Copyrighted Material the strength it needs to stand up to heavy use. 11. Now use your drill to make a series of V-inch holes along the underside of the 5-foot cross section. Start with about eight evenly spaced holes. 12. Attach the hose and see how it works. If the water seems to be exiting the holes under too much pressure, turn down the water or add a few more holes. 13. To play, introduce children to the car wash and supervise the fun. We promise you will not need to explain how to use this piece of equipment. Storage In the off season, store this project in a corner of the garage. It can also be stored under a deck or left outside since it is completely weatherproof. What’s Learned Children will learn the same things they learned with the last water play project: cause-and-effect relationships, fluid dynamics (how water acts), and logical thinking, along with the motor skills and social skills that come with such activities. This is a wonderful sensory activity as well. They will also learn that cool water feels wonderful on their hot skin during a sunny afternoon. Variations Introduce play money or car wash tokens so drivers can “pay” for their car wash. Add some buckets, rags, and sponges for more water fun. Squirt a bit of dish soap into the structure before connecting the hose to add some suds to the fun. Holes can be placed along the top or sides of the horizontal pipe for a different effect. Have children plug holes with their fingers and see what happens. Add a hole or two to the 4-foot uprights so the water comes out horizontally as well as vertically. Use the faucet to vary the water pressure. You can make it drip or spray from the holes depending on the faucet setting. Activities—Learning Equipment to Build Copyrighted Material 197