Sharla Kostelyk

Easter Egg Hunt Sensory Bin

Sensory bins are perfect for interactive play. And when you add in seasonal elements, they’re a fun way to celebrate a holiday with your little ones too. This adorable Easter egg hunt sensory bin is filled with unique ways for your kids to explore using an Easter theme, whether they’re learning at home or in the classroom.

Using common Easter themed items in your sensory bin is the perfect way to get your kids playing and learning by using their senses. Each item on the bin is designed to help your child learn as they play by engaging at least one of their senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

Easter Egg Hunt Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

Instructions:

Spread the yellow and purple Pluffle in the bottom of the bin, placing one colour on each side.
Place the letters in the bin. You can use the letters to spell out words (like Easter Egg Hunt) or simply let your kids play with the letters and spell words on their own. Kids love to spell out their own names and familiar words.
Spread the sequin eggs and baby chick toys around inside the bin.
Place the magnifying glass on top of the items for the kids to use.

Easter Sensory Bin Activities

Once you have your sensory bin set up, your kids can explore each item inside the bin as they play. These sensory bin activities are fun ways to encourage your kids to explore:

Use the magnifying glass. Move the magnifying glass over each element in the sensory bin and explore the different colours and textures up close. Compare the fluffy chick’s feathers to the smooth letters to see how they are different.
Touch the different items in the bin. Use your fingers to touch each item in the bin and describe what each one feels like. Which items in the bin are soft? Which are hard?
Squish the Pluffle. Use your hands, a spoon, or a scoop to move the Pluffle around. Squish the Pluffle in your hands or combine the colours to see what happens.
Sort or spell with the letters. Put the letters in alphabetical order, sort them by colour, or spell Easter words with them inside the sensory bin.
Play hide and seek. Hide the eggs or chicks under the Pluffle and dig around in the bin to find them. Or play a game with a friend or sibling by hiding items inside the bin and asking someone else to find the hidden treasures.

Check out our other Easter sensory ideas:

It’s Not About the Spoons!

By Sharla Kostelyk

I had managed to hold it together through the past year. Or at least that’s what I was letting myself and those around me believe.

I held it together when the pandemic hit right as our youngest daughter was beginning to make progress in her mental health treatment program and the program was shut down and she lost all the progress she had made and regressed even further.

I held it together when a rotator cuff injury made everyday tasks hard for me to complete. I found work-arounds and smiled through the pain, unable to even sleep most nights.

I held it together when the phone call came from the genetic clinic that our youngest daughter’s hearing loss would progress to the point of complete deafness. They had found two genetic markers, one would have been akin to a lightning strike. Two? Unheard of. But she had them both.

I could only sigh. Of course she did.

I held it together when my husband needed surgery for a cyst that had eaten through most of his jaw bone on one side. I held my breath waiting for the results of the biopsy and was thankful when it was not cancer, but couldn’t take a minute to enjoy the moment because my kids were hurting and needed me.

I held it together when one of our teens went off the rails and for months, I walked around with that horrible pit in my stomach, worried for their life, never able to relax, and constantly wondering if there had been something I could have done to have prevented it.

I held it together when I held my babies as they cried over the racism they have experienced and shared how affected they were by everything in the news.

I held it together when in August, our middle daughter inexplicably was suddenly stricken with severe motor and verbal tics that took over her body and her life. I had to. I had to be the one to advocate and fight for her.

I had to be the one to fix it. She needed me.

For months I took her to specialists and doctors and naturopaths and chiropractors and hospitals. Spent hours after she was finally asleep each day researching. Day after day of holding her as she cried while her body was wracked with violent tics every single second. I begged for answers, for treatment, for something.

They ran test after test and we were still without answers and then finally, after I insisted they try a treatment for what I suspected it was… a diagnosis.

PANS, pediatric acute onset neuropsychiatric syndrome. In simple terms, an infection had caused her immune system to begin attacking her brain.

Treatments began. Symptoms faded and I thought that maybe I could breathe. I felt hope for the first time in months. And then another infection sent all the symptoms into hyperdrive and it felt like we were back where we started from.

More appointments, more treatments, more medications, more research.

But while all that was going on, I still had so many other kids who needed me, who had crises or needs of their own.

And I pushed through.

I felt the waves of grief coming and I ignored them.

I didn’t have time for that.

I was busy mama bearing 🐻 for my daughters. Advocating for my youngest daughter to have her learning needs met and her mental health needs met, advocating at the school for my son’s learning disabilities and his needs, advocating for my oldest daughter’s health (by this time, she had been taken one Saturday by ambulance from her work to the hospital for fainting spells and we were searching for answers for that as it kept happening).

I think you can see where this is going to end up.

I tell others how important self-care is, but I didn’t feel that I had time or enough energy left to do what I needed for me. What I needed was an actual break, like a break for my brain where no new crises came in and no one needed me. And I couldn’t seem to make that happen.

So I lost it about spoons.

You see, there was no one to get angry at about the unfairness of our daughter’s tics. No one to yell at about our other daughter going deaf or our other daughter losing her hair and having health issues. Who could I blame for the pandemic that had made all these things worse by our isolation?

So it was the spoons.

I used to have complete sets of cutlery, but over the years, my small spoons kept disappearing. I suspect it was kids and a certain husband who took them to school or field trips or work in their lunches and didn’t return them. Whatever the cause, I had plenty of large spoons, but my small spoons dwindled down further and further until there was only one left.

One day, I decided that I really wanted small spoons to stir my tea and I treated myself to ordering new ones. I ordered 10 small spoons. To “earn” them, I had set myself a goal to achieve at work and once I had pushed forward and accomplished that, I rewarded myself by ordering my spoons.

They arrived in the mail a few weeks later and I eagerly opened the box and was greeted with 10 large spoons.

I was so frustrated and disappointed.

I emailed the company right away and they didn’t reply. The next day, I emailed their customer service department again and crickets. So I called them and was sent to an answering machine. I left a message. Nothing.

I sent another email. No reply.

By now, I had convinced myself that no reputable company nowadays is really that bad at customer service so perhaps I had ordered the wrong spoons. My logic said that “dessert spoons” are the small ones and that’s what I ordered, but maybe I had it wrong.

So I somehow thought it would be a good idea to order the other spoons, the “dinner spoons” since if the dessert spoons were large, that must mean the dinner ones would be small.

And not finding anywhere else that sold those same spoons, I ordered from the same company (you know, the one with the terrible customer service).

I know that you might be shaking your head. But keep in mind that I have been sleep deprived for months and my brain is no longer firing on full cylinders.

A few weeks later, I opened the box that arrived and peered inside only to find 10 more of the identical spoons they had sent the time before.

I now have 36 large spoons and 1 small spoon.

According to their website, I will have to pay the shipping if I want to return them (even though they obviously made a mistake and shipped me the wrong spoons). I have now paid twice for spoons I already had and didn’t need more of.

I still cannot stir my tea with a lovely small spoon.

And this. This spoon thing is the thing that has made it so that I am no longer holding it together.

In the past day, I have cried, screamed, and not gotten out of my pyjamas. I have eaten chocolate and cried some more. Over spoons.

Why am I sharing this with you?

Because I think this is something that moms of special needs kids sometimes do. We push ourselves and we do all the things we need to do until we just can’t do it anymore.

And that thing that sends us over the edge? It’s never the diagnosis or the bills or the medications or the work or the appointments. It’s some small thing that is seemingly nothing.

I think in this case, the company not responding to me and not giving me back my money represents the unfairness and injustice I have felt this past year.

The spoons themselves represent something I want (health for my children) that no matter how hard I try, I cannot have and cannot find a way to get.

And so, I’m going to sit here and cry over the spoons. I may even in a moment I’ll likely regret later, call the company out on Twitter. I’m still debating that. I’m going to send them one last email before I resort to publicly saying their name.

Because it’s not really about the spoons.

When we special needs parents have our breaking point about something seemingly insignificant, it’s about all the other things, the real things, the things we can’t actually break down about.

If you’re the parent of a child who’s struggling, maybe you can relate to being able to hold it together for all the hard things and then breaking down over seemingly nothing.

I know I’m supposed to end this with some words of wisdom that can encourage you and tell you where to go from here, but I’m going to be honest. I’m still in it.

I’m still standing in the muck right now, so the best I can give you is that if you are standing in the muck too, you’re not alone. I’m knee deep in it with you.

You might find these helpful:

The Waves of Grief in Special Needs Parenting

Parenting Myth: You are Only as Happy as Your Saddest Child

Easter Sensory Bottle

By Sharla Kostelyk

One of the simplest forms of sensory play for young children is a sensory bottle. And when you add holiday elements to your bottles, you have the perfect way to celebrate an occasion. This simple Easter sensory bottle features classic holiday elements, allowing your child to celebrate Easter and have a little bit of educational fun at the same time.

Easter Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

plastic water bottle (Voss bottles or craft store sensory bottle)
purple glitter
pastel baby chicks
mini coloured foam eggs
pastel sequins
clear dish soap (Dawn or LemiShine soap are good options because they have a thick consistency)
optional: Superglue or hot glue to seal the bottle cap

Instructions:

Pour the clear soap into the sensory bottle until it’s around 2/3 of the way full.
Add the glitter, baby chicks, foam eggs, and pastel sequins to the bottle.
Fill the rest of the container with water.
If you plan on gluing the lid to keep the bottle from reopening, add hot or Superglue glue to the inside of the lid, then replace the lid on the bottle. Otherwise, you can simply put the lid back on.

Easter Sensory Bottle Play and Learning Activities

This sensory bottle is perfect for encouraging interactive play with young children. But keep in mind that your child should always be supervised by an adult as they play. Even if the lid is glued to the top of the bottle, it could come off. And since the pieces inside could be a choking hazard, it’s important to keep an eye on your child as they’re playing with their bottle.

Try these play activities to give your kids a chance to use their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems as they learn:

Seek and find. Shake up the Easter sensory bottle and let your child search through the items as they float to find different elements inside. Ask your child what they see and let them point out the different pieces inside the bottle.
Count the eggs and chicks. As the eggs and chicks float around the bottle, let your child count each item to see how many eggs and chicks are inside.
Calm a busy mind. The Easter holiday can often cause sensory overload for young kids. Creating this Easter sensory bottle is the perfect way to calm your child when they’re feeling overwhelmed. Simply shake the bottle to mix up the elements inside, then let your child watch the pieces as they float around inside.

Some other Easter sensory activities:

Easter Oobleck Easter Fluffy Slime

Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin

Eggs and Carrots Sensory Bin

Easy Easter Oobleck Recipe

By Sharla Kostelyk

Using just two common household ingredients, you can create a fun science experiment your kids will love. And when you mix in holiday elements, this cool activity becomes a great way to celebrate. Make this easy Easter oobleck recipe with your kids to have some messy fun as they learn during this holiday season.We love finding interactive ways to learn. And with the help of this quick and easy science experiment, your kids can explore and learn in unique ways. As your kids play with this squishy goo, they’ll learn all about the properties of matter and have a little messy fun, too!

Easter Oobleck Recipe

Supplies needed:

6 cups cornstarch
3 cups water
blue, pink, and yellow food dye
baking dish
Easter cookie cutters
stretchy or bendy bunnies
plastic eggs

Instructions:

Stir some pink food dye into 1 cup of water.
Mix the pink water with 2 cups of cornstarch to make pink oobleck.
Put the pink oobleck in one section of a baking dish.
Follow the same instructions to create blue oobleck and then again to create yellow.
Drop some Easter cookie cutters, stretchy bunnies, and plastic eggs in.
Invite your child to play!

The Science of Oobleck

After making and playing with oobleck, you may be wondering if it’s a liquid or a solid. The answer to that question is a little more complicated than simply picking one quality or the other. In fact, oobleck is what’s called a non-Newtonian fluid or a suspension. That means it can mimic the qualities of both a solid and a liquid.

All fluids have a state of viscosity, which describes how the fluid flows or how thick the fluid is. Since oobleck can change between a solid and liquid state, its viscosity is not constant. That means it’s a non-Newtonian fluid, which has an inconstant viscosity. And oobleck is just one example of this type of material. Other non-Newtonian fluids include silly putty and ketchup.

Since oobleck is made up of two ingredients, it’s the combination of those ingredients that creates a unique substance with its own unique properties. Since cornstarch particles are so much smaller than other substances, like sand or dirt, they are more susceptible to thermal forces. When the substance is sitting still, the granules of cornstarch are surrounded by the water molecules.

The surface tension of the molecules keeps it from flowing out of the cornstarch. And the lubrication from the water allows the cornstarch granules to move more freely and behave like a liquid. But when friction occurs, the particles move more like a solid.

Oobleck can also be made with other solids such as baby powder, tapioca flour, potato starch, and more. You can find those unique oobleck recipes here.

After explaining this cool scientific concept to your kids, they’ll probably be ready to start exploring! Use different tools and toys to experiment with the Easter oobleck for tons of educational fun. Try these experiments with your kids:

Place the oobleck inside a glass. Let the oobleck sit in the glass for a few hours and see what happens. As the goo sits in the cup, you’ll see the liquid and solid elements begin to separate.
Stir it with a spoon. Stirring the oobleck with a spoon will force the ingredients to mix, causing the oobleck to stiffen. See how long it takes before the spoon becomes “stuck” in the oobleck.
Hit the oobleck between your palms. When you apply pressure to the substance, it becomes less viscous. Notice how hard the substance becomes each time it is hit.
Squeeze and release. Watch the oobleck change states right before your eyes. As you squeeze the goo in your hand and apply pressure to the substance, it will become solid. But when you release the pressure and open your hand, it will turn into a liquid and flow between your fingers.
Use cookie cutters. Try using the cookie cutters while the substance is in different states. How do the cookie cutters work when the goo is in liquid form? How do they work when the oobleck is solid?
Compare oobleck to plain water or plain cornstarch. Compare the two ingredients in the recipe to the completed recipe and record the observations. How does oobleck differ from plain water and plain cornstarch? What happens when you slap each ingredient compared to slapping oobleck? What does each item do when held in your hand? See what you can discover.

What is Oobleck?

Now that you know the science behind this fun substance, why not learn about its history? The concept of oobleck was dreamt up by Dr. Seuss in his book, Bartholomew and the Oobleck. In the story, the oobleck is a mysterious substance that falls from the sky when the king becomes bored with normal weather.

With this recipe, you can mimic the goo found in this fun kid’s book, making it a great activity to do with your kids when studying Dr. Seuss. But when you add in toys and seasonal elements, you can use this cool science experiment for any holiday you choose.

Here are some of our other oobleck recipes and activities:

Chocolate Oobleck Lemonade Oobleck

Candy Cane Oobleck

Spring Bucket List for Families

By Sharla Kostelyk

I’ve always thought of Fall as my favourite time of year, but this year, I’m rethinking that. It’s felt like an especially long winter both literally and figuratively and it feels so good to see signs of Spring emerging. Maybe you feel the same way.

This Spring Bucket List is a great way for you to celebrate this new season and what it represents by creating new memories with your family.

Download and print off the list and put it up on your fridge or bulletin board for easy reference. I purposely chose activities that were low cost or free. As you complete items, cross them off the list. Do them in order, choose them at random, or do them in the order that works best for your family.

This is not meant to be an exercise in perfection. Use this as a guide and let the fun grow from there. This is meant to foster family connection and allow you to enjoy time together.

Spring Bucket List Ideas:

1. Smell the wildflowers.
2. Do a backyard photo scavenger hunt.
3. Make a Spring sensory bottle.
4. Play hopscotch.
5. Enjoy a squishy sky sensory bag.
6. Paint the sidewalk with shaving cream paint.
7. Feed the squirrels.
8. Plant seeds.
9. Explore a garden sensory pail.
10. Go to the playground.
11. Make edible shark slime.
12. Make a butterfly sensory bag.
13. Splash in puddles.
14. Look for shapes in the clouds.
15. Explore spring sensory soup.
16. Bird watch.
17. Look for frogs.
18. Make paper flowers.
19. Climb a tree.
20. Blow homemade bubbles.
21. Hunt for four leaf clovers.
22. Chase butterflies.
23. Act like a bug.
24. Family spring cleaning day.
25. Fly a kite.
26. Walk barefoot in the grass.
27. Read a story under a tree.
28. Host a tea party.
29. Make a cheerful music playlist.
30. Visit the Farmer’s Market.

Download your Spring Bucket List today and you’ll also get our free email series 5 Secrets to Powerful Family Connection.

You may also be interested in:

My Spring Feelings Mini Book for Kids

By Sharla Kostelyk

Use this mini book as a tool to help kids talk about their feelings. When children are able to write about and talk about their emotions, they are better able to process and manage them. The pages in this Spring themed mini book contain some common seasonal happenings. They are simple enough, but that’s actually the beauty of them. When kids are given the opportunity to talk about how they feel about everyday things, they begin to develop a comfort in speaking about and writing about their emotions in general, which can lead to them sharing about deeper things in the future.

This also allows us to get some insight into our kids or students. While some may delight in splashing in puddles, those with certain sensory issues may feel scared at even the thought of it. Flying a kite may bring along with it happy memories for some students, while for others, it brings sadness as it may be something they have never been able to experience.

My Spring Feelings Mini Book for Kids:

Supplies needed:

My Spring Feelings mini book printable pages. (download here)
scissors
pencil or pen
markers, crayons, or pencil crayons
stapler and staples

Instructions:

Download the My Spring Feelings mini book.
Print the pages.
Cut apart the booklet pages.
Let your student decide how he or she feels about each seasonal activity and draw a corresponding face on the child on that page. Your student can use the Emotions Word Bank for ideas (for words to use and for faces to draw).
When your student has completed the book, stack the pages together with the cover on top and staple on the left side to create a little book.

It can be helpful for you to sit down and debrief with the child you’re working with after they fill out their book. This will give you a better understanding of their feelings and allow you to ask further clarifying questions to provide you even more insight.