Kinetic sand

A while ago as i was passing through a craft store i happened to come across Kinetic sand that was on display, i touched the sand that was out and had a quick look at it.

 I was in a hurry though and i couldn't make a choice there and then if i should get it so i left it. 

Over the past couple of weeks its gone through my mind and the more i thought about it the more i liked the idea of getting it, i could see no downside.

I was right. 

The only one thing that sticks with me is the price. 

When i do activities i aim to spend as little as possible.

 I created this blog so that i can share my activities with you, so you too- can create sensory activities to enrich your littlies minds with everyday items you may already have in your house. 

So forgive me but yes this one cost.

The link to where you can buy it is here.

But the cost did outweigh the fun the boys had. 

Its such an odd sensation -this kinetic sand.

 Picture if you will a cross between playdough and sand only less squishy.

Its soft and when you grab a handful it flows away from your hand like a waterfall. You can mould things and shapes. It doesn't stick to hands, or tables or carpet (yuss - i love things that dont mark the carpet). 

Its super easy to tidy up and the kids walk away with no mess to clean. 

My boys sat for nearly an hour filling up little jelly moulds and making sandcastles with them, they absolutely enjoyed it.

This activity though is not for littlies who still like to put things in their mouths as though its non toxic its probably not a great idea for it to be swallowed!

I highly recommend the kinetic sand, it can be stored away for another time and its such a great sensory activity- for that fine motor, cognitive and tactile stimulation.

Sensory bottles

I created these sensory bottles for the boys last holidays and they proved to be a hit, even now they'll stop and shake them about watching the colours and shapes float around inside the bottle.

To make:

I found some little soda bottles and emptied out the soda.

I added water almost to the top then put some confetti, glitter, googly eyes and even pompoms.

I mixed it up, making bottles of blue, some of green.

Once I had added the pretty things to the bottles I super glued the lids on so there would be no accidents.

 The baby especially loved these bottles. This activity is good for visual and cognitive stimulation as well as gross/fine motor having to use their muscles to make the bottle shake. Its also great for learning about cause and effect.

We had friends around with their children who sat shaking the bottles and watching the glitter or confetti float about,

Easy and quick to make.

A toy that keeps for a long time!

Drawing on windows

Last holiday break I bought these crayola window crayons. 

The boys loved them, they spent ages drawing on the windows. 

Using different tools like chalk/paint brushes/pens/crayons even doing an activity like finger painting- anything that encourages the use of their hands; making circles, drawing lines, attempting letters all help develop fine motor skills and the muscles in the hands needed for writing or to turn a page or pick up an object

Its also a great activity for them to develop cognitive skills- thinking, interpreting their pictures and  imagination.

The window crayons made by crayola are easy to clean off the windows - just some window spray and a cloth is all you need.

The window crayons aren't the cheapest thing to buy- but they do last a long time.

Alternatively I have in the past used felts or coloured markers on the windows, even whiteboard markers. They don't show up as much as the window crayons but still work and still come off with window cleaner. 

Do note: Make sure you do a test if using markers on a corner of a window or a mirror or even glass bottle first to make sure it comes off.

To the right side of my blog I have added some links related to fine motor and cognitive development if you are interested!

Posting

 Posting is a such a great indoor activity that requires very little materials. 

I bought these cardboard tubes from a stationery shop but you could use any card board tube from a  toilet roll or paper towel roll even a piece of card rolled into a tube shape.

I taped the tubes to the window (thought the tape might strip the paint off the walls) but you could try a door. Then i gave them all some large pom poms i had lying about. I'm not quite sure what is so fascinating to little minds about posting but they loved it, they spent a decent amount of time posting the pom poms through. 

After a while when i could see their interest fading so i gave them some little cars and their excitement for posting came back.

For littlies like mine who are entering the posting stage you could leave a couple of these up in the house so that they can have a play.

Posting is a great developmental skill and milestone to do with hand eye co ordination and problem solving.