For some quick and easy, holiday inspired play, I whipped up some peppermint scented Candy Cane Playdough. The whole activity took me about 10 minutes or less to set up (including making the playdough from scratch) and kept the kids busy for well over an hour. And, being playdough, they've been back using it every other day this week. (Although, it's more a pink coloured playdough now.)

Ages: 2+

Skills: Creativity, fine-motor, language, sensory, etc.

To make our Peppermint Scented Candy Cane Playdough I made a batch of our no-cook playdough. (Takes about 4 minutes to make)

I then divided the mix into two and coloured one half red (using red food gel colouring) and left the other half plain so that it would be white.

To the mixture I also added some Peppermint Extract to give it a candy-cane scent. Extract is meant for flavouring more than the smell so it's not super strong but safe if a small amount is consumed. For a stronger scent that will last longer I would recommend using Peppermint Oil. (I used the extract as that's what I already had in the pantry)

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My kids love messy play! A lot of the art and sensory play that we do involves a certain amount of mess, (perhaps that's part of what makes it so fun?).

One of my daughter's favourite sensory activities, that she first played with at preschool, was Soap Slime. 

Now, this is definitely messy play, but it's made from soap, so it must be clean, messy play, right? Well, sort of. It depends on the colouring. 

Since the lesson we learnt making cornflour slime, I have been hesitant to use food colouring in their messy play but hey, we won't know until we give it a try, right? 

What better way to test than with Rainbow Soap Slime.

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Last Easter, I bought a whole lot of little chicks in different colours to use for an activity. (I actually bought them after Easter when the price was reduced and shops were trying to get rid of all their Easter stock. For some reason I packed them away and completely forgot about them until we started approaching this Easter and I saw them in the shops again).

As I couldn't remember the originally activity I'd had in mind, I decided to create a simple Invitation to Play with the chicks and some sensory materials. This activity was open ended so that it allowed for creative, imaginative play for both my 2 year old toddler and 5 year old.

We used the activity to further language skills, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, sorting, counting, colours, classifying, story telling, model making and more.

Ages: 12 months+

(See the handy tips at the bottom for ideas to suit your child's needs)

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Welcome back to TUESDAY TOTS

Brought to you weekly by Learn with Play at home (that's us), Rainy Day Mum,
and One Perfect Day

This week we are showcasing

"10 simple Sensory Play ideas"

Currently, my son (aged 2) is completely mesmerized by sensory play. He is particularly interested in the sense of touch and the squidgier and squashier (and messier) it is, the more he enjoys it! Sensory play isn't just all messy play though. It includes activities that allow children to explore through their senses, including sight, feel, smell, sound and taste. It is through sensory play that children learn and discover more about the world around them. Here are a collection of 10 simple ideas from last week's linkup, that cover various senses and use materials that most of us have easy access to. 

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My toddler is really into sensory play at the moment. At this stage in his development, I find that this type of play is likely to hold his attention for longer than many of the ways we play.

The other day I was desperate to get a little bit of necessary paperwork completed and wanted something that would keep him independently occupied next to me without needing much input from me, for as long as we could manage. I knew my best chances would be something sensory but I didn't have the time for preparations and I didn't want something that was going to create a large mess.

Here's what we ended up with. An Invitation to Play with shaving foam, rocks and water. Cleaning rocks!

Age: 18 months+

(N has just turned 2. See the bottom for Handy Tips to simplify or extend for your child)

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My toddler, like many, has a real fascination with water and will happily play with anything involving water for quite some time. Water play is fabulous when the weather is hot and especially when you can get outside, but living in Melbourne, Australia, this is certainly not the case all the time so I have to come up with ways that we can still play and investigate with water, whilst inside, without making a huge mess!

Here is a fun sensory Invitation to Play with water inside that encourages skills such as pouring, transferring and scooping whilst investigating size, depth, width, absorbency, capacity and more.

Ages: 12 months +

(N is currently 22 months old here. See the handy tips at the bottom to Simplify and Extend to suit your child's needs) 

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Here are 2 simple games for children to help practice Letter Recognition and Handwriting.

Adding the sensory element of salt and presenting it as "game" gives this basic and necessary skill practice a different dimension and that fun and interest level that entices children to want to have a go!

Ages: 3+

(See the Handy Tips at the bottom for ideas to Simplify or Extend to meet your child's needs)

Upper Case/Lower Case Writing Challenge

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Play dough is a staple material for play at our house and as we use it very often, it's much more economical to make it ourselves then to buy it. 

We have tried many, many different play dough recipes over the years but our favourite, and the one we always came back to was this no-cook recipe from the Imagination Tree. They have a secret ingredient they add for extra shine so be sure to check it out. 

We've modified the method slightly over time to make it so super easy that the kids could make it with you.

With playdough this soft, silky, quick and easy to make, you'll never need to buy playdough again.

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To help my daughter (aged 4) practice writing her name, I thought I'd give her a fun sensory experience to entice her to want to learn. It was a huge success and one of the few activities she has pleaded with me on more than one occasion, to repeat. As a result, I changed the experience slightly each time so now we can share with you, 3 different ways that you could make your "Chocolate" Name!

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Welcome to TUESDAY TOTS 

This Week:

Learn with Play at home is featuring

Sensory Play Ideas

from last weeks Tuesday Tots linkup

(if you missed it, we featured 5 ideas for Learning with Play)

FEATURED

We love sensory play. It's a fabulous way for children to learn more about the environment around them while connecting with their senses. 
We found a whole bunch of super fun Sensory Play Ideas on last weeks Tuesday Tots and just had to share them with you.

9 Simple Sensory Play Ideas by Picklebums

The ABCs of Sensory Play by Creative Playhouse

Things to do with Spaghetti and Kids by Making Boys Men

3 Ocean Themed Sensory Bins by Learning and Growing the Piwi Way

Alphabet Sensory Activity by Creative Learning Fun

Number Button Sensory Bin by 3 Dinosaurs

Exploring Marshmallows with the 5 Senses by Fantastic Fun and Learning

Rainbow Noodles by Miss Courtney meets Bobo

Congratulations if you were featured!  Feel free to grab a featured button.

Here are a few sensory play ideas for you to browse from us.

(Click on the picture to take you to the post)

   

    

If you enjoyed this post, please spare a second to give me a vote in the "TOP 25 Creative Moms". 

Just click the badge below and click "vote" on Learn with Play at home. Thanks!

-----------------------------------

Here is your chance to link up your posts for children 5 and under. 

Remember to check back on all the great ideas that are linked up weekly by Kid Bloggers worldwide.

Who knows, perhaps next week you will be featured.

(please read the guidelines before linking up)

Happy playing,

Debs :)

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This post is sponsored by Nuffnang.

We've just hit Summer here in Australia and it's a glorious time of year for getting outside. The days are warmer and it doesn't get dark till much later, meaning you and the kids can enjoy the great outdoors for longer!

Here's a fun way that we're beating the heat this summer, with our very own 

"Shivery Snow"

To make this fun sensory snow tub, follow the easy directions below. 

Note: To ensure it was super shivery, I prepared it the night before.

How to make "Shivery Snow"

Step 1: To make "Shivery Snow" simply follow the easy instructions to make this Cloud Dough (8 cups of plain flour to 1 cup of oil), ensuring to use the vegetable oil instead of scented baby oil. 

Step 2: Once you've made the basic Cloud Dough, add a sprinkling of cinnamon or some peppermint essence for a Christmas Scent and a good shake of silver glitter

Step 3: Put your "snow" in the freezer for a couple of hours or overnight to make it Shivery!

Step 4: When you're ready to play, put your "Shivery Snow" in a tub, throw on some ice cubes, sprinkle over some more silver glitter and add any little Christmas-y touches for some imaginative play.

Touching it for the first time

I added some Pipe-cleaner Candy Canes, Christmas baubles, mini pretend presents, a small Christmas tree and some extra pipe-cleaners. 

Shivery Snow smells great, feels cold and silky but doesn't melt like real snow

It is moldable but you need to be gentle. Why not build a snowman?

You should check out this cool "shivery slime" from Growing a Jeweled Rose

I LOVE getting the kids outside, and during Summer, thanks to extended daylight I can keep them playing outside for so much longer! 

The only problem is that as it gets later, out come those pesky flies and mosquitoes....

However, now thanks to the Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System I can let the kids keep playing outside with confidence. (yep, bare arms and all!)

 The Mortein NaturGard system releases automatic bursts of mist containing a plant based active ingredient. It means that it keeps my outdoor entertaining area protected from flies and mosquitoes without me having to think about it and I can use it around the kids.

More Benefits Include:

- Protecting a sheltered outdoor area of 25m²

- Portable (I'm taking this baby with me next camping trip for sure!)

- Adjustable settings to apply to your environment

- Automatic shut off after 3 hours

- Up to 30 hours of protection from 1 can depending on your settings

My husband was able to install it quickly and easily and since using it we've happily found that it effectively keeps the flies and mosquitoes away from the area. It's been handy for entertaining friends outside as well. No more swatting at our legs constantly!

Your Chance to Win ***COMPETITION NOW CLOSED***

Mortein would like to offer 5 lucky Aussie Learn with Play at home readers their very own 

Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System

to help keep their outdoor area pest free to entertain with confidence this Summer.

*edit*

***COMPETITION NOW CLOSED***

Congratulations to our 5 winners

Michelle Haines

Kylie @ Octavia and Vicky

rebekah @ justfordaisy

Lauren Hopkins

Claudette Andrie

Please contact me with your postage details so we can send you your Automatic Outdoor Insect control system.

How To Win

Leave a comment on this post telling us a Summer-time activity that the Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System would enable you to spend a longer time on. 

If you don't use a registered account to comment, please leave an email address so that I can get in contact with you if you win.

The 5 most creative responses will each win a Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System.

Please read the Terms and Conditions before entering. Apologies to our International Readers as this giveaway is open to Australian Residents only.

Good Luck

Happy playing,
Debs :)

{Disclosure: this is a paid post sponsored by Nuffnang. We received a Mortein NaturGard Automatic Outdoor Insect Control System to review for the post. Opinions expressed in this post, as always, are my own}

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I sure do love a good "Invitation to Play" You can read more about what an Invitation to Play is here.

The things I loved the most about this particular activity were the language development, creativity and imagination used through out the activity. Throw in fine motor skills, a sensory experience and more, and you have a good fun learning experience.

Ages: 2-6+

(M enjoyed this at 3.5 and you can see ways to simplify or extend to meet your child's needs at the bottom in the Handy Tips)

Materials: Playdough, pompoms (with tweezers), patty pans, feathers, chocolate tray (but you can use the materials you have on hand!)

Fine motor skills and co-ordination to separate the patty pans (you can separate for younger children)

Creativity, fine motor skills, colours, patterns

Learning new skills. Rolling to make a ball and applying pressure. 

More pressure, less pressure? Discovering what is needed.

Imitation

Talking about "layers" and "sizes" 3 layers. Large, medium and small.

Creation and creativity

Faces, expressions, emotions, creativity, imagination....

A whole wonderful sweet shop. Language and Imaginative play.

That's a lot of learning from one simple play idea and a few materials...


Handy Tips

- Simplify this activity by providing larger pompoms to avoid choking hazards and leaving out things like the tongs. Helping preparing things like separating patty pans and demonstrating how to roll balls, etc, will all assist.

- Extend this activity by introducing some letter or number cards and seeing how these are used within the invitation. Pretend to be a customer who is requesting some sweets made using the letters of your name etc

- Problem Solving. Make your child aware of the problem solving involved. "How do you know how much play dough to pull off to fit in the containers/patty pans?" etc

- Use any other materials you may have around the house. Allow your child to request additional items they may require.

- Talk with your child about what they are doing. This will help them understand the physical and mental processes they are going through as well as giving them the vocabulary to describe it.

- Use new language and descriptive words like, "layering" This will help with their language development.

- Supervise your child when using small items such as mini pompoms.

More Invitations to Play

Dried Playdough and Water

Pipecleaners, Playdough and Beads

Boxes and Tools

Pipe cleaners, Craft sticks, Playdough and Animals

Happy playing,
Debs :)

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Age: approx. 6 months to 2 years (see bottom for tips)

Materials: Plastic tub, pompoms, spoon

(N is currently 11 months. See bottom for tips to simplify or extend to meet your child's needs)

Present tub of pompoms with props (spoon) to baby ensuring you stay with them while they play

(note: pompoms are small and could be a choking hazard without proper supervision)

What will baby reach for first. The pompoms or the prop that stands out as being different?

Exploring different colours, textures, sizes and shapes

Fantastic for practicing fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. 

Can baby pick up one using the pincer grip (thumb and pointer), pass the pompom from one hand to the other? etc

Tip the container Baby. Watch the pompoms slide from one side of the tub to the other.

Baby is Learning:

- Fine motor skills
- Pincer grasp (picking up small objects with thumb and pointer finger)

- Hand and eye coordination

- Cause and effect (ie. tipping the tub up will make all the pompoms slide to the lower side)

- Textures and the difference between hard and soft
- Colours. Look how all the pompoms are the same but different

- Emotions. Enjoyment & excitement.
- About Gravity. Physical items fall down and always tip to the lowest point

- What to do with this materials. Scoop or stir with the spoon. Pick up, swish, throw the pompoms

- Sensory. Feel of the pompoms, how they are fuzzy and soft and squishy but can't be squished completely (unlike the baked bean baby play) as well as the smell, temperature (neither hot nor cold) and appearance.

Handy Tips:

- Simplify this activity by providing the pompoms in a container without the spoon. Younger babies will probably not be at stirring or scooping stage, however touching and feeling the comparison between the 2 different materials is also good learning for baby.

- Extend this activity for older babies by providing extra props to use with the pompoms. Try adding a little bowl, cup, tongs etc for more scooping, pouring, pretend play and fine-motor skills

- Mix it up by trying as toddler pompom push instead

- Repeat this activity as often as you like as babies (and children) need repetition in order to consolidate their learning and understanding. 

- Talk to your baby about what they are doing. This will help them begin to understand the physical and mental processes they are going through as well as helping develop their vocabulary. "The pompoms feel soft and squishy and fuzzy!" "Look at the yellow pompom, baby" 

- Play with baby. Once they have explored on their own you can show them how to stir or swirl around the pompoms. 

- Supervise. Babies need constant supervision.

Click here for MORE BABY PLAY IDEAS

Happy playing,
Debs :)

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