Silly question about messy/sensory play?

[flowerpots]

I havent really done much messy/sensory play with my little ones because im not really sure what to do

I know that sounds really silly.

If i wanted to do pasta play, do i just tip pasta into the sand table and let them get on with it, maybe with some cups and spoons? or is that too simple?

[miffy]

Sounds fine to me

I vary it according to what the children are interested in, so if they like filling and emptying containers then what you've suggested is fine, if they like making tracks I might put wet sand and cars or if they like hiding things I might put toys hidden in shredded paper.

Experiment and have some fun

Miffy xx

[RainbowMum]

Thats a good place to start, see how they enjoy it and then you can add other ideas next time - small diggers and loaders. You can also use cooked pasta, put adrizzle of oil in the tray with it to stop it getting sticky.

Have fun

[peppa Pig]

sounds good to me, mine had a fabulous time at the children's centre last week with just a bowl of rice crispies and some spoons, you'll be amazed how much fun it can be.

[lulubelle]

Mine were entertained all afternoon with a couple of bags of lentils the other day, we had cars in there and some pouring and scooping things!

[Monkey26]

We have "Sensory Tuesday" at our house as we have 7 under 5's on a Tuesday so it can be difficult getting to the children centre/toddler groups etc...

Some examples include...

* pasta and lentil play - started with dried pasta shapes and spaghetti, as they started to look bored we added some coloured pasta (food dye!), some part cooked and some fully cooked.

* baked beans and spaghetti play - started with cold baked beans, added warm baked beans, then later some spaghetti hoops.

* cornflour and water play - added various food dyes and cocoa powder as they started to loose enthuasium.

* shaving foam play - as above

* marble paintings - using small (a5) plant boxes with a piece of paper in the bottom, dipped marble in paint and then rolled the marble around the box

* jelly play - started with jelly cubes, later added part set jelly, fully set jelly and mixed but not set jelly (ie sticky coloured flavoured water!)

* sand play - you can buy coloured sand in most homebase stores, add water to certain parts etc

* water play - add fairy liquid, food dye etc

* glittery paint - allow the kids in walk around in it and then step out onto the paper covered floor

* sensory dough - add glitter, food dye, small stones, feathers etc

To be honest, we usually just sit all the kids around the tray - one of those big turf spots (i think thats what they are called, i got it with tesco vouchers!) - and let them get messy/stuck in, we have spoons, forks, cars, plastic figures, different size containers on hand etc but they don't always get used as the kids use their imagination and what they have in front of them to enjoy the play - got some fab observations with the pasta play when the YOUNGEST mindee started threading the pasta shapes onto the spaghetti then laughed hysterically when the spaghetti snapped under the weight x

[The Juggler]

it can be anything hon. actually mixing pasta tubes with something like couscous or semolina or just sand is good as they see the sand fill up and flow through the tubes or they can bury them and find them again.

lots of good ideas above - have fun.

[PixiePetal]

my 3yr old mindee spent 1.5 hours playing with pasta penne in the tuff spot - with diggers and dump trucks this week - will add something else next week