As a mother passionate about nurturing my daughter Sofia's curiosity and development, sensory play has been a cornerstone of our educational journey. Through these engaging experiences, Sofia not only discovers new textures and sensations but also expands her cognitive and motor skills while having an absolute blast.
Why Sensory Play Matters:
Sensory play is crucial for toddlers like Sofia as it stimulates their senses, fostering cognitive, language, and social-emotional development. By engaging in activities like fake snow and chickpea snowballs, shredded coconut snow and snowflakes, and ice skating arctic animals on snowflake-shaped Gatorade ice cubes, Sofia not only explores various textures but also hones her fine motor skills and imaginative thinking.
Sofia adores these sensory setups. Her eyes light up when she dives into the fake snow and chickpea snowballs, reveling in the chilly touch and tactile exploration. The shredded coconut snow and snowflakes evoke giggles and soft sensory pleasure, while the ice skating arctic animals skating on Gatorade ice cubes transport her to an imaginative wintry wonderland.
The Ice Skating Rink Play Decor:
To elevate the ice skating experience, I've designed a thematic decor setup. A vibrant menu and a charming banner adorned with wintry motifs set the scene. Flags flutter around the rink, while cutouts of drinks and snacks add to the ambiance, enhancing Sofia's playtime immersion.
The SENSORY FILLERS:
Sensory play takes many shapes and forms and often depends on the kid’s age. Here are three different snow-play bins for a variety of ages including taste-safe options.
Real Ice Snowflake Skating Rink: For this sensory bin, I used real ice. I froze blue gatorade in order to give the ice some color, but you could also use food coloring if you’d like. I used this fun snowflake silicone mold in order to freeze the water and enable the little characters to float around on the ice. I used bath toys from the Target dollar spot and froze them on the top of the ice cubes. I also used a regular square mold and a sphere mold to add more ice to the bin. Sofie loved moving them around the ice and skating them around.
Fake Shredded Coconut Snow: For a taste-safe bin, I used a bag of shredded coconut from the local Trader Joe’s. I used this filler because Sofie loves to snack, but I also had a feeling she wouldn’t love the flavor and get too full before lunch. She really loved immersing her hands in the texture and squeezing and mushing it together. She even tried to make little snow balls. I added these wooden snowflakes and wool balls to the bin as well.
Fake Snow: For this bin, I used powdered fake snow. You just put the powder in the bin and add a bit of water and the snow instantly puffs up. It was both fun to watch it form and fun to squeeze and play with. We added some chickpea “snow balls” in order to make it even more fun to sift and stir.
Chickpeas, rice, and sand: Using our InspireMyPlayTray, we creating 5 different compartments. We used two shades of painted purple chickpeas, blue dyed salt, and white sushi rice. We poured the rice into the middle of the play tray, poured chickpeas around the outer edge, and blue salt in the middle. Then we used our resin pieces from @LittleOctoberHouse to make the Ice Skating Scene. We also used our GoodnightFox Animal Acrylic Charms for character small world play.
Vocabulary Words for Toddlers:
Skates
Snowflakes
Penguin
Arctic
Ice
Glide
Frosty
Chill
Slush
Winter
Skateboard
Snowball
Snowman
Blizzard
Frost
Freeze
Glacier
Icicle
Polar
Snowplow
Mittens
Snowfall
Snowboard
Figure Skating
Snowdrift
By incorporating these words into play, toddlers like Sofia not only immerse themselves in the theme but also expand their vocabulary, setting a strong foundation for future learning and communication.
Sensory play isn't just about fun; it's a gateway to holistic development, fostering creativity, cognitive growth, and joyful learning experiences. As Sofia delights in these sensory bins, I revel in witnessing her joy and development, knowing that each setup sparks new discoveries and fuels her imagination.
