Anyone else got a three year old obsessed with running water / pipes / water features etc?

[TheRobberBride123]

I'm looking for inspiration for DS's birthday. He is obsessed with plumbing basically - the other night we took the lid off of the toilet cistern and he spent an hour watching it . He likes anything with running water and likes looking at pipes etc. I wanted to get him the Little Tikes Water Fountain www.argos.co.uk/product/6318899?istCompanyId=a74d8886-5df9-4baa-b776-166b3bf9111c&istFeedId=30f62ea9-9626-4cac-97c8-9ff3921f8558&istItemId=ipwxlarim&istBid=t&&cmpid=GS001&_$ja=tsid:59130%7cacid:289-152-2757%7ccid:599609992%7cagid:24126986217%7ctid:aud-637918675102:pla-1079432869632%7ccrid:94168542777%7cnw:g%7crnd:9281291635789802320%7cdvc:m%7cadp:%7cmt:%7cloc:1006644&utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=599609992&utm_term=&utm_content=shopping&utm_custom1=24126986217&utm_custom2=289-152-2757&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIq8G3896F8QIV05TVCh1Xlg-vEAQYAyABEgL-H_D_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds but the reviews are poor. Any ideas wise mumsnetters? Does anyone have a similarly obsessed DC and a water thing they love?

When my ds was young, we got him some lengths of guttering and plastic piping from B&Q and let him loose with the hose and paddling pool in the garden (supervised!). Instant joy for ages.

Watering can also GOOD. Also those sand/water toddler tables are very straightforward and provide fun for years.

There's a toy you used to be able to get that was a configurable waterway with boats. Not sure what it was called but it was EXCELLENT.

It was something like this - not exactly but close

www.selfridges.com/GB/en/cat/aquaplay-aqua-play-megabridge_R03636680/?cm_mmc=PLA--Google--KIDS-_-AQUAPLAY&POR=Y&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=na_na_pla-b_na_na_na_DOM_PLA-KIDS-TOYSHOP-SHOPTAILCSSTEST-W3&gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_eFBhDZARIsALHjIKdbFsNbfbty6H6v0-cWyGJHBGgNQl7aDaY9Vz1YtdYthaWE27VGO4AaAoPmEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

You can get a sink that you fill the base with water and it runs out of the tap, my 3 year DD loves it and is obsessed with water, I'll try and find a link

www.google.com/amp/s/amp.direct.asda.com/george/toys-character/kids-toys/pretend-play-toys/kid-connection-20-piece-sink-playset/050001193,default,pd.html

If you google kids water wall lots of ideas on pin interest and Google. Attaching pipes etc to a board so water will run down and be collected.

Dd is much the same. Will spend hours pouring water from one thing into another.

Oh my god when my ds was little he had the best present, I’ll see if I can find out what it was and send a link. It was brilliant, loads of different mechanisms that pushed and pulled water around a series of channels enabling a boat to travel around it. Can’t bloody remember what it was but I’m going to have a look.

Not a toy, but what about a solar powered little fountain? There are really cheap ones, but after lots of reviews, I got the :AISITIN Solar Fountain Pump 6.5W Panel from amazon for £32. Its 6.5W, and works for hours even on a cloudy day and after the sun goes down!

Mine is currently in a bird bath, but MIL has hers in a circular plastic pond surrounded by decorative stones.

Okay I can’t find the exact one he had but the brand was Aquaplay, on Amazon they have loads of different sets.
I recall it was quite stiff putting everything together but once it was done it was really water tight. Highly recommended!

I second buying plastic piping (see if there's anything cheap on trash nothing or FB rather than buy new) and let him build his own creations. Jugs, funnels, a couple of waterwheels, a tray for the water to end up in etc would be some good accessories to add. Have a look at 'water walls' on pinterest for inspiration.

I did exactly the same for DS with lengths of DIY pipes and tubes, watering cans, paddling pool plus plastic tumblers, lids, bottles etc. Hours and hours of filling and pouring. Some kids really like it.

The very very best thing of all ever though was to turn the hose on so he could hold it over himself. This was the biggest treat of all.

Another vote for Aquaplay. It's pricey (though I think I got second hand from eBay) but it was played with over and over.

Thanks all, so many great suggestions! I'm going to investigate Aquaplay, it sounds right up DS's street.