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Tarpaulin play
Super easy idea with a tarpaulin cover. I use it to protect the floor when doing messy play at big gatherings. You can use this as a big parachute, hiding place or just on the floor for some noisy fun play. Works with any age really. Add soft toys on top or just fluff it…
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Edible muddy puddles play
Easy messy play idea and totally edible. Muddy bin with cars, animals or Peppa figurines. What you need: yogurt and cacao for mud; construction cars (or chunky cars if the bin is for a toddler); farm animals or other plastic figurines. Mix some yogurt for with cacao to make the mud and add all the…
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Sand & shaving cream play
This activity is better for the summer, but you can do it indoor too if you wish. Gather a bucket of sand next time you’re going to the seaside. Mix it with shaving cream. With a set of pots and spoons this becomes great play material.
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Oats play – discovering textures
Baby safe and dead easy activity. A bowl of dry oats and one of mushy oats. You can add food colouring if you wish, for a more sensory experience. Give baby a few scoops and spoons and protect your floor. It gets messy!
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Ocean gelly baff treasure hunt
Here is another use for the gelly baff which is supposed to go in the bath. As mentioned in a previous post I don’t like it in the bath and it is quite hard to manage in large quantities. What you need: Gelly baff; Plastic ocean animals (or you can replicate idea with anythibg you…
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North Pole tuff spot (snow version 3)
I have a few snow tuff spot articles presenting different ways to make pretend snow. This uses shaving cream and jelly baff. What you need: aluminium foil for lake; blue jelly baff made with ice cold water (link below); a tube of shaving cream; arctic animals; reusable ice cubes (cold from the freezer); cotton wool…
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Sensory play – emergency heat blanket
All you need is a survival blanket. They are gigantic and super cheap. This is the first sensory material I have used with both of my girls and they loved it. You can use it for tummy time and or give it to them to play if they grasp and hold. Do not leave child…
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Rainbow foam
A very simple recipe for a fabulous sensory play. What you need: Dishwasher soap; Water; Liquid paints (or food colouring); Mixer & a big bowl; Random kitchen utensils; A plastic storage box. Mix dishwasher soap with water to make foam. Transfer the foam as it forms to the tray and keep mixing till you get…
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Worms & bugs sensory bin
Play idea involving very realistic worms made of pasta and soil made of coffee grounds. What I used: Boiled spaghetti; Coffee grounds; Bag of plastic bugs (link below); Wood chips; Stones; Plants; Scoops; A transparent storage box. Create a small world using the above materials. Save what you can and reuse. Always make a habit…
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Sensory bottles
Mess free and safe activity for any age. Babies will love the noise and colours and older children will use them in pretend play. What you need: 500 ml plastic bottles; buttons; pasta; sugar puffs; feathers; water with glitter or paints; coloured sand; pom poms; anything else you find handy and makes noise or looks…