There is much fun and learning to be had being messy and getting out in the fresh air. It can be very daunting at first but if you are prepared and organized it’s a piece of cake.
Here’s my tips...
* Plan your experience ahead. Prepare the area so you are not going to slip, trip or fall. Have all the things ready so you don’t have to leave Bubba unattended
* Have plenty of wet washcloths or a bath run for the cleanup
* Relax and don’t stress if Bubba is not into it or tries to eat the playdough etc (its going to happen!)
* If you are nervous, get a friend or partner to come over and help out. Sometimes it helps to have an extra pair of hands
*If all else fails, find a friend who’s crazy enough to do these things and join in with them ;P
Ok so here is the recipes....
Play Dough
1 cup flour
Food Colouring
½-1 cup water but only use as needed
½ cup salt
2 tbs salt
Vanilla essence or smelly essence like orange or omit if you prefer.
Mix food colour and smelly stuff with water.
Mix flour and salt and add water bit by bit to make dough. Knead the dough until it’s soft and pliable. This lasts about 2 weeks in the fridge covered with cling wrap.
Double or triple the quantity or make lots of different colours
Homemade Finger Paint #1
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 3/4 cup cold water
Mix together cornstarch and water in a saucepan until there's no lumps.
1/4 cup cold water
Mix together gelatin and water and set aside.
Cook cornstarch mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it boils. It'll become thick as you're stirring.
Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin mixture.
Cool and pour into smaller containers. Add food coloring for desired colors.
Homemade Finger Paint #2
2 cups cornflour
5 cups cold water
Food colour
Mix the cornflour to a smooth paste with a little cold water using a large pot. Add 5 cups cold water and stir over a low heat for about 10 mins until the mixture is thick as desired.
HINT: this also works as glue and works better for older kids for nature collage etc when mixed with a little PVA glue)
Shaving Cream Paint
Shaving cream
Food colouring
Mix and play!
Ps: If you want to use this in the bath, only use 1 drop of food colouring or you might have stained grout! Test first to be sure!!!!
Cornflour Goop
Slowly add 1 cup cold water to 2 cups of cornflour in a bowl. Stir til water is absorbed and add food colour. Make sure you do this outside on the grass as it is very sticky and hard to get off pavers. Maybe keep the hose nearby to wash hands!
Homemade Bubbles #1
1/2 cup liquid dish washing detergent
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 teaspoons sugar
Gently stir these ingredients until combined. Store in an air-tight container with a firm-fitting lid. It will keep pretty much indefinitely.
Homemade Bubbles #2
1 cup water
2 tablespoons liquid detergent
1 tablespoon glycerin
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons liquid detergent
1 tablespoon glycerin
1 teaspoon sugar
Mix all ingredients together until sugar dissolves. Enjoy!
And here is some activities to try out...
Food is Fun!
Cooked spaghetti pasta and jelly...great fun to throw, eat, squish, poke and destroy
Yoghurt, custard or tomato sauce makes great finger paint on the high chair. Just watch the tomato sauce in the eyes...ouch!
Hint: Do it outside or put a big mat under the high chair!
Water play
BE SO CAREFUL!
Watch your baby constantly with water as the unthinkable can happen very quickly and with very little water.
Splashing, adding bubbles, adding things that float and things that sink, ice and then warm water to learn about temperature, wash clothes, sponges, dollies to wash, cups and funnels to pour...so many things to do!
Picnic Fun
Grab a rug, slop on some sunscreen and pop on a hat and find a shady spot outside for a picnic. You don’t need to go anywhere special, even just out the backyard.
So much to explore... trees, leaves, bark, birds, people, grass, flowers. Perfect way for them to learn about their world!
You can also bring some exciting treasures to your picnic. Buy some fruit and put it out on the rug for your bubba to touch, taste and smell. Imagine how amazing it is to explore the smell, colours and feel the textures of fruits for the first time like kiwi fruit, passionfruit, mango , orange, watermelon...the list goes on! Then you can slice it up and have a snack!
Veges are great too (although they don’t smell as delicious) to explore. All the different shapes and textures would make for fun exploration. eg broccoli, carrot, pumpkin, squash....
Pack cars, shovels and buckets for the beach and bubbles are for a must for anytime!
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