Sensory Play: Hot & Cold

This is a great activity for many reasons:  learn vocabulary "hot" and "cold", discover the difference between the two, and have a temperature sensory experience.  To be honest, the hot part of this activity isn't really hot, but more like quite warm, for obvious reasons.  Vocabulary ideas:  hot, warm, cozy, cold, cool, freezing, icy.

Things you need:  hot items and cold items.  I used gel-filled ice packs (they stay squishy when frozen) and rice-filled heat bags.  Use the ice packs straight from the freezer and warm the heat bags in the microwave.  Be careful not to get the heat bags too hot!



What to do:  Place your hot and cold items on the floor and let your little one explore.  It's as simple as that!  I've done this activity before with Olive, but the first time we did it, I just let her feel around for about 5 minutes.  After she had done some sensory exploring, I started talking with her.  "Oh, this is cold!  Is that one warm?  Ooohh, that feels nice and cozy!  Should we put the cold one on our feet?  Oh boy, it's freezing!" and so on.

Like with any sensory activity, try not to push them.  It's really all about exploring.  If they seem like they need help, you can guide them, but try to leave them to discover things on their own.  Even from the first time we did this, Olive chose - on her own - to step on the items and lay on them.

Feeling the cold

Feeling the hot/warm

Laying on the hot/warm

Laying on the cold

Everything still goes in the mouth!  Ay yai yai!

Pinterest Friday

I didn't spend a whole lot of time on Pinterest this week (shocker!), but what I did find was well worth it!  The best thing I pinned this week originated from an awesome preschool blog run by Teacher Tom.  His preschool class looks amazing!  Here's the idea from his class that I pinned:

Mixing Station

Basically, it's a table with a variety of containers filled with materials such as: corn starch, baking soda, flour, dirt, water, shaving cream, salt, vinegar, sand, etc.  Scooping utensils are provided and then the kids are set free to mix and pour to their hearts content.  In a preschool setting, this would allow kids to discover, on their own, what happens when certain things get mixed together - science at it's purest!  For my 17 month old, who is too little to understand those concepts, it's an excellent sensory activity with opportunities to practice scooping, pouring, balancing and all those fine motor skills.  Here's how it turned out for us!

The set up, or invitation: Tub with containers of flour, oats, water, rice, salt, baking soda, sprinkles,  and squeeze bottle of oil (mixed with a little blue food coloring for funsies).  I also set out a few empty containers and trays as well as put scoopers in each of the containers.

First exploring the materials.  Of course, she went for the sprinkles first.  I had to take them away eventually because it's all she wanted to do.  Otherwise, I basically just let her explore and find out on her own how she wanted to utilize the materials.  I did show her how to pick up a scooper and use it to get a material and then she took it from there.

Pouring some oatmeal into a coffee can.

She did a lot of pouring from one scooper to another scooper.  Great for working on those fine motor skills!

Practicing her balance and coordination skills as she attempts to move water from one bucket to another using a little scooper.  Again, I didn't tell her how to do this.  She explored and decided on her own.

Finding out what happens when water mixes with baking soda.

Squeezing out some oil.  I probably won't use this one next time.  I anticipated and was looking forward to a mess, but this just got all over and made things slippery and gross.

Eventually, she started to use her fingers to pick things up.  I was surprised by this because I thought she'd stick her fingers in the stuff right away, but it took her about 20 minutes.  All in all, she didn't really create a big mess.  I think as she gets a little older and really starts mixing things up, the mess will get more fun!  But, she had a lot of fun with this activity and I really enjoyed watching her little mind work.

Here are the rest of the awesome things I pinned this week that I have yet to do....but I'm working on it! :)

Contact Paper Play:
Tape contact paper sticky side up to a wall.  Provide things to stick on the contact paper.   Voila!

Sensory Discovery Bottles

Kid's wallet for busy play -
 Fill with pictures, business cards, pretend credit cards, etc. and have your kids use it to keep them busy at a restaurant or any time you're waiting!


The holidays are fast approaching so I probably won't have as much time to lollygag on Pinterest.  You know, family time and all! :)
Have a pinteresting weekend and keep pinning!

Sensory Play - The Cheap Way

As a teacher in my pre-mommy life, I became an expert out of making a lot out of a little.  With budget cuts and oversized classrooms, it became a challenge to do everything I wanted to do in the classroom without dipping too far into my personal bank account.  Like most teachers, I became a hoarder of things that, "Hmmmm, that looks interesting, I think I could find a way to use that later".  And you know what, I always did!  When free and super inexpensive things came along, you took them first and thought about how you'd use them later.
Now that I'm a full time mom, I still have that "teacher-hoarder" in me and honestly, I'm not ashamed to admit it!  I am starting to do a lot more sensory play with my 17 month old and I'm really working hard to keep everything cheap, cheap, cheap.  One way I do that is by shopping at my local Creative Reuse Depot.  Essentially, it's a store that has a bunch of leftovers, scraps, misprints, bits and pieces, and anything else that might otherwise be considered trash, but not to this frugal mom!  Here's what I bought on my last shopping trip where I spent a total of $9.50:

Most people might look at this and see trash, but I see sensory gold!  Old pill containers? Poke holes in the top, stick smelly things inside for a smelly fun experience.  Protein powder scoops? Scoopers for rice and water buckets.  Green and black tubes?  Screw to a piece of plywood and you have a fun water tube board.  Balloons ($0.02 a piece, by the way!)?  Fill with different liquids and foods and you have a touchy-feely texture experience.  Carpet and tile samples?  Well, those are just fun for a 17 month old to feel.   I haven't decided how I'm going to use the shower rod rings yet, but I'm thinking!

The best part about sensory play is that most people already have the items they need at home.  I went out and bought these items, but I bet most people would already have many of them.  All you have to do is spend a little time collecting.  My family members are starting to get in on the program, too.  When they go to throw something out, they'll usually come up to me first and ask, "Can you use this?"  (I'll usually say yes, even if I haven't really thought of a way to use it, because I know I will later!)

Are you interested in doing sensory play, the cheap way, too?  Here's a list of items that you might think twice about throwing away next time (or course, make sure you clean everything really well):

• Styrofoam trays (the kind with meat on them) - great to hold paint
• glass jars (like from applesauce, olives, etc.)
• plastic bottles
• old face makeup compacts with mirrors
• old blush brushes
• empty diaper boxes
• tin cans
• toilet paper and paper towel rolls
• plastic lidded lunch meat containers
• extra buttons that come with new clothes
• the baggies that those extra buttons come in
• egg cartons
• old magazines
• wine bottle corks
• yogurt/sour cream containers
• empty cleaning product spray bottles
• empty vitamin bottles
• empty oatmeal canister
• paint chip samples (free from hardware store)
• infant Tylenol/ibuprofen bottles with eyedroppers
• plastic diaper wipe containers with snap shut lid
• I'll expand this list as I think of more....If you have any ideas, leave a comment and I'll add it! :)

Trolling the Internet and some of my favorite blogs, I've found some great ideas to do sensory play REALLY inexpensively, using things you probably already have at home.  Click on the picture captions to take you to the original blog, post, or site!

Homemade Lightbox 

Smelling Cards

Tin Can Xylophone

Homemade Playdough

Clean Mud

Water Balloon Bathtime

Cave of Stars

If you find any other great, cheap sensory ideas, let me know!  And I'll be sure to add to this list as I find more ideas.  Have a sensorific day!

Water Play

Winter is fast approaching.  Even though I live in an area that doesn't experience true seasons, the number of warm sunny days will be starting to lessen.  I want to take advantage of those sunny, warm days before they are few and far between!  We had one of those such days recently and I had the idea to do some water play.  It's such a simple activity and I'm certainly not the first one to have thought of it.  But, we had such fun, I thought I'd share it with you!

Materials you need:  Large plastic bin, things from the kitchen - sponges, funnels, cups, watering cans, etc., and water.

Olive especially loved the sponges.  Here she is "picking up" water and letting it drip out of the sponges.

As always, she had to taste it.  I swear, it's as though she has no other senses sometimes and the only way to get to know something is by putting it in her mouth!  Let's just say she got her day's worth of liquid during this activity! :)

Pouring water into a cup.

Splash, splash, splash!  I like how the kitty watering can is looking at me like, "This is fun!   I like playing with the human child!"

My daughter (17 months) was definitely most interested in the sponges.  I think that for the next sunny day, I throw in some more sponges.  We also spent a little time "bathing" the kitty.  Olive thought it would be funny to bathe Mama, too.  :)  She entertained herself for at least 30 minutes, which I'm pretty sure is some kind of record.  I think next time I'll add some fabric pieces, tubes, and maybe some water balloons.  Looking forward to the next sunny day!

Pinterest Friday

Well, I haven't really had access to my computer all week because our power cord stopped working.  We had to order a new one and just got it in the mail today, so now I'm good to go!  What did that mean for me?  I realized how amazingly obsessed I am with the computer.  I found myself having withdrawals - that can't be good!
Computer issues aside, here's what I did from Pinterest this week.  Click on the picture caption to link to the original pin.
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Original Pin: Homemade Laundry Soap

I love this laundry soap!  It's amazing.  It's better for the environment, uses way less material, and is much, much cheaper than store-bought laundry soap.  I've made it two times now - just made my second batch tonight.  (I use it with my homemade dryer sheets!) I don't have any pictures of me making it because the blogger who did it originally did a great job of explaining and taking pictures.  Here's the link to her blog so you can have the recipe, too!  (It doesn't look like her blog is being updated anymore, but I want to make sure she gets credit.)

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Original Pin: Sensory Balloons

This idea came from the blog Play at Home Mom, a blog that I absolutely LOVE and gets tons of ideas from.  The moms who post on the blog are amazing and deserve all the credit.  Okay, all praise aside, I did this with my 17 month old today and she really enjoyed it.  Play at Home Mom did this with a 3 year old and has some great ideas for that age (I love how this activity can span many ages).  Working with a 17 month old is a little different.  Here's how it turned out for us:

Our balloon fillings -->
Top Row: avocado pieces, garbanzo beans, ketchup, couscous
Bottom Row: candy fruit belts, dry wagon wheel pasta, syrup, grapes
A note about the fillings..... The avocado and garbanzo beans had both gone bad and were going to get thrown away.    I say, why waste?  If you can't eat it, put it in a balloon and squeeze it! :)

Picking up the first balloon.  "Ooooohhh".

She had to feel all the balloons at least once and then went back twice to the ones she really liked.

It wouldn't be a normal activity in our house if it didn't go in her mouth.  Of course, she had to bite it.  

The ketchup and syrup were both cold from the fridge and she liked feeling the coldness on her head.

Squishing it down...Oh geez, please don't pop!

Listening to the sound of the wagon wheel pasta balloon.  

I squeezed the avocado balloon so she could see inside a little.  I wouldn't recommend this unless you have short nails.    The balloon popped seconds later. :(

Squeezing the wagon wheel pasta balloon to show her the shape inside.

I loved this sensory activity.  More importantly, Olive loved it, too.  If you're worried about the mess that might be created if a balloon pops, fill it with things that won't make as much of a mess such as:  fuzzy craft poms, any small shell dry pasta, cotton balls, water, dried beans, etc.  Have fun finding different textures for your little one to play with!