Messy Fun: Mud sculptures
Making mud pies or mud sculptures is fun for everyone (although a little bit messy!) and can lead to lots of imaginative scenarios.
Read moreSensory building blocks
What you need
- Tupperware containers (these will need to be see-through for the best effects)
- A selection of different objects and materials found around the home e.g. water with food colouring, cotton wool, tissues, bells, beads, stones
Benefits
Building and stacking blocks and containers is an important skill for babies and young toddlers and one that will develop hand-eye coordination and gross and fine motor skills. There is much joy to be had from stacking blocks and knocking them all down or even banging blocks together – a natural developmental stage for this age group.
Adding the sensory element to these homemade blocks make them even more appealing to your child who will enjoy seeing and hearing them as they stack, topple or crash to the floor!
The experience
You will need to prepare your ‘blocks’ ahead of when you want to play and explore. A selection of 3-6 is ideal and you will want a range of different sensory experiences such as something that feels heavier, things that are colourful, things that make a sound.
Examples could include, filling your container with a little sand, water (if it is coloured, even better!), dried rice or pasta, beads, pebbles or other stones, cotton wool balls, bits of shredded paper and anything else you can find!
Ensure the lids are securely on your containers and set up a floor space for your child to explore them. Encourage them to shake the containers, stack them on top of each other and perhaps build a tower- then enjoy knocking it down again! Mode what they can do with them as they will love watching you and possibly try to imitate what you have done.