I know we have all been pretty antsy at home due to COVID-19, some more than others, especially parents. It is difficult being home without a job, but it is extra aggravating when you have a child constantly wanting to be up in your space because they are bored and have nothing to do. I have a great way to curb the boring times with the use of sensory play.
Sensory play is any type of play that stimulates the senses; Smell, touch, sight, hearing, and tasting. This can be very helpful to a child and be very fun! Sensory play helps a child’s cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral development, along with speech. Different types of sensory play work more on specific types of development.
This fun activity only requires a few ingredients and has little to no mess! You can do this activity multiple ways and most ingredients you will already have in your home. You can either keep this activity as a sensory play or you can even make it into an art project and make it into paint.
I love to make this activity at home: Fake Snow! To make fake snow my personal favorite way you will need a bowl or bin, cornstarch, and conditioner or lotion. You add one bag, 16 oz, of cornstarch and 1 cup of lotion/ conditioner and mix it together until it becomes sticky and clump together with little pressure added. Feel free to add different items into the fake snow like pine cones or everyday items you find in the house to give more items to explore how to use and incorporate the items into the snow.
Ways fake snow can help development:
Social/Emotional: safe outlet for extra energy or emotions (pound it or squeeze it), can create a way to cope with strong feelings, also collaboration if a sibling or parent plays with them.
Cognitive: extreme creative outlet to build and shape whatever comes to mind, symbolic thinking, and pretend play.
Language: expressing thoughts and feelings with words ex. I am squishing the snowman and widening vocabulary.
Physical: use of fine motor skills
Behavioral: Collaboration and stress relief
Here are some more links about Fake Snow