Keeping it Real: working from home with a young child is not an easy task. Even in the best of circumstances, you may find yourself needing something for your toddler to do while you take calls or get some things done. It can be an overwhelming task, and easily solved by screen time. If your kid is anything like mine, Screen Time will only go so far, and is accompanied with mom guilt. So today, I threw some drops of food coloring in muffin tins with some baking soda and put some vinegar in a squeeze bottle. I threw it all in the bathtub with him in his diaper and let him go to town. We ran out of vinegar early on, but I just filled up the squeeze bottles with water, and he stayed engaged long after my meeting was over. My advice? The bathtub is your new best friend. You can set your kid in it with his favorite figures, balls, or balloons with the tub empty, for a change in scenery. Or fill it with water for sensory play with bubbles, large legos, or other washable toys. Stay safe my friends!
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Anyone else find that the second you step into the kitchen, your little one becomes a stage five clinger? 🙋🏻♀️ Just me? I’m always trying to find ways to encourage G to do what I’m doing in a way, but with knives 🔪 and other dangerous things in the kitchen 🔥 it can be tough to keep him engaged. I had a 💡 moment where I though, what could he safely play with or eat that would keep him curious? Enter: spices and herbs. I put out this messy mat, an ice cube tray, and a variety of whatever spices I had. He LOVED it! He stayed engaged long enough for me to prep dinner, and took a huge taste too! 😋😆 This spontaneous learning moment involved only things I could quickly find, and would be easy to change up to sustain engagement (different spices, fresh herbs, different tools). Happy cooking, friends!
Sensory play is all about a multidimensional approach to learning. The sounds, smells, feel, sight, and YEP even taste for those littlest ones. It’s important to provide sensory bases that are non-choking hazards and taste safe—that doesn’t mean its snack time but it’s okay if your little one takes a taste or two. It’s totally normal for your little one to put things in their mouth—there are so many nerve endings in the tongue and mouth, it makes sense your little one wants to put things in there! Our weather in Dayton this week is rainy and dreary, so we needed something inside to fill G’s sensory diet. Enter: popcorn kernels. To be honest, G was really excited about throwing the popcorn in the dining room, so I reduced the amount available and added some recycled egg cartons and applesauce cups to guide his play a bit. Keep the broom handy—and be sure to supervise while your little one explores!
For more on Sensory Play ideas, and the awesome messy mat pictured here, check out our pal at KidsPlayTricks |
AuthorAmy here, sharing tips, tricks, and ideas about using the materials we have in playgroup to inspire you at home. ArchivesCategories |