This week, I’m happy to report that we did have some wonderful sensory play. Our play dough tools got a good workout and so did our dustpan and broom.

 
An Instagram from the week that has been:

Here are some wonderful sensory plays from last week’s Weekly Kids’ Co-op:

Zayit and Ziva: Spaghetti Painting

Atkinson Drive: Edible Finger Paints

Taming the Goblin: Shark Sensory Play

What will you share this week?

 
The Weekly Kids’ Co-op is co-hosted by a group of 50 fun kids’ blogs. Add your child-focused link here and we’ll share your idea across all of our child-focused blogs.

 
We’ll pin the best on our very popular Weekly Kids Co-op Pinterest board. Don’t forget to follow The Kids Co-op on Facebook.

Nov 2012

The post The Weekly Kids’ Co-op: Sensory Play by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

 
Recently, I had the pleasure of spending the afternoon (and evening) at a hens party. I felt like I had snuck out of my mother hen chicken coop into a mostly non-mother hen chicken coop. It was quiet. It was clean. I enjoyed a hot cup of tea. I was on a mini-holiday!

 
We had a wonderful time. Games were played. Laughs were had. Memories were made. Advice was shared from married hens to the soon-to-be married hen….(and there were many laughs!)

 
That’s the wonderful thing about friendship and being in a community. Advice and stories are shared as we each travel along our own paths.

 
The blogging community is where I first discovered the value of Messy Play for children. My children are better for it. I’m better for it, and I want all my readers to take on our Messy Play 4 Week Challenge and be better for it.

Messy Play

Why Messy Play?

 
Messy play forms part of a child’s enriched environment. It is helpful for their development.

A child’s early experiences at touching and being touched, through their infancy, toddler and preschool years are incredibly important for not only developing tactile sensitivity, motor skills and understanding the physical world but also for their overall health and emotional well-being. Eliot (1999, p.123).

The 4 Week Messy Play Challenge

 
Challenge yourself to not dismiss or discourage a child’s tactile disposition because it may clash with your disposition.

 
Be mindful of the words you use and the messages your body language and facial gestures may convey. (Try your best to not wrinkle your nose or utter, “Oh, what a mess!”).

 
Do one Messy Play each week.

• Sensory Play with Gelatine
• Shaving Cream Car Wash
• DIY Moon Sand (or Cloud Dough)
• Messy Play with Rice

Want a Hand with Cleaning Up?

 
To help you with the clean up, we’re really happy to have three sets of Dettol Power and Pure packs to giveaway. A pack consists of a Dettol Power and Pure Multipurpose Spray for kitchen messes with an Oxygen Splash fragrance, and a Bathroom Spray, with a Fresh Mountain Spring fragrance, ideal for removing tough soap scum.

We gave the new Dettol Power & Pure Multipurpose Spray for kitchen messes a whirl after a Messy Play session. I was pretty chuffed. My kitchen smelt clean; the spray kills 99.9% of germs (such as Salmonella); and there are no harsh chemical residues.

For a chance to win one pack of Dettol Power & Pure Multipurpose Spray and Bathroom spray, in the comments below, tell me in one word what you associate with the brand Dettol . The competition is open to Australian residents and closes 5pm (AEDST) 15th October, 2012. Please note the terms and conditions of the giveaway.

We want to hear your Messy Play 4 Week Challenge stories!

 
Take on our Messy Play 4 Week Challenge. It’s fun, your kids will love you for it and it is helpful for their development.

 
I would love to hear your Messy Play 4 Week Challenge stories over on our Lessons Learnt Journal Facebook Page.

The post Messy Play: 4 Week Challenge by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

 
This humble tub of rice backs me up and keeps me sane when dishes need to be washed; or dishes need to be put away; or meals need to be cooked; or all three of the above need to be done… (within 30 minutes).

Four (4) Messy Plays with Rice

 
Kids playing with a tub of rice is messy play. However, messy play with rice is a dry mess and worth the trouble to sweep up.

 
The tactile sensation of sifting fingers through dry rice feels wonderful. Furthermore, messy play with rice promotes tactile discrimination; enhancing a child’s ability to recognise and respond appropriately to various types of touch.

 
Here are our top four favourite messy plays with rice.

 
{ONE} SMALL WORLD PLAY. Add people and/or animal toys to the rice tub. Let your children’s imaginations run wild. Imaginary play strengthens visualisation, social awareness, playfulness and creativity. Bury them, find them, work as a team to fight the foe, celebrate with a rice shower, make rice angels. Go wild.

{TWO} DIY FUNNELS. Before you throw that cardboard box away, consider putting it through some sort of play service before it hits the recycling bin. We had fun transforming our tissue box and some cardboard into a rice factory. Normal rice goes into the top and wow – – – the rice factory transforms it into super rice; (food for our superheroes of course).

{THREE} RICE TEA PARTY. Add some toy teacups, a toy teapot, some spoons and invite some friends over for a delightful rice tea party. It’s so much fun pouring the rice out of the teapot into the teacups. Oh – and of course, would you like some (rice) sugar with that? Let me scoop one or two spoons for you. Stirring rice around with the spoon provides auditory (sound) and proprioceptive (body awareness) sensory feedback.

{FOUR} SCOOPING PLAY. When learning to scoop, it is easier to begin with larger objects (like scooping marbles). The act of scooping is great for using both hands together; and building up the strength and stability of hands, fingers, shoulders, elbows and wrists.

** Safety note: Activities using small items, like marbles may constitute a choking risk for small children and require close adult supervision.

N&M: 4 years, 3 months
E: 2 years, 2 months

September 2012

The post Messy Play with Rice by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.

Materials
Yarn
Thin Acrylic Paint
Paper

Method

Dip the yarn into the paint to make some squishy worms.

Swish and wriggle the squishy worms around paper to make some squishy worm prints.

Experiment with different types of yarn.

Relish those squishy worms!

N & M: 3 years, 9 months
E: 1 year, 8 months

The post Squishy Worms Painting by Pauline appeared first on Lessons Learnt Journal.