Showing posts with label sensory play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sensory play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sensory play. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sensory play. Show all posts

Child Development Psychology: Sensory Play Aids in the Learning Process

Early Childhood Development: Learn with Sensory Play



The psychology behind a child's ability to focus academically or follow rules can be positively influenced by the environment. Parents and caregivers can help children with sensory processing disorders or developmental issues ease into everyday activities with simple games and activities.


Child Development Psychology: Sensory Play Aids in the Learning Process

What is Sensory Play Based Learning? Looking for activity for kids or child games? Join the Linky Party

So, what is Sensory Play Based Learning? Linky Party

Find out more at PBS Parents. Here at Kids Creative Chaos the definition is simple: Play to learn! Find a fun activity for kids and lots of child games as you peruse our pages. 


Linky Party: What is Sensory Play Based Learning? Looking for activity for kids or child games?
What is Sensory Play? Join the Linky Party!
Please join the linky party and link up your ideas for messy crafts, games, and even art activities for preschoolers. The best early child development activities begin at birth. Some children suffer from sensory processing disorders and need more play based learning games throughout their childhood.

What is Sensory Play Based Learning Child Games Activity for Kids art activities for preschoolers early child development
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/1/post/2013/03/play-to-learn-march-blog-hop.html" title="Play to Learn Blog Hop"><img src="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/uploads/1/4/9/5/1495826/3711599.jpg?1358187461" alt="Play to Learn Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

If you want, grab the linky button for your blog! 
Link up to 3 posts. Visit as many as you can.

You've come to the right place! 

We've worked with autistic, adhd, add, and more in our "Let's Play" and "Messy Play" classes with great success. Now, we are sharing our ideas through our team of play based learning enthusiasts.  Nikki at Spectrum Psychological specializes in Attention Deficit and Autism Spectrum Disorders.  She's created this "play to learn" blog hop to help spread the word. 

MaryAnne at Mamasmiles.com co-hosts. Her blog is filled with awesome ideas for joyful parenting. I especially like her focus on activities around the world. She recently wrote this post about how to make a weighted blanket (great for children with sensory issues).

We can't wait to see your ideas! Great ideas will be chosen and featured on this blog and pinned on Pinterest. Want to chat about your children or class? Drop us a comment or email.

Thanks for stopping by~ If you like this linky, why not sign up for our email in the sidebar, so you won't miss any great activity ideas for kids. For more ideas click on the keywords in the green bar below this post.

Recommended Reading:

Activities to Engage Your Toddler in Small Motor and Gross Motor Activities, Crafts, Language Development and Sensory Play*

Sensory Play for Baby with Music







ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


How to make homemade Play Dough Recipe Ideas (Edible) and Pistachio Experiment

Ever wonder how to make play dough at home

We love to play with squishy dough. It is great for sensory play, especially when it has a scent. This recipe for how to make homemade play dough (Play-doh) is scented and edible, but not very tasty. Enjoy?


how to make scented homemade play dough easy recipe ideas for kids
Scented Play Dough for a true Sensory experience.

Play Based Learning Linky full of Sensory Ideas for kids

It's time to join the sensory play based learning linky party, "Play to Learn". Link up your creative ideas and visit your favorites. We're working to get this off the ground with Nikki at Spectrum Psychological.
Play to Learn Blog Hop Sensory Play based learning linky
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/1/post/2013/02/play-to-learn-february-blog-hop.html" title="Play to Learn Blog Hop"><img src="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/uploads/1/4/9/5/1495826/3711599.jpg?1358187461" alt="Play to Learn Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>



Sign up for our free newsletter!
-->

Creative and Sensory Play Blog Hop = Fun Activities for Kids



I'm co-hosting a new blog hop for those who love to PLAY!  Nikki who works with children with autism and adhd is a Neurofeedback Specialist over at Spectrum Psychological invites anyone who has a great idea for play-based learning to link up in this fun, new blog hop. When we pool talents, we can't help but find fantastic, fun activities for kids of all kinds. Play is the best medicine for children with sensory disorders and issues. So, grab the code, add your link, and hop around the wonderful, play based blogs.




Play to Learn Blog Hop
Grab the code.
<div align="center"><a href="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/1/post/2013/01/play-to-learn-blog-hop.html" title="Play to Learn Blog Hop"><img src="http://www.spectrumpsychological.net/uploads/1/4/9/5/1495826/3711599.jpg?1358187461" alt="Play to Learn Blog Hop" style="border:none;" /></a></div>



Blog Hop Rules

Feel free to link up to 3 posts related to play-based learning.  Please leave comments on 2 to 3 other linked posts and only link posts you have written yourself, no other link ups or blog hops.  It'd be awesome if you could add our blog hop badge to your site, either on your sidebar or in a post.  Thanks for playing!



Follow Me on Pinterest Subscribe to Kids Creative Chaos by Email

How to Make Salt Dough Recipe: Self-Portrait Ornaments

How to make Salt Dough Self-portraits as Ornaments

Did you ever wonder how to make salt dough? We made self portraits for a homeschool art project. I included how to make homemade clay and a few salt dough recipes. These mini-mes are a great companion project for a preschool or kindergarten learning body parts lesson. You can also make Christmas Tree Ornaments from Salt Dough. We played around with a variety of themes during our homeschool art lesson. Enjoy!


This post contains affiliate links for your convenience.*



How to Make Salt Dough Recipe Christmas Ornaments Decorations
Salt Dough Holiday Ornament Recipe.





Make a Halloween Tree with Homemade Dough Ornaments.


How to make salt dough self portraits Christmas Decorations
Self portraits from homemade clay and salt dough.





How to make dough Christmas ornaments
Make Christmas and Holiday ornaments by inserting straw to form a hole.

This recipe is for  how to make clay without cream of tar tar.


Salt Dough Recipe:




1 C. flour

1 C. salt


1/2 C. water


Mix together and knead.


When ready to cook, put on a baking sheet in 


oven at 100 degrees C/ 200 F for 2-3 hours.


Cooking is not necessary, leave your creations 


in a safe place to dry. We left these in a table drawer


and forgot about them.


When cool, paint or decorate with beads or candy.



Salt dough cookie faces.

You might also like how to make Homemade Clay with cream of tar tar.





We made these self-portraits about four years ago and forgot about them. They've sat in the end drawer of our dining room table ever since. They were never cooked nor painted.

Jake was about four years old and he hadn't met his elementary art teacher yet, but he still had an aversion to art. It was a sensory issue. He didn't like getting his hands dirty. He also worried about getting things on his clothes. If either of these happened, he would get very upset. I suppose this is where my love  of messy crafts was born.


I liked to be tidy as a small child too. I didn't play like the other kids on the playground, because I didn't want to ruin my leotards (today we call them tights) or get grass stains on my clothes. These things troubled me a great deal. So, I'd walk around the perimeter of the playground until the teacher blew the whistle. Little did I know, it was OCD. I've recovered, but some people don't appreciate it. The only way for me to stay sane is to embrace messy things. 


Yep, I didn't want Jake to struggle with the same wacky demons, so I encouraged sensory play.


Even now, he wants to hurry and complete the project so he can wash his hands. If we are mixing dough, he can't let it dry. You know, that crumbly, crackly feeling  on your hands? Mayhem and I like it. It's fun to let the dough dry and then scrape it off similar to letting school glue dry on your hands. I like seeing the fingerprints in the glue peelings. 


Jake? No way. I think this has a lot to do with his hatred of art, and then the teacher came along and made art a boring chore. 


He strives for self-inflicted perfection. He doesn't like the learning curve. He knows a lot. He is a gifted child. When he has to learn something new he is disappointed he didn't already know it. You can see the shame and the disappointment in his face. 


Recently, he had to take a Scantron test online, the test was smart. The more correct answers, the harder the questions. We told him to guess, but he refused. He labored over each question and made a very educated guess. In the end, he scored above average, but the test was torture. He cried with each question  for the first time aware he didn't have all the answers. 



Jake beginning his journey in art.


If only he could realize art works the same way, but it's better because there are no real answers in art. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I am the beholder here. I like his salt dough self-portrait the wavy hair and round face remind me so much of my happy, bouncy, little four year old.

Next week's journey, Animal Printmaking, proved very difficult for a neat freak. Smudges are a perfectionist's nemesis. Start here for Jake's Journey in Art 



Recommended Reading:

Air Dry Clay Projects

Minecraft Creeper Wood Carving Project

Christmas Dough Crafts

Salt Dough: More than 100 Projects! (American Girl Library)


History of Play-doh Inspiration for Bloggers

History of Play-Doh: Play Dough

Have you seen The High Calling's Weekly E-newsletter? I was asked to visit the site and give a review. Yeah, I usually dread doing reviews. I have to find something positive to write about it whether I like it or not. I dread it so much, I've actually gone back and respectfully declined when I didn't like the material. Not this one; I loved the story on the history of Play-Doh. Enjoy!


History of Play-Doh Play dough story
Inspirational Play-doh?
Click the image by Dennis Brekke to read more from, The Weekly High Calling.
Hooray! I love this newsletter. It's an inspiration for all people but especially for bloggers, writers, and dreamers. The very first post I stumbled on had me hooked! Someone certainly guided my hand to click on the link. It led me straight to a post about Play-doh.

What you don't know about Play-doh will truly surprise and inspire you. Of course, I love Play-doh; so I had to read more.


So, I scrolled down and clicked on this title for another post:  Don't Mistake Doing What You Love With Doing What's Important

Well, someone had given me this advice about a year ago and it resonated. I had to read the article. Awesome. The author, Bradley J. Moore, weighs his options and decides he has done what is best for his family. Who knows where the other path may have lead. 

The newsletter is full of conversations about work, life, and God. Each post in the e-newsletter was inspirational, relevant, and well written. I hope you enjoy it too!


I have been compensated for this post.*


Recommended:

Homemade Clay Recipe













ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


How to make your own DIY Edible Face paint Ideas & Recipes & Build Self-Esteem: The Thing About Monsters is

How to make edible face paint and recipes for Toddlers and Kids of all Ages

Remember, You Can do it with Creative Play and a Can-do Attitude. Recently, we did a post about Monster Trouble (Our first KCC Kids Video) check out the fun here. SCROLL DOWN to see DIY Face Paint Recipes for face paint/makeup, lip gloss, sensory play and Witchy Me.


Monster Trouble?
Face Paint for Kids
Face Paint Kit by Alex Toys.

In the video in the post, a sneaky monster is made with items from our costume trunk/creative play stash and Alex Toys Face Paint Studio. Not once, have we posted pictures or recipes of our homemade and edible face paints. During our creative play and messy classes playing with face paint has been a staple. So, read on to discover many ways to create self-esteem, a fun day of creative play, how to make less of a mess, and enjoy the little time you have with your littles and not so little ones.


How to make edible face paint and recipes.
Sneaky Monster peeks out of the brush.


DIY Face Paint Recipe and Monster Face
I see you and your Monster Face paint.
It's hard to see, but he was modeled after the Connect a giant Monster kits above from Alex Toys. The Monster has a purple and green nose and red and orange eyes. This is a great kit for your older kids. Give them a mirror and a book of silly face ideas and let them go wild! Creative Play is a great self-esteem builder. Let them try out different faces, remove the paint with a little water or vaseline on a cotton ball, and be sure to tell them how great it looks. No buts or maybe ifs allowed.



Homemade face paint.
What's that you say? You don't want to have to clean up the mess? Put them in an empty tub the mess will clean itself, but make sure your little Max Factor helps. They might complain, but cleaning up after themselves teaches responsibility and independence. I can do it! Yes, you might have to tidy up- just don't complain about it.  You don't want your child thinking they can't do anything. If they can't even clean up after themselves they'll stop trying! So, count to 10, take a deep breath, and then say, I love how you are learning to clean up after yourself; it makes me so proud!

Do you want to be remembered as the Mom with the spotless house or the Mom who was so fun and positive? Your choice, you decide.



how to make your own face paint recipe
Crazy Blue Face Paint Fairy.

How to Make your own Face Paint (Recipe):

Cold cream, Food coloring, Cornstarch, Egg Carton.

Start with 1 C. of cold cream (Noxzema type)
Slowly mix in 1/2 to 1 C. cornstarch until it is a smooth, creamy consistency.

Divide into an egg carton or muffin tin.
Add 1-2 drops of food coloring. Experiment with more or less and color combinations.

Use cotton balls or paint brushes to paint a masterpiece on your face.

Most colors will wear off quickly or wipe off easily with water due to the cold cream. Sometimes, yellow requires a little petroleum jelly to remove all the residue. 

With experimentation you can get professional results with these ingredients. It does dry and get crackly. Some kids don't like this sensation others think it's cool.

Homemade Face paint and makeup recipes for Toddlers and Preschool.
Homemade Face paint and makeup recipes.

Make your own Edible Face Paint for Preschoolers and Toddlers:

Caregivers, do you need 20 minutes of me time? This is AMAZING. If you don't want to leave the little alone in the bathroom spread an old, white sheet or vinyl tablecloth on the floor. Cornstarch, food coloring or colored drink mix, water, white flour, big spoons, and mixing bowls.

Start with 1/4 C. of flour
Mix in 1/2 C. of cornstarch or powdered sugar (think icing)
1/2 to 1 C. Cool Whip (Readiwhip doesn't work.)
Sift with fingers to mix and enjoy the sensory aspects.
Slowly add 1/4 to 1/2 C. water stir with spatula
Water and cornstarch make an interesting science experiment so make sure to add the flour and Cool Whip first. Mix to a creamy icing consistency ~ Spreadable.
Divide into egg carton and add food coloring or Drink Mix powder (Kool-Aid) works best.

The little will have a blast studying their face and admiring their handiwork  Let them remove their shirt and paint tattoos on their belly or  bugs on their hands. This is a fun way to teach babies eyes, nose, mouth, etc.

The ingredient measurements are guidelines. Warm water vs. cold, warm house vs. cool all of these can affect the makeup- experimentation is key.

Mixing paint is great for fine motor skills and sensory learning.
Mixing paint is great for fine motor skills and sensory learning.


Kid’s Yummy Lipstick Recipe:

Petroleum jelly, honey, maple syrup, or non-imitation vanilla, unsweetened drink powder for color and flavor.

Put Petroleum jelly into microwave safe dish

Microwave the petroleum jelly for 30 seconds to one minute until 

warm, remove and stir.

Add Kool Aid and Honey

Mix well
Spoon into gift containers, refrigerate.

Changing Hair Color:

Experiment with Conditioner or Petroleum Jelly and unsweetened drink powder, & Baby Powder. Spray Aqua Net to set the color. May take several washings to wash out. We found a YouTube Video here.



Happy Halloween and Haunting  or Go break a leg!



Recommended Reading:

Storytime ~ Teach Kids to Weave a Web of Wonder with Storytelling Curriculum Ideas

Storytime Woes?


Have you ever tried it with a room full of little people under the age of two?  What a fun experience, it takes a roomful of parents to keep everyone on target.  And, a room full of early elementary age children isn't much easier, if you're lucky they might stay on their squares, but keeping everyone silent at the same time is nearly a feat of wizardry.

Sensory Saturday: Kid's Outdoor Games for PE or Summer Camp

Outdoor Games for Homeschool PE or Summer Camp

Monsters, Wizards, and Elves Summer Outdoor Game for Kids.


Sensory Saturday: Kid's Outdoor Games for PE or Summer Camp
Monsters
Outdoor Games for Homeschool PE or Summer Camp
Wizards


This is a fun game we learned at VBS a few years ago and it is loads of fun to play! It’s like a live action game of ‘Paper, Rock, Scissors’. These games are great for Summer Camp or Family Reunions.



What you Need: 
A Large Yard or Field, 3 Ropes (or Other Items) to be used as Place Markers

How to Play Game: 

Character Descriptions and Actions:

Monsters: Beat Elves. Action: Show that you are a monster by raising your arms high over your head and ‘roaring’ at the opposing team.

Wizards: Beat Monsters. Action: Show that you are wizard by pretending to shoot magic from your finger tips at the opposing team, while making a loud ‘zapping’ sound.

Elves: Beat Wizards. Action: Show that you are an elf by sticking out your tongue and wiggling your fingers by your ears (as if mocking the other team) and make a silly sound at your opponents.

Split the players into two even teams and designate one additional person as the referee. Choose a place to play and mark a center line and a boundary line at the end of each side. 

(Creating a long playing area – from left to right it will be (far left) boundary line, center line, (far right) boundary line.) 

Each team huddles together at their own boundary line and decides which character they will be (as a team) at the beginning of each round. 

(Character descriptions and actions listed above.) Once the teams have decided, the ref calls them to the center line and calls out “1, 2, 3, Go!”. 

Then the teams will do the action for the character they chose. If their character beats the opposing teams character, they will chase them back to their boundary line, tagging as many players as they can and bringing those players to their team. 

Play continues until one team captures all of the players from the other team.



Recommended Reading:

175 Best Camp Games*

PE Games for Kids








ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.
*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)



Have a Natural Nature Based Circle Time Activity Game: Sensory Saturday Play Based Learning

Perfect for a play based learning Natural Circle Time Activity for kids: Nature's Treasures

Circle Time is a time for children to learn to pay attention, to make connections with each other, and to have fun. This nature based circle time activity is fun for kids of all ages for summer camp, but is ideal for preschool circle time.

Didi from Duck Duck Octopus (She's no longer blogging) shared this awesome nature sensory game for circle time.

We learn about the world through our senses. The tart burst of flavor from a fresh-picked blackberry is a tell-tale sign of summer; watching leaves swirl around the sky shows us it's windy; and pitter-patter sounds of rain tells us to put on our wellies for jumping in freshly made puddles. Our bodies absorb a constant stream of information that we assimilate into experience, but we seldom intentionally acknowledge the senses that deliver the information; the information is "just there".

Natural Nature Circle Time with Kids group activities
Get your group together, form a circle, 
and play Nature's Treasure in circle time.
The Nature's Treasures mystery game is an activity that facilitates a hands-on exploration of the senses and nature. Kids get to experience how their perception of the world is altered when their senses are limited. The use of natural objects connects kids to their environment, and allows them to experience things they encounter every day in a new way.
 
Instructions

  1. Gather an assortment of familiar natural objects (e.g. a dandelion, rock, shell, lobster claw, stick, cattail fluff, maple leaf, an animal bone, feather, dirt, etc.). Collect enough items, so each child participating has an item. Make sure your collection is gathered and stored out of sight of your kids. You don't want to spoil the mystery!
  2. Place one mystery object in an opaque bag; brown lunch bags are great. Seal the bag with ribbon or a piece of tape.
  3. Place the bags in a "treasure chest" (a decorated cardboard box), and bring the treasure chest out for the kids.
  4. Introduce the activity by talking about the incredible diversity that may be found in nature. Have your kids offer examples of colors, textures and shapes they may find in nature (e.g. tiny snails; red, orange, and yellow autumn leaves; prickly porcupines; furry raccoons; bumpy shells, etc.).
  5. Using the examples provided by the kids, make connections to how people use their senses to experience the world.
  6. Explain that each mystery bag contains one object found in nature. They must try to guess what is in their bag without using their sense of sight, sound, or taste.
  7. Encourage each child to choose a mystery bag, and tell them to keep the bag closed tight. No peeking! :-)
  8. Each child gets a turn to fully explore their object with their sense of touch and smell. If they go to smell the bag, they have to keep their eyes shut, or use a blindfold to help keep the mystery object hidden.
  9. The child exploring the item may tell the group about the object based on their sensory observations.
    • For example, if the object is a dandelion, a child may describe it as follows: There is a fluffy, soft part on one end. It is round. The round, soft part is stuck to something that is long and skinny. It smells like grass.
  10. Ask the child doing the direct sensory exploration to identify their mystery object.
  11. Then open the inquiry to the group. Does anyone think the object is something else?
  12. Reveal the mystery object. Hopefully, when the object is revealed most of the kids will know what it is right away. If they didn't guess correctly, this is a great opportunity to ask the kids how their sense of sight, sound or taste would have helped them solve the mystery.
This activity works well with a large group of kids in a circle time setting, and is also fun to do at home as a family. Sometimes, I'll deliberately put a gag item in the bag I explore, just to add a big laugh at the end (think rubber chicken). 
 
What is the most interesting object you found to include in your Nature's Treasures mystery game?


Didi is a fun mom who likes to make mud pies, stomp in puddles, and fingerpaint. She is also the founder of duckduckoctopus.com, a blog about play-based learning, outdoor adventures, and mindful-parenting.


Be sure to follow Didi on Pinterest. Learn some fun facts about the mind behind Duck, Duck, Octopus at Play Dr. Hutch.


Recommended Reading:

14 Circle Time Activities

Four Corners Circle Time Activity for Preschoolers*

Circle Time and Group Activities for age 3 to 6 yrs.*






ADS DISCLOSURE: We've partnered with some wonderful advertisers who may sponsor blog posts or send us samples to test. Some companies pay us to review their products.

*We also use affiliate links, if you make a purchase we get a tiny commission. Kids Creative Chaos participates in the Amazon LLC Associates Program*, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a mean for blogs to earn advertising fees by linking to Amazon properties, including, but not limited to, amazon.com, endless.com, myhabit.com, smallparts.com, or amazonwireless.com. We also offer Tapinfluence, Google Adsense, SoFab, and Izea ads here. Thanks so much for helping us keep the lights on! :)


This Earth Day, Grow a Memory: Activity for Preschoolers

Easy Activity to Celebrate Earth Day with Preschoolers

As a little girl, trips to McDonald's were rare. Today, it seems to be a staple in the little's diet. I wonder if they will remember their favorite Happy Meal prizes as I do.

Once upon a time, Mickey D's gave out tiny little peat pots and sunflower seeds; the gift that kept on giving. My Dad and I went home, planted those seeds, and later transplanted them into our backyard gardenFor years, we had a row of giant sunflowers. I even entered them in a 4-H contest. Sweet memories... you can make yourself. Enjoy!

Earth Day Preschool Activity Grow a Daisy
Just add soil, water, sunlight, and love.
This is a great project to pair with our Daisy-Head Mayzie Activities.


Recommended:

Daisy the Donut Fairy*

Rodale's Basic Organic Gardening: A Beginner's Guide to Starting a Healthy Garden*

Earth Day Recipes

Daisy Hat Craft



Sensory Activities: Edible Straw Painting for Toddlers ~ Yum!

Edible Painting with Straws is Fun, Sensory Activity for Toddlers

Toddlers love to play with straws. One of the first milestones is learning to drink out of a straw. Blowing through a straw if also a fun, sensory experience for toddlers. This activity uses both. It is fun to watch them practice. Grab a cottonball to teach them to blow through the straw and then mix up some edible paint to make these cool, colorful blot pictures.

Edible Painting with Straws is Fun, Sensory Activity for Toddlers
Our paint isn't just edible; it is yummy too!
Yummy edible milk paint recipe
Neon food color, maple syrup, milk, and cornstarch. Mix in three equal parts syrup, milk, and starch. Add one or two drops of color.
Little ones learn to blow thru the straw vs. sucking ~ not as easy as it seems.
It makes great finger-paint too.

Recommended Reading:


Crafty Kids: Fun Projects for You and Your Toddler

Kid Sensory Science: Play Based Learning How to Garden with Kids with Egg Cartons: Investigating_Detective_Hands-On Messy Play

Investigating Detectives: Kid Sensory Science and Gardening with Egg Cartons

Sensory Play is a big buzz word. Back in the day, all my play time was sensory play. I'd run around outside, get filthy making mud pies and sand ice cream, dash through the sprinkler, plop in the bath, (where I swirled Dad's shaving cream into Mom's shampoo painting Picasso's all around the tub) and head to bed one truly happy camper. Make a sensory science egg carton garden with your kids!


Gardening is the best form of Sensory Play Based Learning How to garden with the kids with egg cartons
Gardening: The original Sensory Play Based Learning.

Today, lots of people don't like to let their kids get messy or to be seen in dirty clothes, the horror!


Use egg cartons to start seeds seedlings indoors
Start your seeds in egg cartons in doors in early spring.
I sweep the kitchen and bathroom floor several times a week, but you'd never know it. Anytime you stop by for a visit you'll find dried mud, bits of dandelions, grains of sand, tiny twigs, and a few dead bugs. And, at least two kids in dirty clothes. I often joke, I'm no Martha Stewart, but I'm no June Cleaver either. Ahem... If I had to pick a t.v. personality's home to compare ours too... I fear we resemble Roseanne the most, just not so crass.



Everyday is Sensory Play day! Last week, Jake was covered in mud he found in a hole in the backyard. I plan to make some mud paint for my next sensory post.

Amanda loves to investigate with her magnifying glass, ziploc baggies, and spoons from the kitchen drawer.



When our seedlings come up, we'll plant them in this little garden box we built together last year. We have healthy strawberry plants already!

Garden boxes to keep bunnies out rabbits
Keep bunnies out of your garden with raised garden boxes.

Science projects cover the front porch, 'Please watch your step.' Our favorite toys are anything we can find growing in the yard.  

Bonus = lots of free toys!

Kid Sensory Science: Play Based Learning How to Garden with Kids


A Whole lot of fun with the Tickle Me plant. 
By far, the best seed to plant with your kiddos!

If you want to follow our messy life, hop over to Kids Creative Chaos on Facebook and join the fun.


Recommended Reading:

Roots, Shoots, Buckets and Boots: Gardening Together with Children

Planting a Rainbow