Learning through Play

The home of easy to set up play ideas! Browse a range of activities that are simple to create and often use the stuff you already have lying around your house! These activities are all created with communication development in mind, so be sure to join in with your little one and foster some conversation.

On the Blog...

Treasure Tubes

Treasure Tubes

We were gifted these gorgeous treasure tubes from @playitforwardnz. I've wanted them for aaaaages so I felt super lucky to have them turn up.I really want to use these to display...
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Clock Creation

Clock Creation

I found this fab plywood clock kit on the kmart website and knew it'd be PERFECT for August because he's obsessed with pointing out clocks and saying 'tick tock'. Plus...
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Make the gate great

Make the gate great

Easy play set up this morning. I stuck magnets to the baby gate on August's bedroom door. I've seen that August has really been enjoying the magnet wall at nursery...
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Our Play Tray

Our Play Tray

Eeek I’ve been shopping! I’ve wanted one of these for forever and I finally just went and ordered it! So expect some more posts where we’re exploring and getting messy...
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Loose Part Play

Loose Part Play

I've introduced a few more small loose parts to August's play over the past few days. It's been interesting to watch him in action with them. For me, it's been...
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Do you even lift?

Do you even lift?

Have you noticed your baby picking up things that are heavier than you thought they could handle? There's a reason! Not only does all this heavy lifting strengthen their muscles,...
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Post and Shake Buttons

Post and Shake Buttons

Buttons are SO easy to pick up from opshops, $2 shops and craft shops and they're great small parts for play. I set up this quiet activity for Auggie this...
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Living Room Ramp and Roll

Living Room Ramp and Roll

Shout out to my Mam who is an expert in keeping active little boys occupied. I came in to find my sofa taken apart and cushions everywhere and the pikler...
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Indoor Sandpit

Indoor Sandpit

When you're stuck inside with a cold and waiting to prove you're covid free, you need to bring out the big-guns to keep a toddler from going stir crazy! Today...
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Play Doh Talking

Play Doh Talking

Playdoh/playdough is one of the most versatile activities for speech and language development. WHY? Because you can mould it into anything and then talk about it! So YES it's a...
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Making a mark

Making a mark

I realised we'd painted with real paint and with ice paints but we'd never done any drawing. I'd never really given August the opportunity to draw though he's seen me...
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Heuristic Handbag

Heuristic Handbag

I already know that your baby loves to dig around in your bag. They love holding your purse. They love fiddling with the zips. They love tipping everything out. They...
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Peg Play

Peg Play

For a little simple, quiet, calm activity this afternoon when August was getting a bit wobbly - I cracked out the pegs. They’re not the posh wooden ones you see...
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Sponge Squeeze

Sponge Squeeze

I picked up a car washing sponge at the weekend to give August a bit of a spongey experience!!! I'm always on about his brain being like a sponge but...
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Rainbow Pasta Sensory Bin

Rainbow Pasta Sensory Bin

Some sensory experiences take a big set up and clean up and I wanted a few that were easy to access and drama free. I bought two of these big...
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Recycled Rainforest

Recycled Rainforest

Our play tray today:I grabbed handfuls of leaves from the bushes in our back garden and added the cardboard recycling that I've been hoarding. THEN I remembered that I had...
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Paint and Draw Sensory Bag

Paint and Draw Sensory Bag

I set this up quickly whilst August was sleeping. Super easy - I put paint in a ziplock bag and taped it to the window. As with all sensory bags...
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Busy Board

Busy Board

Did anyone end up making a busy wall whilst in lockdown? I'm lucky (I think) that my partner hoards all kids of random stuff under the house so we were...
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Pom Pom Caterpillar

Pom Pom Caterpillar

Could have called it a tape worm but that wouldn't be all that glamorous, would it? SUPER EASY set up. Just like a sticky wall only on the table. I...
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Bathroom Picasso

Bathroom Picasso

The bathroom is the best place to paint - the room is your canvas! Whilst I DID put an old used canvas in the bath with August today, he was...
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