A very simple invitation to sensory play

My grandson and I are exploring summer preschool together and for one of our first experiences I put out a simple invitation to play of shave cream on a tray.

His First Reaction

This was my two year old grandson’s first experience exploring shave cream which, by the way, looks a lot like whipped cream. Right out of the gate, he took his finger and scooped up a quick taste only to spit it out. We wiped his tongue and face and that was that last of the tasting he tried. Although I only put out a small mound of shave cream, my grandson saw it from across the room and brought a car over with him to see what this was all about.

He let the edge of the car touch the shave cream then drove around the shave cream for a bit while thinking about what to do next. Before a minute passed by, he brought over more cars to add to the shave cream tray.

Each car drove around the shave cream until they got closer, and closer, and then right through the middle.

My grandson then decided to explore the shave cream with his hands.

Why I Chose Cars

Sensory play, especially messy sensory play, can be a bit daunting for some children. They need to feel like they have control over the experience. My grandson took control by using his cars as a testing mechanism. In fact, I doubt that my grandson was even thinking about using his hands, but as the car play progressed, the idea of using his hands to explore became an appealing idea and a natural next step.

After rubbing the shave cream between his fingers and rubbing it around on the tray and even clapping the shave cream between his hands, my grandson was ready to wash up so we headed off to the sink. He was very concerned about washing his cars too – so we brought them along as well.

For each step of the shave cream experience, I let my grandson take the lead and responded as needed. Today was about introducing the idea of messy sensory play but keeping it at a level he was ready for so the interest will continue to build.

 

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Deborah J Stewart

Deborah J Stewart

Every time I think I know everything I need to know about teaching young children, God says, "Hold on a minute!" and gives me a new challenge.

Let me tell ya...

With each new challenge that you overcome, you will find yourself better equipped and more passionate about teaching young children.

God didn't call wimps to lead, teach, or care for His children. Nope, he has high expectations, so get ready. You will have to give your very best but after teaching for over 30 years, I can tell you that it is a wonderful and rewarding journey.

Whenever your calling feels hard, just remember, 'He who began a good work in you (and in the children you serve) will be faithful to complete it.'

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