Monday, June 4, 2018

Sensory Play: Messy Learning and Fun

A colleague and I created a STARS class (for child care providers and parents) all about Sensory/Messy Learning.  It was A LOT of work, but so, so much fun!!  We mostly focused on touch, sight and smell but also addressed taste and sound. 


Books Display about the five senses and messy play
including:  Edward Gets Messy; The Power of Play; Loose Parts

We had a nice turn out for our program.  We had an hour long powerpoint presentation about the WHY and the HOW of messy play; then participates got to experience stations with messy play!

Shaving Cream!

Dough
Ratio: 6 Baking Soda to 1 hair conditioner 

Clean Mud
TP, shredded Ivory bar soap, and warm water
(ratios: 1 to 1 to 1)

Goop
Ratio 1 Cornstarch to 1/2 water


Water Beads


Beans

Packing Peanuts

Shredded Paper

Fun/Random items on Contact Paper

Also:
Cloud Dough (Ratio: 1 baby oil to 8 flour)
Another fun silky smoothly dough (Ratio: 1 Palmolive or Dawn Dish Soap to 2 Cornstarch) 
Sand

We did run into a few problems was concerns with state regulations in regards to using "food items" as "play items"--beans, rice, flour; and soap that can go rancid.  From our own research we didn't find anything that strict--just not things like painting with pudding, playing with cooked spaghetti (ready to eat items).  So we encouraged them to talk to their coaches about specifics.

We will probably be doing this class again in 2019.

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