In my never ending quest to find new sensory play experiences for my kids, I recently happened upon a material that was new to me called play foam. Play foam is a wonderful sensory material because it is very moldable, yet doesn’t stick to hands or other surfaces and clean up is a breeze. It also provides good fine motor practice. Plus, the bright colors make it so inviting to engage with!
One recent morning when my husband and I were doing some cooking, I set out our play foam and some cupcake liners and invited the kids to play. Little did I know just how much fun QBoy and XGirl would have with this awesome sensory play experience!
The kids started by making cupcakes.
Of course, they needed candles to make their cupcakes complete.
And they just kept adding to their cupcakes until they were truly quite beautiful.
Eventually, the cupcakes were so big I couldn’t see the liners anymore!
After more than an hour (seriously!!) of cupcake making, QBoy decided to make some pizza as well. He had a great time pounding the play foam flat to make his crust.
And then he started balling up his play foam and hiding objects inside.
And I even took a quick break from cooking to make a little snowman.
After two whole hours (!!) of engaging in this wonderful sensory experience, my husband and I eventually had to make the kids stop so we could clean up and eat lunch. This activity was such a hit, I know for sure we’ll get a lot more use out of our play foam.
More sensory play resources
For more activities that will delight the senses, see my Sensory Play page and my Sensory Play Pinterest board.
Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Sensory Play on Pinterest.
Products mentioned in this post:
Emma says
August 4, 2013 at 11:20 amI saw this stuff at the dollar store but I wasn’t sure whether to buy it or not. But now I know to pick it up next time I see it. Great that your little ones played for an hour making “cupcakes” (I’m jealous – LOL!)
Katie says
August 4, 2013 at 2:55 pmI didn’t know how it would go either, but they LOVED it! And it was really easy to clean up as well (which *I* love).
Andrea @ No Doubt Learning says
August 6, 2013 at 8:31 amI love all the colors!
Angela @ Teaching Mama says
August 8, 2013 at 11:18 amThis looks like so much fun! Thanks for linking up at Tender Moments!
Kristina @ SchoolTimeSnippets says
August 8, 2013 at 11:57 amDefinitely need to add this to my craft arsenal for my toddler! I think she would LOVE it! And bonus that it is easy to clean up!
Katie says
August 8, 2013 at 1:20 pmI couldn’t believe how long my kids played with this stuff!