C has always been a fan of sensory play. She loves to touch and feel different textures, discover the various smells of herbs, spices, and flavours. And this probably explains her love for baking as well!
So here is a list of her favourite sensory activities to share:
Oobleck!
You will need:
1 1/2 cup cornstarch
1 cup water
(Optional) Food colouring
Mixing bowl
Large pan or tray
Note: If you would like a thicker consistency to your Oobleck, you can add more cornstarch.
The name Oobleck actually came from a book by Dr. Seuss, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. It's a story about a king who was bored with regular weather, and gets his royal magicians to create something new and exciting to fall from the sky. He ends up with green globs called Oobleck!
Well, Oobleck is actually a suspension of cornstarch in water. The cornstarch does not dissolve into the water. If we leave the mixture aside long enough, there will be a layer of cornstarch settled at the bottom, with the water on top.
Depending on how much pressure we apply to the Oobleck mixture, it can behave either as a solid or liquid, which makes it a fun sensory experience!
C feeling the texture of the cornstarch before adding water.
Adding 1/2 cup of water with green food colouring.
Great way to learn the usage of a measuring cup, and to have some practice pouring liquids.
No spills!
C getting her hands in to stir the cornstarch and coloured water.
Feels like a solid when squeezed hard suddenly, but becomes a liquid when you relax your grip.
I loved playing with this too!
C having fun!
Oobleck can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag.
We'll definitely be playing with Oobleck again! Perhaps we will try adding another colour next time!
Kinetic Sand
We bought this amazing Kinetic Sand online. It is a great way to enjoy sand play without getting bitten by sand flies or bugs, and I do wish we had more beautiful beaches here in Singapore. Anyway, this sand is wonderful because it is easy to mould, and is extremely easy to maintain. C gets a kick out of searching for 'treasure' buried in the sand, build lovely sand castles or even 'bake' pretend sand cakes.
Some sea shells to add to the mood!
Really easy to mould!
A cherry on top of her airplane! C can create anything with her imagination!
C can spend at least an hour playing this!
Play with Clay - Opening a Cafe!
Another fun activity that C loves is playing with clay. The texture of clay is a little different from Playdoh, and even though C also enjoys Playdoh, she really loves moulding with clay, since she gets to let her creations dry up and stay the way they are!
Here C came up with an idea to be a cafe owner, and together we came up with a menu, and created the food items with clay!
Clay in primary colours. So we had to mix the colours to get the specific colour we wanted.
C creating the vegetables for her salad.
Proud of her creation!
Reading her menu to her 'customer'.
Preparing the food ordered.
It was also a fantastic way to teach C about addition, as each food item on the menu had a price listed. So we had her tally up my food order and the cost of it. Here's a printable menu that you can download to do some pretend play with your kids as well!
Spurbox Sensory Box
We got this sensory play box from Spurbox last Christmas. It came with fake snow, clay, scoops, moulds, buttons, tinsel and pipe cleaners. C loves making snowmen out of the fake snow, and decorating it with the buttons and pipe cleaners! The moulds were also great for baking gingerbreadman cookies during Christmas!
A snowman!
A blue pipecleaner as a scarf!
C having loads of fun!
Fun Smells! Scratch and Sniff!
A scratch and sniff chart with various smells!
Scratch and sniff stickers!
C loves discovering new smells, especially in the kitchen! She has explored my pantry filled with various herbs and spices, and she simply loves the smell of vanilla! Rosemary being a close second. So I thought it would be fun to come up with a fun smell chart, using scratch and sniff stickers! There are smells like vanilla, peppermint, gingerbread, lemon meringue, etc. We have loads of fun blindfolding ourselves and guessing the smells! If you are keen to get some scratch and sniff stickers, do drop me a message as I ordered loads of extra ones!
So there, I hope this list gives you some new ideas to explore, learn and play together with your kids! Wishing all a great week ahead! :)
It's Library Day for C today! We've been making it a point to visit the library every two weeks, and C is always excited every single time. She adores reading, and we are constantly discovering new authors who make reading for kids so much more enjoyable. Here's a list of her favourites thus far, and I'm sure new ones will be discovered through her journey of READING!
By Eric Carle:
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a very popular children's book about a caterpillar's journey in becoming a beautiful butterfly! It provides the child an introduction to the days of the week, as well as basic counting as well. Overall, a very enjoyable read with cute illustration.
10 Little Rubber Ducks
10 Little Rubber Ducks is also by Eric Carle. It's about how a ship's cargo got tossed into the ocean one day, and these 10 little rubber ducks fall out of the cargo box. Each rubber duck lands up in a different place, and they encounter different animals along the way.
A House for Hermit Crab
A House for Hermit Crab by Eric Carle is a wonderful story about a hermit crab looking for a new shell. As it moves through the months of the year, it finds different friends to keep him company, while they add beauty and excitement to his shell. A great way to teach children about the months of the year.
The Tiny Seed
The Tiny Seed is about a little seed who sails along with other fellow seeds from a flower pod, and how despite it's tiny size, manages to bloom into a beautiful flower itself. This story also talks about the cycle through the different seasons of autumn, winter, spring and summer.
By Janet & Allam AhlBerg
The Jolly Postman
The Jolly Postman is a fun storybook that comprises of characters from various other stories like Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, etc. A few of the pages in this book resemble envelopes, and it's such a joy to pull out real letters from within. A must have if your child loves the idea of opening envelopes and reading letters!
By Giles Andreae
Commotion in the Ocean
Commotion in the Ocean by Giles Andreae is a book about different sea animals, each animal described with a catchy poem. The beautiful illustrations are by David Wojtowycz, and his wonderful pictures are brightly coloured and that keeps the book engaging for the child.
The Lion Who Wanted to Love
The Lion Who Wanted to Love is also by Giles Andreae. It's a lovely story about a compassionate little lion cub, who, instead of deciding to hunt and kill, decides to be friends with other animals in the jungle. His love for others eventually proves to be a valuable gift, and he gets welcomed back into his lion pride.
Giraffes Can't Dance
Giraffes Can't Dance is about a giraffe named Gerald who was laughed at during a Jungle Dance, where all the animals in the jungle gather each year. Initially upset and dejected, he meets a cricket who teaches him to understand that everyone is unique, and discovers that he just needs a different kind of music to be able to dance.
Rumble in the Jungle
Rumble in the Jungle by Giles Andreae is a collection of catchy poems about various animals you can find in the jungle. It's another delightful collaboration between Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz, and a fun way to teach children about animals.
By Oliver Jeffers
How to Catch a Star
How to Catch a Star by Oliver Jeffers is about a little boy who always wished to have a star of his very own. He thought about many ways to fulfil his wish, and finally through patience and sheer perseverance, he manages to get a star... along the shore.
Lost and Found
Lost and Found is a heartwarming story about how a boy and a penguin became the best of friends. The boy tried many ways to help his new friend find his way home, but realized in the end, the penguin just wanted to be together with him.
Up and Down
Up and Down is a continuation of the previous story, Lost and Found. The boy's penguin friend decided one day that he wanted to fly. So the boy tried to help him. Until one day, the two got separated in their search for an answer to make the penguin fly. In the end, the boy comes to his rescue and they both agree that penguins can't fly after all.
By Julia Donaldson
The Snail and the Whale
The Snail and the Whale is an amazing book about how a tiny snail experiences a whirlwind adventure on the tail of a humpback whale. She ventures far and wide, and despite her tiny stature, she manages to help rescue the humongous whale who got stuck on the beach one day.
Monkey Puzzle
Monkey Puzzle is a rhyming story of how a little monkey lost his mum, and a helpful butterfly tries really hard to help him. She had trouble helping the monkey as she didn't know how his mum looked like.
The Gruffalo
The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson is about how a small mouse cleverly escapes being eaten by a fox, owl and a snake. He comes up with a creature and calls it a Gruffalo, and to his surprise, a Gruffalo really appears!
By Jonathan Emmett
What Friends Do Best
What Friends Do Best by Jonathan Emmettis a fantastic story that shares the notion that friends can be helpful and how sometimes, it may be a good thing to ask for help, especially when you are building a space rocket!
By Grace Maccarone
The Gingerbread Family
The Gingerbread Family by Grace Maccarone is a fascinating book that encompasses a scratch and sniff feature. It's a whimsical story about a gingerbread family who lives in a delicious land of candy! A great way to introduce a sensory experience while reading to your kids.
By Carol McCloud
Have You Filled a Bucket Today?
Have You Filled a Bucket Today? by Carol McCloud teaches children about being kind and loving to others, while sharing ideas about how positive behaviour can be rewarding and bring happiness to everyone around.
By Janan Cain
The Way I Feel
The Way I Feel by Janan Cain is a book that talks about different emotions. Beautiful and eye-catching illustrations provide our kids a visual understanding of various feelings.
By Margaret Wise Brown
Goodnight Moon
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brownis a popular bedtime book with simple illustrations by Clement Hurd. The repetitive rhythm of the book helps ease the mood into getting kids ready for bed.
By Ann Droyd
Goodnight iPad
Goodnight iPad by Ann Droyd is a parody of the book Goodnight Moon. It's a book that most of us can relate to. A good way to end the night by turning off all our electrical gadgets and go to sleep.
By Dr Seuss
Mr Brown Can Moo! Can You?
Mr Brown Can Moo! Can You? by Dr Seuss is one of C's favourite books. It is extremely catchy and memorable, and she loves making all the sounds in the book.
Dr Seuss' ABC
Dr Seuss' ABC was a fantastic way to introduce C to the alphabet. It teaches about upper and lowercase alphabets, in an enjoyable book of rhymes.
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish
One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish by Dr Seuss is a book that is fun and unpredictable, with loads of rhymes and full of jingles. Dr Seuss is by far, the most imaginative and creative author!
A Personalized Book for C!
And since C's birthday is arriving soon, I've ordered a very special gift for her... her very own personalized book by this amazing company called Lostmy.name. It's a magical, personalized story, based on the letters of her name! And if you follow this link, you will get 15% off your first book!
I can't wait to present her birthday present to her, and I'll definitely be capturing a video of her reaction when we read her the story! :)
