Tagged with 'sensory play'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRPlPM_riJE&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-5Supplies:• Playfoam Pluffle in 4 different colors• Markers• Paper• Cookie cutters• SpoonProcedure:1. On a large sheet of paper, write the name of one of the colors of your Pluffle in one quadrant using the same colored marker.2. Repeat in the remaining three quadrants using marker colors that match your other Pluffle colors.3. Place a different cookie cutter over each one of the words.4. Show your little one how to use a spoon to transfer Pluffle from the tube (or a bowl) into the cookie cutter shape.5. Challenge your child to match the correct color Pluffle with the matching word. If they’re pre-readers, show them how to match the marker color with the Pluffle color.6. Get tricky by using two different colored markers to write two different colors in a single cookie cutter shape and see if your child can fill the shape with the matching colors.SSahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c41UozGgE2k&feature=emb_logoHome's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-5Supplies:• Design & Drill bolts in various colors• Pipe cleaners• Pencil• Scissors• Construction paper• Googly eyes• Stickers or markers to decorate your creaturesProcedure:Bolt Butterfly1. Fold paper in half, draw your wings and cut them out.2. Cut two openings on the center of the wings.3. Decorate your wings with stickers, markers or crayons.4. Cut two short pipe cleaners and roll one end towards the center, these will be the antennae.5. Insert both pipe cleaners through the hole of the bolt.6. Put the bolt through the opening on the wings.7. Add googly eyes and you’re done!Bolt Monster1. Cut pipe cleaners to the desired length, insert them through the bolt’s hole.2. Cut a mouth with an opening.3. Put the bolt through.4. Add googly eyes and you're done! Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mow5lL4FKz4&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3-5Supplies:• Paper• Scissors• Spoon• Tape• Toilet Paper Roll• Playfoam PluffleProcedure:1. Cut two stems and a few leaves out of your construction paper.2. Tape the stems to a sheet of paper.3. Cut the toilet paper roll(s) in half, then cut each half into four shorter cylinders. Press each one in half to make a petal shape.4. Place the petals on top of the stems.5. Show your child how to spoon the Playfoam Pluffle into each “petal”, bringing your flower to colorful life and exercising those fine motor skills! Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

[caption id="attachment_6407" align="alignnone" width="800"] Photo Credit: https://iowaccrr.org/[/caption]The thought of messy play might make your toes curl, but there are so many good reasons to let your little ones dig in and get dirty! Messy play fosters curiosity and encourages exploration; it builds creativity and imagination, communication and language development, fine motor skills, independence, and self-confidence. In a nutshell, messy play teaches kids to live outside the box. Now that spring has sprung, set your sweeties up outside and let them loose with some of our favorite messy play activities, like:

Oobleck!

Always a hit, Oobleck is oogey, gooey, and so much fun! Mysteriously, it’s a solid when you smash it but a liquid when you pick it up (visit our friends at TheBestIdeasForKids for the scientific explanation). To make your own batch, just mix 2 cups of cornstarch with 1 cup of water and a drop or two of food coloring in a large pan or bowl. Then show your little ones how to press down on the mixture to create a solid and scoop it up and drizzle it through their fingers to see its liquid form. Drizzle drops on top of each other to make a 3-D sculpture or see if you can smash it down with a potato smasher.[caption id="attachment_5904" align="alignnone" width="646"] Photo Credit: thebestideasforkids.com[/caption]

Shaving Cream!

Kids can’t get enough of shaving cream! Squirt a can into a pan or bowl and let them squish and scoop it. Push their hands down to make a hand print or see if they can make a cloud or other basic shape on a separate pan. Let them cover their arms and legs with the cream, then spray them off with the garden hose. Fill a sensory tub with shaving cream and add objects for kids to discover in the fluff. Then add a few drops of food coloring and let them swirl the colors together with a craft stick to create amazing rainbows! The experts at ArtfulParent have rounded up 60 of their favorite ways to play with shaving cream, here.[caption id="attachment_5905" align="alignnone" width="572"] Photo credit: artfulparent.com[/caption]

Mud Cakes!

April showers bring May flowers – and mud! Kids are drawn to mud puddles like fish to water and for once let them dig in! Mud play is proven to boost immunity and being outside is shown to improve mental health and even kids’ eyesight. So grab a bucket, a small shovel or spoon, maybe even some old pots and pans, and make some mud. Stir it up and squish it around – then show your kids how to shape the mud into a brick or cake and set it in the sun to dry. Dig a trench and pour some water in to make your own river. Visit Mom365 for more awesome ideas for playing in the mud.[caption id="attachment_5906" align="alignnone" width="500"] Photo credit: blogmom365.com[/caption]

YES! Messy Play without the Mess!

For those times when you just can’t deal with the dirt and would like to limit the mess, put out a pod of Playfoam®! It’s squishy and squashy and perfect for squeezing, smashing, and even sculpting – but it won’t stick to carpet or clothing and it never dries out so you can get squishy again and again. But don’t take our word for it! Check out GrannySmithsDiary for some great messy play ideas from a super-engaged Grandma as well as the reasons she puts out Playfoam for her darling granddaughter, Daisy.[caption id="attachment_5907" align="alignnone" width="598"] Photo credit: @carlson.toys[/caption]And for even more messy play ideas, check out our Pinterest Board!  Take a deep breath, dig in and have fun! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=er_vXxmXQWI&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3–5Supplies:• Construction paper in various colors• Scissors• Marker• Tape• Playfoam Pod• Googly eyesProcedure:1. Cut two yellow wings out of construction paper, then tape them to either side of the pod.2. Fold a sheet of orange construction paper in half and cut out a small triangle.3. Open the triangle and draw two smaller triangles on the inside, to make a beak.4. Add tape to the back of the beak and stick it to the center of the pod.5. Add googly eyes.6. Add a little note to the back and you’re done!Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2xfU39aNVY&feature=emb_logo Home's Cool! While we're all working from home, the parents, former teachers, and play experts at EI are sharing some of their favorite educational activities to help keep your family learning and growing. Check out this idea from Sahad Rivera Sonda, one of our Product Managers!Ages: 3–5Supplies:• Construction paper in various colors• Scissors• Marker• Tape• Playfoam Pod• Googly eyesProcedure:1. Cut two pink ears and 2 smaller yellow ears out of construction paper.2. Tape the smaller ears to the big ears.3. Add tape to the bottom of the ears, place them on the top of the  Playfoam pod, and press to secure in place.4. Add googly eyes.5. Using a smudge-proof marker, draw a nose, mouth and whiskers right onto the front of the plastic pod.6. Add a little note to the back and you’re done!Sahad Rivera Sonda has dreamed of being a toy designer since she was a child in Mexico! Her passion for miniatures and other playful oddities (her collection includes everything from a plush churro to a miniature French fry) eventually led her to Otis College of Art and Design in California, where she obtained a degree in Toy Design. Sahad’s dreams came true when she landed a job with EI, designing the look and feel for many of our toys and games, including Playfoam Pals, Design & Drill and our plush line.

Sensory Play Ideas for You and the Kiddos to Explore

If you’ve ever been on the receiving end of that intense baby stare, or grab, or taste test, you’ve witnessed sensory exploration first-hand (someone give us a towel!). While it may seem strange to explore a textured block with your tongue, little ones use the senses they have control of at any given age in order to explore the world around them.  And it’s SO good for them!Looking, touching, feeling, hearing, and yes, even tasting, helps kids build a framework in which to understand the people, places, and things in their lives. Sensory exploration also helps build your child’s brain, develops critical motor skills, supports language development, introduces cause and effect, and practices problem solving. All good, right?Although sensory exploration comes naturally to kids, parents can encourage this natural curiosity and exploration. And it’s easy! Below are some of our favorite sensory activities for each age group:Infants:

• Bubbles! Gently blow non-toxic bubbles around your baby. Let them watch the bubbles as they float down and feel the silky softness as they land on their skin.[caption id="attachment_5275" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Photo credit: Playgroupwa.com.au[/caption]

• Paper! Show your baby a sheet of colorful paper, then loudly scrunch it into a ball. Let your little one hold and squeeze the ball, exploring the creases and ridges.

• Words, words, words! Talk to your child as much as possible. Explain what you’re doing when you’re together. Use lots of different sounds, words, voices, and volumes.[caption id="attachment_5276" align="alignnone" width="503"] Photo credit: thestir.cafemom.com[/caption]

Toddlers:

• Paint! Finger painting does double sensory duty, allowing toddlers to explore colors, color blending, and the slippery smooth texture of paint on their fingers.[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="866"] Photo credit: https://nourishingourchildren.org[/caption]

• Oobleck! A solid and a liquid, is science magic and perfect for sensory play. And it’s easy to make! Follow these simple instructions (and add a little food coloring or scent for a bit of extra fun!).[caption id="attachment_5279" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Photo credit: https://www.education.com[/caption]

• Sensory bins! Fill a large container with rice, beans, or Playfoam Pluffle™, add spoons, scoops, and small toys, and let your little one dig in. Click for some fun sensory bin ideas.[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1039"] Photo Credit: @my_three_little_strawberries[/caption]

Preschoolers:

• Playfoam®! Squish, squash, shape, and smash – non-toxic Playfoam comes in all kinds of colors kids can squeeze and sculpt into all kinds of shapes. Best of all, it’s non-toxic, never dries out, and doesn’t stick to carpet or clothing (so it won’t stain or make a mess)![caption id="attachment_5281" align="alignnone" width="595"] Photo credit: @carlson.toys[/caption]

• Music! Simple instruments like shakers, harmonicas, tambourines, and recorders are great for sensory play. Hand them over and watch as your kiddo explores their look, feel, and sound.

• Nature! A walk in nature gives your little one endless opportunities to see, smell, and feel all kinds of things, from grass and leaves to pine cones and feathers.[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1180"] Photo Credit: http://www.parentmap.com[/caption]

With a little effort, you can add a sensory twist to most activities. For more fun ideas for infants, visit our friends at Red Tricycle. Busy Toddler’s got tons of ideas for your big kids and these creative activities from Little Bins for Little Hands will keep your preschooler engaged for hours.