Living Sensory Box

This was our sensory box for the last few weeks and it was alive! Baby Daddy brought home a 'sheet' of this special type of plant used to cover green roofs. It was impossible not to want to play with this as it looked as though it had mini trees everywhere. We added a fence and some plastic farm animals that normally go with our Melissa and Doug Farm House and there you go a fun sensory box. 

At preschool we have grown our own grass int he sensory box to create such an affect and that in itself is a lot of fun. Spraying the grass with a water bottle to water it and then using scissors to cut the grass (sneaky skill building and fun to use scissors for something else then paper!) 

Water Table Fun!

With the weather being a little warmer we are able to set up the water table outside - finally! I love the water table for me it is one of the easiest set ups to do and there are so many possibilities and it provides hours of fun. Who does not need a little time to sit back and watch their child submerge themselves in play whilst you can daydream! 


Here are some of the set ups we have done so far. 

I like letting Baby T be the one to mix the colour into the water it looks so beautiful the way it creates a cloud of colour! We use water colour opposed to food colouring, I find it washes out nicely and does not stain hands like food colouring does. The blue that Baby T is pouring is diluted with water yet is still very bright. I also have a piece of plexiglass that acts as a shelf to put the frogs, jewels, cups & containers on. 

 I put out different sized containers, some jewels and some animal figures. The option is open to decide to use the set up for a dramatic play with the frogs or could involve themselves in more of a scientific play by pouring and mixing or even dropping items into the water. Baby T usually goes for pouring still.... occasionally pouring on the balcony or on mommy.... on a hot day I don't mind!

We have also done it with two colours to make a new colour like yellow + Blue to make green... MAGIC! 

Isn't it beautiful the way the colours cloud and then mix together! I love watching it and it takes all my effort to sometimes sit back and let Baby T enjoy figuring it out on her own with out my interruption or intervention. Lucky for me she asks me to come play pretty quick and I can not resist playing with her and the water table. Yes sometimes I reluctantly leave my daydreaming....

We are so lucky that we have this great water table - thanks to baby daddy for making it! It may look basic and plain to many unlike the bright flashy ones you find in the store but plain has it's advantages. For one the table itself is not the focus of the play it is the background and therefore what we put in can be varied and attract the interest not the table itself. If the table took all the attention with it's flashy colours and neat gismos I think the 'table' could fall out of favour with a child's interest far sooner rather then the activity it holds (be is sand, popcorn, water). Not to mention a flashy table takes away from what is happening and the beauty that can be created!  I wish there were plain tables available to buy that were not stupidly expensive. 


More water table fun to come - I just need to take more pictures!! 

Toddler Art with Tape

Notice how I did not say 'craft'. To me this is art, there is no direction just me laying out materials and letting the children explore and create with them. I think more is gained in exploring the process rather then me directing what should happen, how to use the material (unless of course it is necessary for safety or my sanity!) and what the final product should look like. To me creativity and learning should be about the process not the product but in this case I have to say the product is very pretty! 

Set up is nice and easy - paper and cut pieces of tape. I used some plastic tub-like things to stick the tape to but one could use plastic glasses or something instead. For older children I would offer scissors and the roll of tape to they can cut it themselves, it makes for good practice and trust me kids can do this. The tape I used is coloured masking tape which I bought at a local daycare supply store however there are lots of sources on the internet. 

I let them loose at the table and they quickly got to it. Great fine motor skills at work with use of their pincher grasp to get the tape and them placing it in the spot they want and taping it down. The process of choosing where to place the tape is also using their spacial awareness and early math skills!  

Taping can get tricky when it sticks to itself but it is a great experience for how the material works and how one can still use it even so. Baby T did get a little annoyed at first saying 'oh no!' but a little explanation on how you can still use it seemed to make her happy. 

Baby T attempting to get herself a pice from the big roll. She was fascinated by how it stuck and then you could pull it apart and eventually stick it again. 

After taping was well underway I brought out the crayons to extend the project further. There was interest in how you could colour on the tape and how it was different then on paper by the texture and how the colour was different.  

All in all it is a very easy and fun activity which has been out every second day by request. The finished products are stuck on the wall at the moment and Baby T has been walking by says 'WOW'.... 'WOW!' I think she likes her art work and so do I. 

Little Ocean Pasta Sensory Box

As promised here is something I created using the rainbow died pasta from the sensory pasta box  . I decided to take a pice of tinfoil to place at the bottom of the wood tray, it's nice and reflective and looks shimmery like water too me, I added the cool colours of pasta on top, a couple of little plastic cups from the dollar store, pom poms, jewls (glass bead things)  and some small sea animal figurines.  


The cups are great for propping up the animals, for shorting the pasta, collecting pasta or as little homes for the animals. 

This is a fun little activity I have in Baby T's playroom on top of the Ikea expedite. It's the perfect hight for T to play wish and enjoy whilst she is having some independent time.  Occasionally the whole thing gets dumped which does not bother me, if I am there when it happens I usually prompt her to set it up herself, her own way and that is fun to watch too. 

This activity is great for fine motor skills, sorting, collecting and dramatic play. I set this up shortly after a trip to the aquarium and it was a way for Baby T to act out what she saw and process the trip. 

Happy sensory box playing!  

Sensory Spice Play

This was a fun little activity we did during a rainy day. I took a bunch of spices off the shelf and put them on the table for Baby T and I do explore.  

Baby T grabbing a spice jar... very excited to get her hands on them as she always sees me using them

I suggested she smell them, which she gladly did. Funny thing was after smelling them she said "Flower"! I suppose since we normally smell flowers she associated smell with flower. We talked a bit about how many things have smells and some are stinky (which we often laugh about during diaper changes) and some are nice like flowers. Baby T obviously liked the spices since she often said "hmmm" after a sniff. 

Baby T tasted some of the spices too - afraid I was not fast enought to get pictures of the facial expressions but they were good! 

So there you go a little something different to break up the play, talk, learn and explore the senses!  

Rainbow pasta sensory box

Here is another one of our recent sensory boxes. 

I took some pasta, I found these great wheel shapes, and dyed them colours of the rainbow. You can dye by taking your pasta, rice etc put them in a zip lock bag with 1 tbs colour (I used liquid water colour bought from a daycare supply store) and 1 1/2 tbs of vinegare34d and mix. Once the pasta has been nicely coloured lay it out on a flat surface to dry, I put mine on backing sheets. 

I think they look wonderfully awesome and the kids that have come around to play with it I think agree as it took up a lot of their attention. I added some clear cups (old apple sauce containers) some tall tub-like containers (these are for breast milk storage but in preschool we also have used those cheep gerber baby bottles) and occasionally some other bowls and shovels. 

The rainbow pasta was a great way for Baby T to explore the colours of the rainbow and begin to recognize them. We sang songs and played games with the colours. She still has not mastered it though as this is not her focus of interest right now and I don't push it if it's not what she wants to learn. I doubt she will enter elementary school not knowing her colours so why drill it into her right now? 

Baby T does however like to fill and pour with the cups and tubes. She also likes to transport the pasta. So to facilitate that but not get frustrated with finding little piles of pasta round the house I offered her a larger bowl to transport the pasta to. I also remind her that we keep that pasta in the box or in the bowl when we play with it and she seems good with that reminder. 

So there you have a very pretty little sensory box that lasted in our house for well over a month maybe it was two months! I have kept the pasta and stared to use it for other play activates which I hope to share soon. 


To see our other sensory boxes look here or check the labels on at the top of the bar to your right under sensory. 

Sensory Box Explorations

Oh how I love the sensory box and kids tend to love them so much they spend a fair amount of time exploring them. Sensory boxes can be any kind of box, bin, or container full of fun items that engage the senses you know, touch, sound, smell and sometimes taste (for Taya taste is still important at 20 months!)


We have had a few over the past year so I have a little catch up to do on this post and in the future I hope to post one at a time as we are doing them. 


We started when Taya was about 9 months but you could start way sooner - there are so many possibilities and if you think about it a bath is a sensory experience too. 

Taya playing with water coloured ice cubes (water colours wash out way better then food colouring). I used IKEA fish and flower ice cube trays

we added a little water with the ice cubes which melted after a little while in the sun

Once Baby T was walking I asked my wonderful babydaddy to build me a sensory table (I am lucky he is handy!). Baby T was very used to having a sensory box on the floor but she would almost always want to sit in it amongst the play. Really though who wouldn't want to explore it while sitting in it what ever it is?! With her standing over the box it changed the experience and what she did with the items in the box. We still on occasion will take the tub and put it on the floor for her to explore. 

Here is the box filled with rolled oats which was great for her to explore in her hand and mouth! I added pine cones, they made a great sound when pouring oats over.

Here was our Christmas sensory box. I put garlands, bells, ornaments, candy cane decorations. It was fun for the holidays and was a great place for her to explore christmas stuff without taking everything off our tree! 

One thing to keep in mind with sensory items is to start simple. Coloured sand is beautiful but to a child regular sand is amazing - in fact try really looking at it again it is just as intriguing as coloured sand. Keep the scoops and containers minimal or just pick one to start. Once the initial investigation has taken place slowly add more intriguing items to the box. This extends the child's experience their knowledge of the items and makes it possible to use the boxes for longer periods of time. Another thing to remember that it can possibly be overwhelming to be presented with a box full of a sensory item and many tools which then might dictate the type of play that occurs. 

Through a sensory box children learn: 

Math Concepts 

By playing with cups, spoons etc they discover the idea of volume, more, less, full, empty, weight.  

Science concepts 

What happens if..... (fill in the blank) or what is happening (referring to melting, changing colours etc) 

The photos above our a bunch of the boxes we have done so far. I have our current sensory box to post shortly but wanted to get these one out there. Hope you try your own they are lots of fun! 

Sticky Pictures

This is one of my favourite activities as their are so many possibilities for what you can do and they look so beautiful! 


The idea behind sticky pictures when we did them as an activity in preschool was that it was the precursor to using glue. By using a sticky surface the child experiences how they can place items on it and that they stay put. The child can either choosing to just explore the idea of sticking/unsticking, placing items in specific places to create spaces of interest, to just explore dumping items or all of these explorations together. Though the exploration is great for the toddler crowd it also is an amazing one for older children especially is you create more complex patterns, mosaics or pictures. 

I set this one up for three littles to do together- it was fun! 

I set this one up for two littles and it was an Easter time so there is an egg and rabbits etc

The 'sticky paper' is actually contact paper which you would normally use stick on shelving or drawers to protect the surface (I also saw someone using it to line their entire fridge on pininterest so that when it's dirty you just peel away!). I purchase our contact paper at the local dollar store or hardware store. Cut to size and tape onto a surface or cut out a shape on a pice of pater and stick the contact paper to that so that the child then sticks items within that shape. 

Look at that fine motor skill! Picking up and placing small items is great for working that pincher grasp. 

Another great look at fine motor and placement skills developing 

The end results in my opinion are beautiful, I actually have a hard time taking them down and disposing of them. 

The items I usually have on hand for sticking are: foam pieces, sequins, paper punch outs from whole punches or craft punches, pieces of cut up straws, plastic bread bag clips, plastic lids, scraps of coloured tissue, scraps of gift wrap... the list goes on and there is really no limit. 

So what is so great about the fine motor skills and pincher grasp? They work the small muscles in the hand which eventually will be strong enough and help hold pencils and pens so essentially this is a prewriting exercise! Ha who would have thought that sticking stuff was beneficial in learning to write and more so then worksheets! (ahem FYI I loath worksheets both personally and as a teacher) 

A Few Of Our Favourite Toys

This post has been in the making for some time. I have had friends who have ask what our favorite toys are and why so here it goes.....

Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Barn : We have had this since Baby T's first birthday and it is still a big hit! At 20 months Baby T is actively imaginatively playing with it, not that she was not before but the play has changed from discovering the animals and placing them in various places to feeing the animals and putting them to bed.  This product is well made and even though it says 3+ on it I think it is fabulous for the younger kids too. 

Animal figurines : The farm animals we have came with our barn and since then we have gotten some 'zoo animals' and some 'ocean animals' as an addition. I would still like to get more but I find it hard to find the larger size animals at a good price and that are good quality. Animal figurines have a long 'play lifespan' and can be used in dramatic play, science discussions, and they are wonderful for painting with too (use them to print or as a canvas). 

Blocks : These never get old! Stack them, knock them down, sort, make a city there are a million things you can do with blocks and they are timeless. Currently we have the three styles you see in the above pictures by I really, really want the natural ones like these natural branch blocks.  

Rainbow Arch :  This is one of the most beautiful toys. We use it for building but it is also a puzzle and it's used in play set ups I put together with the animal figurines. Again this toy has a long 'play lifespan' and you can get more and more intricate as the child masters it. I find it just as great for inspiration in art or in plays-capes. I bought it here. They have all sorts of different ones and I hope to get a few more. 

Plan Toys lacing Geo Beads : I love these, love them! They are beautiful and fun. I set them up all the time for Taya to play with mostly in plays-capes at the moment. The beads are a puzzle as well as lacing beads so it has many different functions for us.  

Ikea pots and pans : Ours actually are not Ikea they were a wonderful gift from my German uncle and aunt. The Ikea ones are similar though and I like them because they seem 'real' and kids seem to prefer the actual to the toy versions. These are favourites in our house and are often pulled out to play with. What child does not like helping in the kitchen?

Pom Poms : Are they not just stunning! We have a big ziplock bag full and we use these for tons of things. I keep a bow full of them with the pots and pans above, it becomes food for the animal figurines, I fill our sensory box with them (post on that soon!) we occasionally have pom pom rain where we throw it in the air and watch it land (gets most kids out of a funk) then use the rainbow arches as a 'snowplow' to collect them. Pom poms are great fun. 

Instruments : We have more then what you see here but this gives you an idea. I occasionally leave music playing in the room while Taya is playing and when I go back to check on her she is playing with her instruments.  I have fun with them too. 

Silks : These are another super versatile toy we have and one that also has a great 'play lifespan'. We started using these when baby T was a little baby. We have use them for peek-a-boo,  as well as running them across her skin as sensory play, hanging them up so she could crawl through them, pulling them out of a box (like the magic cloth box), blankets for her dolls, for dancing with. Later they will most likely be used for dress up, making forts etc. I bought one pre dyed and then I bought some plain while ones and dyed them with koolaid, Here are the instructions. 

Stroller + Dolls : This does not need much explanation but it is a favourite and high use toys in over here and when we have boys over they too LOVE the dolls and especially the stroller.  

Pull toys : Our pull toy is getting more and more use these days. It comes out every day at the moment for a run around our place - poor neighbours below, maybe I should put electrical tape on the wheels?.

Felt Board : I had babydaddy make this and it was easy. 1 Ikea frame, spray adhesive, some felt. Use spray adhesive to glue the felt on the backing of the frame, put the frame back together and put on wall - DONE. You can buy wonderful felt animals at amazon (so need to do this still!) or you can make your own which is pretty simple too. Taya likes to examine them and stick them on pull then off at the moment. In time she may start to tell stories or songs with them. At the preschool and daycares I have worked in kids love playing with felt boards. 




So there you have it our most used toys! I will have to take a picture of our play room so you all can see what it looks like.... hopefully I can get to that soon. 

It's cold, go play outside.

It is still cold were we live and I mean windy and wet kind of cold. In the last few weeks we have had snow, which I love though this last snowy rain - yuck, cold windy rain, which I hate. When we get a day that is not too rainy I insist we go outside.  As my lovely mother in-law says "your not made of cheese" and that we are not so out we go! 

Baby T in her full rain suite dubbed the muddy-buddy,these are so great! Here she is exploring some crabs we found at the beach but she would be happy to just examine the rocks and sand for hours if we let her... hmm maybe we should, though I might get board after an hour. 

Baby T most always enjoys it outside regardless of weather even if it seems miserably cold. The only negative would be that she won't keep gloves or a hat on but I don't blame her it gets in the way of her exploring. Maybe to some I should be a better parent and put those gloves on and slap no that hat repeatedly, meh maybe.


I would love to have a set up where she has her naps outside. Might sound crazy but there is one daycare in my area that has an out door nap area so kids do sleep outside in an undercover area. My cousin's son slept outside in his old style pram surrounded by snow, he was in a snow suite and covered with a feather duvet, had the best naps and I was jealous.To me this sounds wonderful!  

on a little hike exploring a creek, logs, leaves, birds so much to see and do! 

There have been many studies which sate that children are spending less and less time outside. Does being charted around in a stroller complete with rain shield count as outdoor time? I think this is a good question as more and more families push kids around whilst someone is jogging behind them or pull them around while someone is biking in front. Ironically the adult is getting all the exertion, the wind through their hair but were does this leave the kids? This is not to say that afterwards a family does not spend an hour running around after their kids in the park but it does make me wonder. What do kids need from outdoor play?

"As all children frequently experience anxiety, disappointment, and even anger, a vigorous outdoor play activity can help relieve the child’s boredom or stress, and satisfy the child’s natural urge for adventure" CLEMENTS, R. (2004). An Investigation of the Status of Outdoor Play. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood , 5 (1), 68-80.

And what learning or development occurs through outdoor play? 

"Natural experiences such as collecting leaves, throwing stones in a pond, jumping over small brush or logs, building sandcastles, collecting sticks or nuts from the ground, or creating hiding spaces challenge the child’s imagination and reasoning abilities." CLEMENTS, R. (2004). An Investigation of the Status of Outdoor Play. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood , 5 (1), 68-80.

For me the best par of physical exertion and fresh air is that we all get good naps and night time sleeps in this house -score! 

Here is a little video of our puddle play. I can't stand my voice in this and it was initially made for Baby T 's dad to give him a snippet of what we did that day... so please forgive the whinny voice and my ridiculous directions for Baby T to reenact her dancing.  

This and that

Thought I would write a quick post with some photos which shows the current play going on in our house. 


The other day I myself felt a bit board and I am sure Baby T was not board, she always finds something to do and things figure out in her growing world. Anyway I decided to set out a provocation for her to see what she  would do with it. This is what we did : 

I had acquired this great plexiglass tube from a beloved open ended art store in my area, I have had it for years knowing it would be fun with kids and it soooo it! So I pulled out the tube, gathered all the balls we have and put them in a basket underneath. Voila an hour of fun! Not everyone is going to find a tub like this but you could easily use a ramp. I have made them out of cardboard before and at the preschool I taught at we used a pice or baseboard or moulding from the hardware store. 

We ended up switching the balls for our pom poms and then used our blocks too! 

Aren't pom poms beautiful! 

I caught Baby T trying on a hat whilst looking at herself in the mirror so decided to put all her hats (man she has a lot of hats!) in  a basket by the mirror.

She spent a fair amount of time the first day trying on all the different hats and a hair band as well. She goes everyday or second day and tries on the hats. I love watching her. 

Her skill at putting on hats has improved a ton and watching her figure out the mirror and using her reflection to help her has been priceless! She has one hat that has ears, I called it her bear hat and she growls every time she wears it - cuteness! Will try to get a photo of the bear soon.