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...

Minimal Effort Messy Play

When toys get boring - you have to get creative. Instagram is full of glossy images of the perfect play set ups for kids but in reality - they don't...

Mini-Me Makeover

Full disclosure: Today I did some basic make up then August came in and wanted to do his - so I handed him stuff item by item until he was...

Imagine there's food

I’ve modelled this strategy for so many early childhood teachers - I figured you guys might want in on it.I see it all the time - the kids with the...

Colour Detective

August and I are sick, so I needed to come up with some super simple activities that didn’t zap energy from either of us. Colour detective was born!HOW?I found a...

Indoor Camping

Here's a gentle reminder to pitch a tent indoors! Especially if you're not a camping person (like me!). Kids love enclosed spaces - even when it's not all that enclosed...

Connetix Creations

We’re loving these at the moment so I had to do a post about them. Magnetic tiles are fab for so many reasons:🧐 fine motor skills - holding and manipulating...

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...

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...