Learning through Play
On the Blog...
Texture Transfer
For those of you who've wondered why there's been birdseed all over my carpet - here you go. I set up this dry sensory play experience for August and gave...
Masking Tape Motorway
No road? No problem! Just make one out of tape! Auggie is showing more interest in driving his vehicles. In the absence of one of those road map rugs, I...
Dolls are for everyone
If you think dolls are just for girls then you’re very sadly mistaken. Men care for babies. Men are dads. Men teach children. Men work in kindergartens. Men are nurses....
Sensory Play: Backyard Beach
We FaceTimed August’s grandparents and they were lying on the beach on Waiheke island. Through my jealousy that they are on holiday and I’m not, I had an idea! We...
Feed the birds
Auggie loves to throw things but it’s not always ideal - especially in the house! I wanted to do an activity that would let him practice the motor-planning and big...
Exploring Colours: Red Bath
Bath time is a great time to explore colours. I had some beetroot juice left over from our summer soup activity so I added it to August's bath for something...
Backyard Pond
One of Auggie's favourite things to do with his Nana and Granda was to throw stones into any body of water on their outings! My parents did a fantastic job...
DIY Wrapping Paper
Most of you have heard me rant on about how important messy play is. Sometimes you just have to let them go wild with paint in the garden, and Christmas...
DIY Snow Globe
I let Auggie explore most things but I'm not insane. We have some big, glass snow globes that are off limits. He's shown a real interest in them so I...
Phone Home
I picked up this old school phone from a charity shop for $2 and it's August's new fave. This wasn't a random purchase - I've wanted one for a while...
Wipe Box Posting
Auggie has been sick this long weekend so we've been inside a lot. That has meant I've had to be on my game with keeping him engaged in resources he...
Beach Play Tray
Some simple sensory play today - sand. You can't get more classic than that. We keep a load of sand in a big plastic container and we tip it into...
Water Painting
Water on a dry surface like concrete or wood is the CLEANEST, messy play experience you'll ever have. Unless it's raining - there's no excuse not to do this activity...
Mud Pies
Messy play is incredibly important for development, so I like to provide August with as many messy opportunities as possible. Sunny days make it easy because we can wreak havoc...
Blow your own bubbles
Ok the secret is out, I absolutely HATE bubble machines! I'd hazard a guess that there's not one Speech and Language Therapist who would use one - they're fresh out...
Scent Bags
@navybabynz packages their toys in these gorgeous organza bags and I've been saving them for an activity! Today we picked lavender when I spied a big bush of it in the...
Mystery Bag
August is truly in the 'enclosure schema' of play. This just means that he's really enjoying hiding things inside of other things, putting blankets/clothes over his head and crawling into...
BYO Puddle
Yesterday in the park, August showed interest in a puddle and I couldn't let him explore it because it was just before naptime (in the pushchair) and I'd forgotten a...
Spray Bottle Play
Until they can use a spray bottle as a weapon to soak your entire home - things are only going to get a little bit wet, so hand over your...
Smelling Jars
Are you thinking about ALL the senses when you're planning sensory play?! Don't forget their sense of smell! August absolutely loves it when we carry him to the cupboard and...