Icy Fun -- Sensory Play

Yesterday we filled every ice cube tray, muffin tin, bread pan, cake pan, and whatever else we found with water and food coloring.  We also added foam animal shapes, beads, and glitter, we love the sparkles.  Today we took all our amazing ice shapes and made ice sculptures.

 While Ian worked on his sculpture's Adeline was working on her sensory play in the water table.  I filled the water table with ice cubes and muffin cubes.  She loved picking them up with her hands and later she did some scooping.

   This was a great activity for a hot Florida day.  The colors and animals created a lot of words and conversation.

If doing this activity with a very young child please use guidance if they are still mouthing things.  Ice cubes can be a chocking hazard.  

Sensory Tub With a Slide

We really don't play with sensory tubs enough.  I love them and Adeline really enjoys them I just don't feel like I have the materials on hand.  Today I took what I had and it was great Adeline really enjoyed it.  She even started putting to words together like "red ball".  She has heard me say it sooo many times she did it.  I was excited.


I put in our tub, pompom balls, colored popsicle sticks, tp tubs, and some bugs I found at the Dollar Tree last year.  I think you can still find them.

There is so much you can talk about using a sensory tub.  We talked about "in and out",  "red ball, yellow stick", and the "bugs and butterflies".

I taped a paper towel tub to the side.  This was fun.  We put things "in and out".

We set up tubs and put things "in".

  
We played with this for quite awhile.  I think I will leave this out for the day since we enjoyed it so much.

Outdoor Fun!

I have not posted much this week because I felt like we didn't really do anything too exciting but after thinking about it, it was good and exciting for Adeline.  They weather has been wonderful and Adeline has been sitting by the door saying "outside, outside"  so we have been outside.

We cleaned out the sand box.  Last year Adeline really did not have an interest in playing in the sand but she has been enjoying it a lot this year.  The sand box is a great sensory place where many skills and words can be reinforced.

 
Everytime I turn around Adeline is at her water table, wet, but I think it was one of our best yard sale finds.  We talking about "pour the water",  "splash the lion", "drop the ball".  It is a lot of fun.

Today Adeline's Grandpa came and made her this terrific swing!  We need to add some carpet to the platform yet but we could not wait to try it out

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What's in the Bag?

Adeline is now tall enough to reach into the silverware drawer.  She cannot see into it but she can reach and grab something, she thinks this is really neat!  Today I pulled out the silverware and thought it would be great for our activity.

What's in the bag?  Shake, Shake

Spoons and forks, yeahhhh

Adeline thought this was pretty neat.

Sorting our silverware.

Banging with silverware!

Ian looks a little scary but Adeline was having fun!

It is so easy to use everyday things to teach concepts,  I think that sometimes it is even more effective.  

Our Homemade Iceland!

Well, we love in a warm place, and never see any ice so today we played with our penguins in pretend ice.  I have been wanting to make a salt box for Adeline to start making lines and shapes, so while she took a nap we got it done.

I started with about four containers of salt and a Ziploc bag, added a few drops of food coloring, shake it together and we are ready to go. Adeline was surprised and excited  when she woke up.  We will keep this box for awhile to do some writing, sensory play, and pouring and scooping activities.

 Doing some scooping,

   

Christmas Fine Motor #2

Christmas is in the air today!  We had a lot of fun practicing our skills with some Christmas activities.  It is also pecan season here, so we made a sensory box from our recent harvest.

First, we did some scooping, and then moved into sorting.

 Adeline really enjoyed playing with the pecans.  I think she could have explored them for hours.  So we decided to put the nuts into the trays after sorting.  We worked on putting the nuts in and out of  the trays.  Pulling the nut out really works the pincher grasp.

Next, I pulled out a box that I had wrapped up to look like a present.  You can't see it but there is a little hole cut in the middle where we put the nuts "in".  For some reason Adeline kept wanting to put her eye right on the hole.  She is suppose to wear glasses which are very hard for us to keep on her, so I put them on to see of that would help.

On the other side of the box I cut some slits going different directions to give Adeline a little challenge.  I always save my milk caps so we put caps "in".  This did  make Adeline stop and think a bit.

Later we colored on sandpaper Christmas trees just to give a new sensory experience.

Waving Some Christmas Cheer

Adeline is finally starting to walk almost full time.  This has been a process that has taken a lot of time and patience, but we have almost arrived.  Yeahhhh!  I have been trying to think of activities to have her work on her balance and encourage her to be on her feet so we made some ribbon wavers. She thought this was pretty fun.  I just used a wood hoop and tied some ribbon to it.  They would be fun with some bells added but I didn't have any.

My box of ribbons continues to be the best sensory box in our house.

Later we worked on some fine motor activities.

 The snowman template is from  http://www.childcareland.com/

We worked on blowing cotton balls across the floor.