The Best Water Tables to Make Summertime STEAM Learning Excellent Fun

"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links."

Summertime means fun outdoors, and one of our favorite outdoor toys for kids is the water table. Water tables are a great, space-conscious toy that lets kids get some real sensory play in, as well as teaching them some valuable lessons about how water flows, the states of water, and more. They make a great birthday gift or a "thinking of you" gift from grandparents living far away.

Water tables introduce sensory play outdoors to young children in a way that is fun and controlled, much more so than say a swimming pool or splash pad. This type of sensory play, which focuses on an aspect of nature, has been shown to greatly promote early childhood development. But beyond that, water tables are just a great toy. While testing these water tables, I watched toddlers absolutely lose their crap (sometimes literally) when playing with these toys. They're made to be highly interactive, giving toddlers and young children the ability to go hog wild with how water moves, how it splashes, and how they can splash into it as well.

Best Water Tables

• Best Overall: Step2 Pump & Splash Water Table

• Best Budget: Little Tikes Build and Splash Water Table

• Best Basic Table: Little Tikes Waterfall Table

• Best Accessories: Step2 Showers Splash Pond Water Table

• Best Themed Set: Little Tikes Fish and Splash

What to Consider

That being said, these aren't a one-size-fits-all toy. There are a few things to think about when you're buying a water table. That is the space you have, the age of your kids, and how long your outdoor play season is.

• Space: Water tables are by and large not huge, but there are some that are definitely on the bigger side. There are also some water tables with elements that are pretty tall, so the youngest kids may not be able to access all of the play areas of that particular water table.

• Age: Most of the water tables you'll find are made for kids starting at about 1 year old and up to about 5 years old. That being said, I have found that the taller tables are best for kids over age 2 and up to about age 6.

• Outdoor Play Season: Water tables are generally not that pricey, averaging about $75 per table. There are some water tables that are much pricier, and those make sense if you live somewhere kids can play outdoors in the water for more than the three or four months of play time we get here in the Northeast.

How We Chose

Every table on this list has been tested by our editorial team or our group of parent testers in real life, using real kids. We put them together, filled them up, and watched the kids play. We chose based on how much kids liked them, their seeming durability, their style, how much they cost and their value, and how long they kept the kids engaged and playing. We tested them in different climates and under different weather conditions, leaving them outdoors to take a beating when Mother Nature decided to do her worst. This included a hail storm, lots of thunderstorms, 100°+ heat, and one really random snowstorm. (Two of these events happened in the same town in Colorado.)

Check out our favorite water tables below, which are truly the cream of the crop in today's crowded market.

Pump & Splash Discovery Pond Water Table

This water table is hands-down the best reviewed amongst the bunch. It's incredibly interactive with a pump and falling water buckets, a trough that spills onto a water wheel, a rectangular bucket sieve, and a bunch of accessories.

It's also decidedly kid-sized but for a range of sizes. The littlest ones can play with the buckets and little pool (highly supervised) at the bottom of the water table, and the older kids can enjoy the pump and trough and all of the delights that they'll find at the top of the water table. It's not going to be something that they get bored with quickly.

In fact, our testers said that their kids play with this water table or an hour at a time or more, making it almost as consuming as a swing set. On top of that, our testers have had this water table for a couple of years now, and not only are their kids not sick of it, it's still in great condition.

Remember when I mentioned above that one of the water tables saw both a hail storm and a weird late-spring snowstorm? This was it, and while it certainly took some damage, it's still in darn fine shape.

Build & Splash Water Table

The Build and Splash water table from Little Tikes is new for this year, and we loved it. It's the perfect size for taking in and out of a backyard or off a balcony, or even to and from Grammy's house.

It's extremely reasonably-priced, but it doesn't skimp on activities or fun. It takes the concept of brick building blocks and turns it into a fun water set with hollow areas for pouring water and little pitchers for dumping water into those hollow spaces.

This was a cinch to assemble and it comes apart just as easily. The whole thing fits neatly into a clear recycling bag for transport.

Kids Waterfall Island Water Activity Play Table Set

A step up from our best budget pick, the Waterfall Island playset is a pure delight of simple pleasures. It has a basic waterfall tower over the meandering poll, but also adorable little palm trees, a bucket mechanism, and more foliage. Personally, we love to fill this one with water and a few drops of baby-safe food color to the table and color the water because it's silly and goofy, and the kids are playing in their diapers anyway, so why not make the water green and call it a "lagoon?"

It sets up fast and comes apart quickly, so there's no need to leave it out for any length of time between plays.

Showers Splash Pond Toddler Water Table

What our testers adored about this water table from Step2 is the accessories that it comes with. This, arguably, is where they shine. It comes with a duck, water wheel, buckets, pour cups, and more. The water table itself holds 5 gallons of water, which is just enough to hold the table down and steady, but not so much that it's impossible to fill without a hose.

It's rigid and durable and will last you many seasons, as it has for our tester. They've used it in the rain, with water, and apparently, even in the snow. (They live in way upstate New York). It's proven to be reliable for the kids and durable for the adults, not once getting too gross thanks to routine cleaning and allowing it to dry out entirely every so often.

Fish 'n Splash Water Table

If you need something on the smaller and lighter side, but you still want it to be fun and engaging, look no further than the Fish and Splash water table from Little Tikes. It's just over 11 pounds and under 30 inches across.

It's so cute with its fishing pole, cups, fish to catch, and waterfall. Kids play for hours trying to catch their fish and splash their friends and siblings. Parents love that it's both economical in cost and in space.

It's not as durable as some of the others on this list, so I wouldn't get it if you live somewhere with a long warm season, because it will show its wear after a few seasons. However, for most places? This is a great choice.

Waterpark Wonders Two-Tier Kids Water Table

Did someone say "built-in storage?" Oh yes, my friends. Not only is this a two-tier water table with a ton of accessories, but this bad boy's basin slides beneath the tabletop portion to hide away all of those accessories when it's ready to be put away.

Our testers loved the pump and waterfalls, especially all the water that's collected in the basin at the bottom, using it as both a splash zone and a traditional water table. It's a fairly big basin, so this is definitely one of the water tables that requires a much greater level of supervision. However, we think it's totally worth it.

Parents did note that because of the basin and the way the basin stores, it will kill the grass beneath it, so it's best to either put it in a place you don't care about, or give it a base. That dead grass area can and does lead to a muddy area, especially if you use the added sprinkler attachment.

Step2 Spill & Splash Seaway Water Table

As someone who was born virtually see-through, I appreciate something with a little shade, and so do many of the kids I know. Step2 brings shade into the picture with their Spill and Splash Seaway table. It's got a generously sized umbrella to go along with the two basins of play, waterfall spillover, and multiple accessories.

When I was putting this together, I will admit that I had some less-than-honorable moments of swearing trying to fit the pieces together, but in the end, it didn't take me longer than a few minutes once I actually picked up and looked at the directions.

Kids love that this set seems to be at just the right height for the 2 to 5-year-old set, with nothing too difficult to reach or too low for fun.

Water Table and Sand Table

If you're looking for something super sturdy with a bit more sophisticated water play (and even sand!), the Avenlur water table is where it's at.

It's a complex system of teeter-tottering waterfalls with water wheels and multiple basins of play. Since it's designed to be used with either water or sand, it makes for a more well-rounded play experience. However, while it is advertised as indoor or outdoor use, the only way I would use this indoors is if it was in my garage or possibly my mother-in-law's house as an act of revenge.

That being said, it's darn durable given that it's made of kiln-dried hardwood and vinyl, but that comes at a price — both of the dollar sort and of the how long it takes to build sort. It's kind of a pain to build, and you will likely curse the day you had children, but when it's put together it's so dang cool you'll momentarily forget about the pain of assembly.

You Might Also Like

• The Paris Hilton Housewares Collection Brings ‘That’s Hot’ Energy to Your Kitchen

• 16 Best Noise-Canceling Headphones Perfect for Rocking Out in Quiet Bliss

• Beyoncé Uses This $26 Amazon Product for Her Glossy Blonde Hair