It’s been awhile since I posted about a sensory activity. Not that we haven’t done any- I just haven’t kept up with formally writing about them! While Caroline’s favorite sensory activity is going outside on nature explorations, I try and involve her with some creative indoor fun as well.
Now that she is old enough to not put EVERYTHING in her mouth (or at least understand the concept of “no mouth, please”), we have started doing more painting and drawing.
Painting
I set Caroline up in her booster seat at the table with the following materials:
– Press and seal covers the table and is easy for clean up!
– A paper plate works to hold paint for her
– Thick drawing paper to make her creations on (doesn’t easily slide on the press and seal)
– Washable kids paint
– Foam paint brushes
She is captivated for a short period of time, but she really enjoys it during that time. She carefully chooses the colors that she wants on her paper and then presses her paint brush onto the page in excitement. I’ve also shown her how she can use her hands to paint as well. She isn’t a fan of getting messy at the moment, so she typically wants me to wipe the paint off as soon as it gets on her!
Drawing
In addition to just giving Caroline a pen and paper, we’ve also found some great drawing “toys” that allow her to have even more fun! Unfortunately, these have not turned out to be on Caroline’s favorite toy list, but she still enjoys them for a short period of time. It is so interesting to see what their interests are at such a young age. I’ve heard from other moms that their kids at the same age can spend an hour using these toys if they let them! I have a feeling Caroline will eventually really like these, but right now she’s just more interested in running around!
I highly recommend both of these toys because they can be used safely at a pretty young age, are mess free or low mess, and as Caroline gets older she will still appreciate using these items in more challenging ways. A toy that can grow with them is always good!
Doodle pro
While this toy has some small magnetic parts on the side, it is still great for the young age of 1! We just took the shapes off and put them in a baggie if she is using the toy independently. This is an awesome mess free drawing tool and it doesn’t matter if the pen goes in her mouth!
Doodle Magic
We just got this art set for her at 16 months of age. The drawing kit is super low mess. The markers wipe off of everything with just a tissue or water. It is great because we can take it on the go as well. I think this is going to be something we end up keeping in the car for those moments when we are out and need a distraction!
Sidewalk Chalk
Chalk is a great way to get outside, yet still involve your child in creative artwork. So far, Caroline is not at all interested. Noticing a theme? LOL My child doesn’t seem to be the artist (not yet anyway). I still attempt, because their interests seem to change daily and you just never know what they will enjoy the next day! This activity is so inexpensive it is worth buying and having on hand for some extra fun!
So, as you can tell from above, we are trying to introduce art on a regular basis. Caroline isn’t super interested in most of it, but she is slightly intrigued at the beginning of the activity. Just like their tastes change with food on a regular occasion, so can their interests. So, we will continue to make these activities accessible to her and offer up lots of artistic fun (just in case she decides she likes it one day). When she says she is done, however, we also clean up and end on a good note- we never force it! I just love exposing her to as much as possible!