Ok so this one started as a "let's see if this works" idea that mulled around my head for weeks until I remembered to go and buy the things I needed, then it ended up being one of my favourite sensory play setups we've done.

The lemons that weren't really lemons

I picked up 3 big sponges from the car care section (yep, the ones meant for washing your car (not that my car knows what that concept is) and cut them into rough half-lemon shapes. I drew some segments on them with a marker (not necessary tbh) then popped them in a big tray of water that I dyed yellow with food colouring. The spongey lemons soaked up the yellow water, meaning they could be 'squeezed' on a lemon squeezer. That's how the kids made lemonade!! 

From there, I basically got carried away and turned into a full lemonade stand: ice cubes to add in with tongs, leaves from the garden for 'mint' garnish, and cups lined up ready to serve. 

Then I got even more carried away and designed a menu, loyalty cards, play money and a whole load of other printable decorations to set up a full play scene.

You really don't need all of this

Let's be real  - none of the extra bits are actually necessary. A lemonade stand at home can just as easily be a jug of water, some cups, and whatever containers you've got in the kitchen cupboard. Kids don't need realistic lemons or a garnish to enjoy this kind of play. They mostly just want to tip, pour and pretend to make you a drink. The sponge lemons were a fun add-on, not a requirement, so don't be deterred from playing pretend lemonade stands because you think you need to print out a whole load of stuff and buy sponges. That's not the case - that's just my ADHD brain getting carried away with an idea!

Why this kind of play is doing more than you'd think

Play is never just play! Kids learn so much from this stuff:

• Language development: taking an order, describing what's in the drink, saying "here you go" or "would you like ice with that?" All of this builds vocabulary and back-and-forth conversation skills.
• Social skills: learning how a shop interaction works: asking for something, waiting your turn, saying thank you, and serving someone else rather than just yourself.
• Life skills:  pouring, scooping, squeezing, and general hand-eye coordination that comes from all that fine motor work. I LOVE adding tongs to play.
• Connection:  Join in! It's super cute to see them get excited pretending to be a shop keeper. I joined in as a customer at first, ordering my "drink" and modelling the kind of language they could use. I then swapped places and became the shop keeper for a bit to model that language too. Once they'd heard it a few times, they didn't need me anymore - they moved on to serving their toys instead and I cleaned my kitchen!

A quick note on water play indoors

If you're hesitating to do water play inside because of the mess - we've got you! Put down one of our messy mats! They absorb the splashes but have a waterproof layer underneath, so nothing gets through to the carpet. It meant I could relax and let them get properly stuck in in the lounge without worrying about the aftermath. I popped the whole thing on the towel rail later to dry off - easy. 

Free download for your own lemonade stand

If you want to add all the extras that I did - download the free printable here.

I'd love for you to tag me on instagram and TikTok @zaziplays if you try it! Remember, a jug of water and some cups will get you 90% of the way there.