Quick Setup Sensory Play

By now you should know that I have a sensory seeker, and with that said, I have to be ready to give her sensory experiences sometimes without having time to plan it. This sensory activity was one of those.

What actually happened here, was that my daughter found a bag of maize rice in the pantry, and asked me what it was. I explained to her that is is food, if it is cooked, but I did buy it for them to play with(actually for another post). Immediately she was all excited, could not wait to get her hands on it. So I asked her how she wanted to play with it, and this is the key with sensory play: keep it child-led. You can have educational input during this time, but having an open mind, not expecting anything (especially with a sensory seeker). This will have more value than you trying to “teach” some skills. They will learn in their own way, with their senses, at their own time, just provide the opportunity.

She wanted to play with the food utensils and went to choose the ones she wanted. Then she said she will “feed” her children, and gave each “child” a plate and spoon. (See: one on one correspondence skills working here)

With spooning the rice into the plates, skills like hand eye coordination, fine motor skills, estimation etc. are developing, without forcing it.
Read more on the benefits of sensory play to get more information.

The two of them played together, and tasted it too!
This time we played outside, on a cloth, making cleaning easier.

How do your kids enjoy playing with sensory material?
Also see this awesome book for loads of Rice Play Ideas!