inspiremyplay
inspiremyplay
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Inspire My Play 534K followers on IG ☝️ Creator of the PlayTRAY Buy here👇
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I don’t know who had more fun here….I will always love setting up a small world!
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Most of these items were scavenged from the garden, along with a few staples we always have to hand (mini logs, pebbles, pinecones etc..). This can be set up in no time at all, which is a good thing as it did look pretty ugly by the end 🤣
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Extra details:
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•I made the lily-pads using large waxy leaves cut to shape.
•The log slices are in our Amazon storefront (link in bio). We use these lots for small worlds.
•To make the soil I made chocolate cloud dough using 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of oil.
•The insects/minibeasts are various makes but @safariltd & @wild_republic are both worth checking out.
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The PlayTRAY can be purchased from our website and a growing list of stockists worldwide. Check it out at inspiremyplay.com.
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Any more questions, pop them below 👇
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#playtray #playtrayideas #learningthroughplay #sensoryplay #sensorylearning #specialeducation #sensorybin #earlyyears #eyfsteacher #earlylearning101 #earlylearning #eyfs #earlychildhoodeducation #inspiremyplaytray #waterplay #looseparts #smallworldplay #inspiremyplay
.
Most of these items were scavenged from the garden, along with a few staples we always have to hand (mini logs, pebbles, pinecones etc..). This can be set up in no time at all, which is a good thing as it did look pretty ugly by the end 🤣
.
Extra details:
.
•I made the lily-pads using large waxy leaves cut to shape.
•The log slices are in our Amazon storefront (link in bio). We use these lots for small worlds.
•To make the soil I made chocolate cloud dough using 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder and 1/4 cup of oil.
•The insects/minibeasts are various makes but @safariltd & @wild_republic are both worth checking out.
.
The PlayTRAY can be purchased from our website and a growing list of stockists worldwide. Check it out at inspiremyplay.com.
.
Any more questions, pop them below 👇
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#playtray #playtrayideas #learningthroughplay #sensoryplay #sensorylearning #specialeducation #sensorybin #earlyyears #eyfsteacher #earlylearning101 #earlylearning #eyfs #earlychildhoodeducation #inspiremyplaytray #waterplay #looseparts #smallworldplay #inspiremyplay
These pastel coloured chickpeas are just perfect for spring and Easter. Just like rice, dried chickpeas last forever to reuse over and over, so they are well worth making. They are also super fun to scoop and pour- definitely one of my girls favourite sensory play materials.
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To colour dry chickpeas all you need is a bag or jar, a squirt of ready-mix tempera paint and a lined tray to lay them on to dry! The chickpeas dry super quick, but if you’re in a hurry you can put them in the oven on a low heat to dry out for 5 minutes.
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These looked perfect with the pastel shades of our silicone bowl and scoop sets! Find out more over on our website- inspiremyplay.com.
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#playtray #playtrayideas #learningthroughplay #sensoryplay #sensorylearning #specialeducation #sensorybin #sensoryprocessing #playathome
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To colour dry chickpeas all you need is a bag or jar, a squirt of ready-mix tempera paint and a lined tray to lay them on to dry! The chickpeas dry super quick, but if you’re in a hurry you can put them in the oven on a low heat to dry out for 5 minutes.
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These looked perfect with the pastel shades of our silicone bowl and scoop sets! Find out more over on our website- inspiremyplay.com.
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#playtray #playtrayideas #learningthroughplay #sensoryplay #sensorylearning #specialeducation #sensorybin #sensoryprocessing #playathome
Here’s a bit of fun science to try sometime!
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This experiment uses shaving foam to mimic a cloud and what happens when it gets saturated with water droplets and eventually drops as rain.
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The girls were so genuinely excited by this and loved experimenting with different colours and different sized jars and waiting for the ‘rain’ to come!
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They also loved covering themselves with shaving foam at the end!! 🙈
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To replicate this experiment fill a clear jar or vase 3/4 full with water and then squirt a generous amount of shaving foam on top.
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Set out water coloured with food colouring and droppers to transfer the water to the ‘cloud’.
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We experimented with lots of different combinations of colours and just with blue. The more colours you let them loose with the quicker the water will become murky but it is fun to see lots of colours seeping through.
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It’s definitely worth having a few jars set up ready as they’re bound to want a few tries of this. We buy the cheap, own-brand shaving foam you can find at the supermarket- it’s such a handy resource to have in the cupboard!
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Buy the PlayTRAY over on our website- inspiremyplay.com
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#learningthroughplay #playideas #playathome #homeschool #homeschoolpreschool #homeeducationuk #playathomemum
#preschoolplay
#preschoolactivity #preschoolathome #eyfs #eyfsideas #messyplay #playtolearn #earlylearning101 #handsonlearning #inspiremyplay
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This experiment uses shaving foam to mimic a cloud and what happens when it gets saturated with water droplets and eventually drops as rain.
.
The girls were so genuinely excited by this and loved experimenting with different colours and different sized jars and waiting for the ‘rain’ to come!
.
They also loved covering themselves with shaving foam at the end!! 🙈
.
To replicate this experiment fill a clear jar or vase 3/4 full with water and then squirt a generous amount of shaving foam on top.
.
Set out water coloured with food colouring and droppers to transfer the water to the ‘cloud’.
.
We experimented with lots of different combinations of colours and just with blue. The more colours you let them loose with the quicker the water will become murky but it is fun to see lots of colours seeping through.
.
It’s definitely worth having a few jars set up ready as they’re bound to want a few tries of this. We buy the cheap, own-brand shaving foam you can find at the supermarket- it’s such a handy resource to have in the cupboard!
.
Buy the PlayTRAY over on our website- inspiremyplay.com
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#learningthroughplay #playideas #playathome #homeschool #homeschoolpreschool #homeeducationuk #playathomemum
#preschoolplay
#preschoolactivity #preschoolathome #eyfs #eyfsideas #messyplay #playtolearn #earlylearning101 #handsonlearning #inspiremyplay
Here’s an Easter activity that’s not only fun but great for fine motor skills. All that manipulation and precision needed to place the objects over the patterns makes it a really great fine motor challenge!
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To prepare this activity you need to cut an egg shape out of cardboard and stick a piece of contact paper (sticky-back plastic) on the back with the sticky side facing upwards.
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Find a selection of craft resources that they can use to decorate their egg. We also used the chickpeas and pasta I coloured previously (see reels).
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Draw patterns over the egg using a marker pen so that they can follow them when adding their craft resources.
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The great thing about this is that it’s easy to remove most craft bits and you should be able to use it several times over before it loses its stickiness.
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More details on our PlayTRAY over on our website: www.inspiremyplay.com
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#learningthroughplay #playideas #playathome #letthemplay #learnthroughplay #playmatters #earlyyears #earlylearning #playislearning #playbasedlearning #homeschool
#preschoolactivity #eyfs #eyfsathome #eyfsideas #inspiremyplay
#finemotorskills #finemotoractivities
#invitationtoplay #looseparts #earlylearning101 #inspiremyplaytray
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To prepare this activity you need to cut an egg shape out of cardboard and stick a piece of contact paper (sticky-back plastic) on the back with the sticky side facing upwards.
.
Find a selection of craft resources that they can use to decorate their egg. We also used the chickpeas and pasta I coloured previously (see reels).
.
Draw patterns over the egg using a marker pen so that they can follow them when adding their craft resources.
.
The great thing about this is that it’s easy to remove most craft bits and you should be able to use it several times over before it loses its stickiness.
.
More details on our PlayTRAY over on our website: www.inspiremyplay.com
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#learningthroughplay #playideas #playathome #letthemplay #learnthroughplay #playmatters #earlyyears #earlylearning #playislearning #playbasedlearning #homeschool
#preschoolactivity #eyfs #eyfsathome #eyfsideas #inspiremyplay
#finemotorskills #finemotoractivities
#invitationtoplay #looseparts #earlylearning101 #inspiremyplaytray
TASTE-SAFE FOAM DINOSAUR SWAMP
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Chickpea water, also known as Aquafaba, whizzes up into the most amazing foam, making it a brilliant early sensory play experience and an excellent taste-safe alternative to bubble foam. It lends itself to lots of different themes or you can just give them some tools and bowls to explore it with!
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To make this taste-safe play foam simply drain the water from two tins of chickpeas, add a teaspoon of cream of tartar, a drop of food colouring if you like and whizz into a foam! The cream of tartar helps to keep it foamy for longer but if you don’t have any it’s not absolutely essential.
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You can keep chickpea water in the fridge until you’re ready to do this activity but it does really need to be whizzed up just before you play, as it starts to turn back to a liquid after awhile. You can always revive it though with another whizz if need be!
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You can find out more about the PlayTRAY on our website: www.inspiremyplay.com. We’re back in stock in the US and Australia should be arriving this week 🤞
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#inspiremyplay #playtray #inspiremyplaytray #sensorybin #tastesafeplay #babyplay #toddlerplay #sensoryplayideas #messyplay
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Chickpea water, also known as Aquafaba, whizzes up into the most amazing foam, making it a brilliant early sensory play experience and an excellent taste-safe alternative to bubble foam. It lends itself to lots of different themes or you can just give them some tools and bowls to explore it with!
.
To make this taste-safe play foam simply drain the water from two tins of chickpeas, add a teaspoon of cream of tartar, a drop of food colouring if you like and whizz into a foam! The cream of tartar helps to keep it foamy for longer but if you don’t have any it’s not absolutely essential.
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You can keep chickpea water in the fridge until you’re ready to do this activity but it does really need to be whizzed up just before you play, as it starts to turn back to a liquid after awhile. You can always revive it though with another whizz if need be!
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You can find out more about the PlayTRAY on our website: www.inspiremyplay.com. We’re back in stock in the US and Australia should be arriving this week 🤞
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#inspiremyplay #playtray #inspiremyplaytray #sensorybin #tastesafeplay #babyplay #toddlerplay #sensoryplayideas #messyplay
If you’ve never made marbled card using shaving foam before you need to put this one on your list 💕 My tip is to use glossy photo card over regular card. The colours are so vibrant and it dries instantly, as well as looking lovely and glossy obviously!
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To make marbled hearts first cover a tray or a plate with shaving foam.
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Add drops of food colouring to the shaving foam in your chosen colours.
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Then use the end of a paintbrush to make patterns in the shaving foam.
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Next place a piece of photo card or regular card on top of the shaving foam and press it down.
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Finally lay your piece of photo card face up on a tray and scrape off the excess shaving foam. We used a ruler but a piece of card would do the trick too.
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Once the shaving foam has been scraped off you’re left with a beautiful, unique pattern every time 🥰
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You can have several goes of this before needing to add a bit more food colouring. We ended up doing several trays of shaving foam in the end- they were having such a great time!
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Once all the excess shaving foam has been removed cut out hearts. These can be used to make cards or strung up to make a heart garland for Valentine’s Day. ❤️
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#valentinesplay
#learningthroughplay #playideas #earlyyears #earlylearning
#preschoolplay
#creativeplay #artforkids #craftykids #preschoolcraft #craftforkids #papercraft #creativekids #inspiremyplay #sensoryplay
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To make marbled hearts first cover a tray or a plate with shaving foam.
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Add drops of food colouring to the shaving foam in your chosen colours.
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Then use the end of a paintbrush to make patterns in the shaving foam.
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Next place a piece of photo card or regular card on top of the shaving foam and press it down.
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Finally lay your piece of photo card face up on a tray and scrape off the excess shaving foam. We used a ruler but a piece of card would do the trick too.
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Once the shaving foam has been scraped off you’re left with a beautiful, unique pattern every time 🥰
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You can have several goes of this before needing to add a bit more food colouring. We ended up doing several trays of shaving foam in the end- they were having such a great time!
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Once all the excess shaving foam has been removed cut out hearts. These can be used to make cards or strung up to make a heart garland for Valentine’s Day. ❤️
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#valentinesplay
#learningthroughplay #playideas #earlyyears #earlylearning
#preschoolplay
#creativeplay #artforkids #craftykids #preschoolcraft #craftforkids #papercraft #creativekids #inspiremyplay #sensoryplay
Have you tried puffy paint before? It’s a combo of shaving foam & PVA (school/white glue) and it is such a fun texture to paint with! When it dries, puffy paint is squishy and soft to touch. It’s the perfect activity for preschoolers and toddlers!
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To make puffy paint you need...
•shaving foam
•PVA/school glue
•food colouring
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Mix roughly equal amounts of shaving foam and glue together, don’t worry if it’s not exact. Add a drop or two of food colouring and mix until smooth.
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Decorate with craft bits or sprinkle with bio-glitter!
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Find out about the PlayTRAY on our website- inspiremyplay.com
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#craftykids #artforkids #creativeactivities #artycraftykids #creativeplay #inspiremyplay #preschoolactivities #eyfs #learningathome #learningthroughplay #invitationtocreate #earlylearning #earlyyears
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To make puffy paint you need...
•shaving foam
•PVA/school glue
•food colouring
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Mix roughly equal amounts of shaving foam and glue together, don’t worry if it’s not exact. Add a drop or two of food colouring and mix until smooth.
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Decorate with craft bits or sprinkle with bio-glitter!
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Find out about the PlayTRAY on our website- inspiremyplay.com
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#craftykids #artforkids #creativeactivities #artycraftykids #creativeplay #inspiremyplay #preschoolactivities #eyfs #learningathome #learningthroughplay #invitationtocreate #earlylearning #earlyyears
Valentine’s is such a fun theme for play I had to do this old favourite of ours!
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This sticky heart is a very simple activity that is brilliant for developing fine motor skills.
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After cutting the heart shape out of cardboard you need to pop a piece of contact paper (sticky-back plastic) on the back with the sticky side facing up.
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I used a pen to draw the different lines over the heart and provided lots of craft supplies and loose parts to stick onto them. Following the lines like this with the craft materials is a great fine motor challenge. You could also use this activity to practice repeating patterns.
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For younger ones you can do a simpler version without the lines and they can enjoy just decorating the heart with craft materials (and taking it all off again 😅).
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The stickiness of the contact paper lasts surprisingly well with this activity so you should get quite a few attempts at it and these craft supplies tend to come off really easily so you can re-use them for something else 👍
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#learningthroughplay #playideas #playathome #letthemplay #craftactivities #craftstorage #earlyyears #earlylearning #playislearning #playbasedlearning
#preschoolactivity #toddleractivities #eyfs #eyfsideas
#montessoriathome
#finemotorskills #finemotoractivities
#recycleandplay #invitationtoplay #playtolearn #earlylearning101 #activitiesforkids #earlychildhoodeducation #kidsatplay #funforkids #inspiremyplay
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This sticky heart is a very simple activity that is brilliant for developing fine motor skills.
.
After cutting the heart shape out of cardboard you need to pop a piece of contact paper (sticky-back plastic) on the back with the sticky side facing up.
.
I used a pen to draw the different lines over the heart and provided lots of craft supplies and loose parts to stick onto them. Following the lines like this with the craft materials is a great fine motor challenge. You could also use this activity to practice repeating patterns.
.
For younger ones you can do a simpler version without the lines and they can enjoy just decorating the heart with craft materials (and taking it all off again 😅).
.
The stickiness of the contact paper lasts surprisingly well with this activity so you should get quite a few attempts at it and these craft supplies tend to come off really easily so you can re-use them for something else 👍
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#learningthroughplay #playideas #playathome #letthemplay #craftactivities #craftstorage #earlyyears #earlylearning #playislearning #playbasedlearning
#preschoolactivity #toddleractivities #eyfs #eyfsideas
#montessoriathome
#finemotorskills #finemotoractivities
#recycleandplay #invitationtoplay #playtolearn #earlylearning101 #activitiesforkids #earlychildhoodeducation #kidsatplay #funforkids #inspiremyplay
FROZEN BUBBLES
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This is such a magical experience to do with little ones! If you get a cold morning then it is well worth bracing the weather to blow bubbles and watch them freeze together! This works well when it’s about -2, -3C so as we have cold snap this week why not save this activity to try!
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Not all of the bubbles will land in tact but when they do watch them closely as they freeze. These were filmed using a time lapse but it doesn’t take long in real time to turn cloudy and freeze.
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We made our own bubble mixture using 1 tablespoon of dish soap and 6 tablespoons of water. I also added a teaspoon of glycerine but this isn’t essential. Gently stir your bubble mixture- you don’t want it to become too frothy. You’ll also need a bubble wand or you can make your own using a pipe cleaner shaped into a circle and attached to a stick or pencil.
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Do check out our page @inspiremyplay for more play ideas for little ones.
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#inspiremyplay #scienceforkids #aweandwonder #learningthroughplay #bubblefun #winterplayactivities #sensoryplay #funforkids #bubbleplay
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This is such a magical experience to do with little ones! If you get a cold morning then it is well worth bracing the weather to blow bubbles and watch them freeze together! This works well when it’s about -2, -3C so as we have cold snap this week why not save this activity to try!
.
Not all of the bubbles will land in tact but when they do watch them closely as they freeze. These were filmed using a time lapse but it doesn’t take long in real time to turn cloudy and freeze.
.
We made our own bubble mixture using 1 tablespoon of dish soap and 6 tablespoons of water. I also added a teaspoon of glycerine but this isn’t essential. Gently stir your bubble mixture- you don’t want it to become too frothy. You’ll also need a bubble wand or you can make your own using a pipe cleaner shaped into a circle and attached to a stick or pencil.
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Do check out our page @inspiremyplay for more play ideas for little ones.
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#inspiremyplay #scienceforkids #aweandwonder #learningthroughplay #bubblefun #winterplayactivities #sensoryplay #funforkids #bubbleplay
Bubble foam is such an easy activity to set up but such a fun alternative to regular water play! We got a good hour of independent play out of this!
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1. To make bubble foam place 1/2 cup of tear-free bubble bath in a bowl with 1 cup of water. You can use dish soap instead but just be aware this may sting their eyes if they rub them.
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2. Add a few drops of pink food colouring. We did one batch of dark pink and and one of light to get this swirly look.
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3. Use an electric mixer or blender to mix the ingredients together until you start to get stiff peaks.
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Scoop out the bubble foam into your tray. You will probably have some liquid left at the bottom of the bowl so just give it another whizz and you’ll be able to use that too.
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Finally add a few tools for scooping and some little pots etc for filling. Silicone cup cases always go down well with mine as do these toy ice cream cones (I’ll link them in my stories as I always get asked about them). We also added some pom-poms to the PlayTRAY!
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The great thing about bubble foam is that it can be revived just by whizzing it up again!
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Find out more about the PlayTRAY at inspiremyplay.com.
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*Water play is fun but can also be dangerous. Please supervise your children carefully*
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#inspiremyplay #inspiremyplaytray #sensorybin #learnthroughplay #playmatters #earlyyears #earlylearning #playbasedlearning #eyfs #eyfsideas
#sensoryplay #invitationtoplay #messyplay #sensoryplayideas #playtray #trayplay
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1. To make bubble foam place 1/2 cup of tear-free bubble bath in a bowl with 1 cup of water. You can use dish soap instead but just be aware this may sting their eyes if they rub them.
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2. Add a few drops of pink food colouring. We did one batch of dark pink and and one of light to get this swirly look.
.
3. Use an electric mixer or blender to mix the ingredients together until you start to get stiff peaks.
.
Scoop out the bubble foam into your tray. You will probably have some liquid left at the bottom of the bowl so just give it another whizz and you’ll be able to use that too.
.
Finally add a few tools for scooping and some little pots etc for filling. Silicone cup cases always go down well with mine as do these toy ice cream cones (I’ll link them in my stories as I always get asked about them). We also added some pom-poms to the PlayTRAY!
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The great thing about bubble foam is that it can be revived just by whizzing it up again!
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Find out more about the PlayTRAY at inspiremyplay.com.
.
*Water play is fun but can also be dangerous. Please supervise your children carefully*
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#inspiremyplay #inspiremyplaytray #sensorybin #learnthroughplay #playmatters #earlyyears #earlylearning #playbasedlearning #eyfs #eyfsideas
#sensoryplay #invitationtoplay #messyplay #sensoryplayideas #playtray #trayplay
Have you tried this before? A little bit of table salt brushed around a cookie cutter or stencil creates a hidden picture on ice, ready to be discovered!
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We used watered down ready mix paint to reveal the hearts in the ice. You could switch this up for all sorts of themes!
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You need to be ready to do this activity straight away after prepping before the salt dissolves the ice too much.
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Top tip if you are using the PlayTRAY lid for this…Take out the bottom drawer of your freezer and place the tray in position and then pour the water in. Placing it in the freezer with water already in it is very tricky!
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#i #inspiremyplaytrayi #inspiremyplayk #kidsactivitiess #sensorybins #sensoryplayideass #scienceforkidsa #artideasforkidsi #iceplayearlyyearseducation
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We used watered down ready mix paint to reveal the hearts in the ice. You could switch this up for all sorts of themes!
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You need to be ready to do this activity straight away after prepping before the salt dissolves the ice too much.
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Top tip if you are using the PlayTRAY lid for this…Take out the bottom drawer of your freezer and place the tray in position and then pour the water in. Placing it in the freezer with water already in it is very tricky!
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#i #inspiremyplaytrayi #inspiremyplayk #kidsactivitiess #sensorybins #sensoryplayideass #scienceforkidsa #artideasforkidsi #iceplayearlyyearseducation
This is a sweet play dough set up that would be perfect for Valentine’s Day, but equally fun at anytime of year 💕 Play dough is a great activity for sibling groups and has so many therapeutic benefits, not to mention what a great fine motor workout it is for little hands! If you’ve never made your own you need to! It’s 100 times better than store bought play dough!
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To make petal play dough you will need:
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* 1 1/2 cups of plain (all purpose flour)
* 1/2 cup of salt
* 2 tbsp of cream of tartar
* 1 cup of boiling water
* 2 tbsp of coconut oil (or vegetable oil).
* Food Colouring (optional)
*1/2 cup of dried petals
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Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the food colouring (if using) to the boiling water and also the coconut oil. Add the dried petals and mix until it comes together as a dough before removing it from the bowl and kneading on a clean surface. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour and if it’s too dry add a splash more water.
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I bought a bag of dried petals (I’ll link it in my stores) that I’ve used for various play activities but you could always make your own! Along with the play dough we used cookie cutters, silicone cupcake cases & mini roses to decorate.
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#playdough #playdoughfun #playideas #playathome #letthemplay #simpleplay #playmatters #earlyyears #earlylearning #playbasedlearning
#preschoolplay
#preschoolactivity #preschoolathome #toddleractivities #eyfs #eyfsteacher #eyfsideas
#sensoryplay
#finemotorskills #finemotoractivities
#creativeplay #invitationtoplay #playtolearn #earlylearning101 #activitiesforkids #earlychildhoodeducation #kidsatplay #funforkids #inspiremyplay #valentinesday2023
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To make petal play dough you will need:
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* 1 1/2 cups of plain (all purpose flour)
* 1/2 cup of salt
* 2 tbsp of cream of tartar
* 1 cup of boiling water
* 2 tbsp of coconut oil (or vegetable oil).
* Food Colouring (optional)
*1/2 cup of dried petals
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Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the food colouring (if using) to the boiling water and also the coconut oil. Add the dried petals and mix until it comes together as a dough before removing it from the bowl and kneading on a clean surface. If it’s too sticky add a little more flour and if it’s too dry add a splash more water.
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I bought a bag of dried petals (I’ll link it in my stores) that I’ve used for various play activities but you could always make your own! Along with the play dough we used cookie cutters, silicone cupcake cases & mini roses to decorate.
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#playdough #playdoughfun #playideas #playathome #letthemplay #simpleplay #playmatters #earlyyears #earlylearning #playbasedlearning
#preschoolplay
#preschoolactivity #preschoolathome #toddleractivities #eyfs #eyfsteacher #eyfsideas
#sensoryplay
#finemotorskills #finemotoractivities
#creativeplay #invitationtoplay #playtolearn #earlylearning101 #activitiesforkids #earlychildhoodeducation #kidsatplay #funforkids #inspiremyplay #valentinesday2023
A little freebie from us to start the year! These are great to use with the PlayTRAY! Download them now from our printable page- inspiremyplay.com/pages/printables.
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Salt trays are a brilliant way to practice mark making- an essential early step in the journey to becoming a writer. ✍️
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They’re also so easy to prepare with minimal resources. To colour salt, pour some into a clear plastic bag, add a few drops of food colouring and scrunch the bag until the salt is covered. Pour it out onto a tray and allow to dry for a short while. We added a bit of bio glitter and some snowflakes to give this one a wintery feel but this is entirely optional. Also, if you don’t want to colour the salt you can opt for using a coloured base underneath a tray of white salt.
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These pre-writing shape & pattern cards are a useful reference to encourage children to practice forming the shapes they will later experience in letter writing.
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As well as a salt tray, these cards are designed for mark making in other materials too such as sand, mud or shaving foam. You could also laminate them and use them with a dry wipe pen for tracing. Link in bio to download them
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#markmaking #sensoryplay #playtray #playtrayideas #trayplay #inspiremyplaytray #montessorinursery #montessoriuk ##inspiremyplay #earlywritingskills #sensorywritingtray
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Salt trays are a brilliant way to practice mark making- an essential early step in the journey to becoming a writer. ✍️
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They’re also so easy to prepare with minimal resources. To colour salt, pour some into a clear plastic bag, add a few drops of food colouring and scrunch the bag until the salt is covered. Pour it out onto a tray and allow to dry for a short while. We added a bit of bio glitter and some snowflakes to give this one a wintery feel but this is entirely optional. Also, if you don’t want to colour the salt you can opt for using a coloured base underneath a tray of white salt.
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These pre-writing shape & pattern cards are a useful reference to encourage children to practice forming the shapes they will later experience in letter writing.
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As well as a salt tray, these cards are designed for mark making in other materials too such as sand, mud or shaving foam. You could also laminate them and use them with a dry wipe pen for tracing. Link in bio to download them
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#markmaking #sensoryplay #playtray #playtrayideas #trayplay #inspiremyplaytray #montessorinursery #montessoriuk ##inspiremyplay #earlywritingskills #sensorywritingtray
It’s no secret that dried chickpeas are one of our favourite sensory play materials! They are so satisfying to scoop and pour (for grown-ups too!) and are a bit easier to contain than rice and other grains. They also last forever to reuse over and over. You don’t have to colour them but it makes a fun change and it’s so easy to do!
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To colour dried chickpeas all you need is a bag or jar, a squirt of ready-mix tempera paint and a lined tray to lay them on to dry. The chickpeas dry super quick, but if you’re in a hurry you can put them in the oven on a low heat to dry out for 5 minutes.
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These winter style ones will be perfect for all our seasonal play. Throw in some bowls and scoops and a poppet is great fun to fill with chickpeas too!
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#inspiremyplay
#playtray #playtrayideas #learningthroughplay #sensoryplay #sensorylearning #specialeducation #sensorybin
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To colour dried chickpeas all you need is a bag or jar, a squirt of ready-mix tempera paint and a lined tray to lay them on to dry. The chickpeas dry super quick, but if you’re in a hurry you can put them in the oven on a low heat to dry out for 5 minutes.
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These winter style ones will be perfect for all our seasonal play. Throw in some bowls and scoops and a poppet is great fun to fill with chickpeas too!
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#inspiremyplay
#playtray #playtrayideas #learningthroughplay #sensoryplay #sensorylearning #specialeducation #sensorybin
If you’re looking for a cheap Christmas activity to keep the kids busy, give this one a try! Plain white paper tablecloths are often for sale in the party section at the supermarket or can be bought on Amazon. If you can’t find a tablecloth a roll of white paper can also be used to make a table runner.
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Find lots more festive play ideas and crafts over at @inspiremyplay
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#inspiremyplay #inspiremyplaytray #christmascrafts #kidsatplay #christmasplayideas #christmaswithkids #earlyyears #earlylearning #eyfs #eyfsideas #learningthroughplay #finemotorideas #finemotorskills
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Find lots more festive play ideas and crafts over at @inspiremyplay
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#inspiremyplay #inspiremyplaytray #christmascrafts #kidsatplay #christmasplayideas #christmaswithkids #earlyyears #earlylearning #eyfs #eyfsideas #learningthroughplay #finemotorideas #finemotorskills
DIY FAKE SNOW
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We have tried a lot of different ways of making artificial snow and this is by far our favourite! It’s so simple to make combining roughly equal amounts of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and shaving foam. It has a great texture and is cool to touch initially, just like snow! If your snow loses it’s ability to form snowballs over time you can revive it by adding a squirt more shaving foam. 👏
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To fill the PlayTRAY base I used 4 cups of bicarb and roughly 4 cups of shaving foam. In the U.K. it is pretty hard to get large bags of bicarbonate of soda in the supermarket but you can pick up KG bags of the stuff cheaply on Amazon (it’s also great for fizzy experiments so worth having a stash in the cupboard). I’ll link it in my stories for anyone who might find it useful.
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We used our fake snow to set up a winter woodland scene. Most of these resources are linked on our blog and these mountains are a quick DIY- just a triangle of ply with white acrylic paint for the snow.
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Find out more about the PlayTRAY on our website! www.inspiremyplay.com
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#inspiremyplay #inspiremyplaytray #tufftray #sensorybin #winterplayideas #sensoryplayideas #sensoryplay #tufftrayideas #tufftrayplay #smallworldplay #sensoryplayresources
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We have tried a lot of different ways of making artificial snow and this is by far our favourite! It’s so simple to make combining roughly equal amounts of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and shaving foam. It has a great texture and is cool to touch initially, just like snow! If your snow loses it’s ability to form snowballs over time you can revive it by adding a squirt more shaving foam. 👏
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To fill the PlayTRAY base I used 4 cups of bicarb and roughly 4 cups of shaving foam. In the U.K. it is pretty hard to get large bags of bicarbonate of soda in the supermarket but you can pick up KG bags of the stuff cheaply on Amazon (it’s also great for fizzy experiments so worth having a stash in the cupboard). I’ll link it in my stories for anyone who might find it useful.
.
We used our fake snow to set up a winter woodland scene. Most of these resources are linked on our blog and these mountains are a quick DIY- just a triangle of ply with white acrylic paint for the snow.
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Find out more about the PlayTRAY on our website! www.inspiremyplay.com
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#inspiremyplay #inspiremyplaytray #tufftray #sensorybin #winterplayideas #sensoryplayideas #sensoryplay #tufftrayideas #tufftrayplay #smallworldplay #sensoryplayresources