This No-Frills Water Table Keeps My Toddler Entertained For Hours

Dear Water Table,

When a good friend suggested I buy you for my 15-month-old daughter, I was overwhelmed at the options. Gizmos, sun-shielding umbrellas, sand compartments — the splash zones and add-ons were seemingly endless. So I went with something simple, unsure whether or not my daughter would engage long enough to, well, warrant your presence. Not that I have anything against you, per se. It's just that I don't like accumulating so many primary-colored plastic behemoths that only get used for short periods of time.

So I went with one of your simpler models. The Step2 Water Table ($35, originally $40). It took me minutes to assemble you, and even less to fill you with water.

Step2 Water Table

From

$35

$35 at Walmart

If I use time spent engaging with you as a measure of success, then you knocked it out of the park. You see, my daughter isn't one for sitting still. She is always on the move, which makes watching her exhausting because it means I'm always on the move, too. But you've given me hours of time to just sit and do nothing, which is my favorite pastime. Just this weekend, my daughter spent a full hour just seeing if she could get her left foot into your pool while still standing with the other one on the ground. It was adorable to watch, and it required nothing from me other than monitoring her safety and keeping her protected from the sun.

If this is any indication of how our Summer might look, I have you to thank.

Yours,
A Seated Parent