a plastic bin or water table works great), pool noodles, funnels, tape, and a water bottle or cup for pouring. That’s it. No special supplies, no trip to the store.

Want the Full Lesson?

We just shared the materials and the idea, but there’s more to this activity than what you see here. Inside the Preschool STEAM Member Lab, you’ll find the complete Engineer a Water Wall lesson with the full teaching strategy, guided STEAM questions for each domain, extension ideas, and tips for making the most of the experience.

This lesson is part of our brand-new Summer Explorers Play Guide — a full month of play-based STEAM activities covering four summer themes: Water Play Adventures, Beach and Ocean Discovery, Bugs and Nature Up Close, and Bubbles. That’s 16 ready-to-go lessons, book recommendations, video links, and a Moment of Wonder for each week, all organized and waiting for you.