If you enjoy crafting, like me. Then why not incorporate it into your child sensory play activities? I started by using our waste cardboard and making activites to play with in her Flisat table.
Sensory puzzles
This was the first thing I made. Which was a simple outline drawing of a giraffe then I just used strips of cardboard to create the barrier. Creating a sensory puzzle, perfect for filling with all sorts of coloured rice and lentil seeds.
I also made the counting stacking stones, which were so simple to make. All you need is stones (Ours were collected from the beach) then I purchased number stickers from The Range and stuck them in place and sealed them on with some PVA glue. Ours have had hours of fun! (Same process with the counting pegs)
For the coloured rice I purchased metallic acrylic paint (again from The Range) and divided rice into zip lock bags then added a different colour into each bag. Shake bags and smush together to mix well. Once all the rice is covered empty onto tin foil and separate to dry overnight.
Coloured rice is perfect for any activity! Whether its filling the sensory puzzles, helping with fine motor skills like using utensils to fill number/letter boards or simply just throwing a few pots and utensils in to play with. They can have hours of fun and if theyre stored in airtight containers theyll last for years!
2) The cutting swan
I absolutely loved making this one. Simply outline drawing of a cute swan with paint pens then cut out the feather like shapes out of plain paper and use pritt-stick or a hot glue gun to attract them. Add some child safe scissors ad you have a fun learning to cut activity. It's also easy to just add more feathers once they've been cut to get more out of the activity. You could use different coloured paper to make a parrot too.
3) Number sorting
Another great activity to use coloured rice for is the number sorting activity! I printed two lots of pretty watercolour number off and laminated them (to help preserve them fore longer) cutting out one lot of numbers and having the other on a sheet. Hiding the cut out numbers in the rice, adding a clean paint brush and other utensils to find the numbers an the sheet to match them too once found. This is a great activity and works well with lots of other themes..
This one would hav worked great with blue rice to make an ocean theme sensory tray
4)Making footprints
My little loved this activity and it was incredibly simple! All you need to do is print and laminate the foot pints. Again I printed too lots off to have some loose and a sheet. Then use playdouh and animals to make the footprints. Super simple! But hours of fun and again an activity you can keep coming back to if you keep the playdouh in an airtight container.
Same idea with this activity. Using wooden dinosaurs to make dinosaur shapes in the playdouh.
5) Number blocks
We're all a big fan of the number blocks in our house! So when they came out in the magazines, we just had to collect them all! When my little was learning to count to 20 this activity was absolutely great and most importantly it was fun because lets be honest the best way to learn is through play! All I did was free hand draw each number lock out, coloured and laminated. Added the number blocks into the mix, makes for a great learning to count activity!
Not only does it make for a great counting activity but also a great colour matching one. Find all the colours then count how many add up to make the number block. Add some other fun bright coloured items too. We added the colour cups, the small Grimms rainbow and our number stacking stones to make it extra fun.
Check out our creative play instagram for more ideas
@my_flisattray_play