Winter is in full force right now. Lots of people have had snow! We've had a few flurries here in the UK but nothing to get too excited about (there's still time - fingers crossed). Frozen is still very much a firm favourite with the youngsters of today and so these two factors have been inspiring the way we play.
Today we have been very busy making snowflake soup. This activity delighted my preschooler for such a long time! I even popped on the Frozen songs in the background just to add to the activity for her!
My daughter is really enjoying filling and emptying containers at the moment and she adores playing with water. 'Like a crow' she is drawn to anything pretty and sparkly so with this in mind, I set about getting the 'ingredients' to create this snowflake soup sensory bin as an invitation to play today.
Such a simple, very effective set up that took all but 15 minutes to collect the items together and create. I already had all of the items in the house too so it didn't cost me anything to make.
You will need:
Under bed storage box
Food coloring
Glitter
Snowflake sequins
Warm water
A selection of containers
A selection of utensils
Towel/messy play mat
Ice Cubes
Little N always knows when I am up to something and is drawn to the activity set up like a magnet. She is always so inquisitive asking what I am doing, this activity was no different. She was straight over dipping her hands and fingers into the water. "Its lovely and warm" she said.
I added a little blue food colouring to the water which looked effective and made the white and silver snowflakes stand out more. Glitter sparkled away in the tub and looked very pretty indeed!
I had filled some small bowls with shaving foam and ice cubes at the sides that Little N explored freely. She used an ice cream scoop to collect shaving foam, before dipping and mixing it into the water. She added the melting ice too but in warm water it didn't last very long. This was actually very beneficial as she was very inquisitive about where the ice had gone. Giving children real experiences, where they can physically see and explore allows for natural learning to take place.
She swished her hands around in the water which created bubbles that bobbled up and down on the surface. She used a small sieve to fish in the water to collect the smaller snowflakes and the glitter.
Changing utensil she then used the metal spoon to collect the large flakes. They kept floating off in the water as she went near them but she was determined to collect them all and place them in a plastic bowl at her side.
She then saw the colander and submerged it into the water. The coloured, glittering water flooded in, filling the colander very quickly. We sometimes pop these items in the bath - they are so much fun! We have used the colander in story time too when reading 'Whatever Next by Jill Murphy'. We have also used it to make our very own Pom Pom Drop Game.
She then reached as high as she could and created a beautiful fountain of water. She was fascinated with this and did it over and over again. Eventually she invited me to play and asked me to have a go. She put her hands underneath the sprinkling water "It's tickly" she said.
What a fun afternoon we had together playing with our Snowflake Soup!!
Very quick and easy to set up and the learning and exploring that took place was wonderful to watch!!
What have you been enjoying doing this winter?
If you are looking for some Winter Themed activities, here is a pick of some of our favourites:
That is a very nice and creative sensory box you put together for your daughter to explore! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Angel, glad you like it! Little N had lots of fun! Its been out most of this week.
Deletehow pretty and fun!
ReplyDeleteIt was so pretty Susen with lots and lots of sparkle. Thanks for stopping by!
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