Crafts and Activities

Chocolate Oobleck or Fake Mud for Sensory Play

In case you’re not familiar with it, oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid. That means its viscosity can change from liquid to solid depending on the pressure it’s under. So this chocolate oobleck is both a sensory play material and a science experiment!This recipe makes great messy fun for kids. It can be used at home or in the classroom for a fun sensory activity. Because it’s taste safe, it can even be used with toddlers or preschoolers.

We’ve made regular oobleck, candy cane (scented) oobleck, and lemonade oobleck. I had the idea of doing a chocolate version because I thought it would be fun with Valentine’s Day coming up. The chocolate smell really brings in the Valentine’s theme.

Once I saw it, I realized that it would make a really great fake mud for sensory play. When my boys were younger, they would have had so much fun driving toy trucks and construction vehicles through this stuff!

So regardless if you use this in a sensory bin with toy vehicles as a safe fake mud or in a Valentine’s theme bin with a heart mould to pretend to make chocolates with, this recipe is where you start!

Chocolate Oobleck Recipe:

Supplies needed:

1/4 cup cocoa
2 cups cornstarch
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. water

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together.
Get to playing.

Important notes: Make your oobleck on the day you want to play with it as it doesn’t keep longer than a day or two. NEVER dispose of oobleck down the drain as it will clog your drain. Allow it to dry uncovered and then scoop it into the garbage.

When kids squish or squeeze the oobleck, it will act like a solid but when they allow it to fall through their fingers, it acts like a liquid.

Playing with this oobleck engages the tactile, visual, proprioceptive, and olfactory (smell) sensory systems. It is also taste safe, so technically, it could engage the gustatory system but I wouldn’t recommend eating it as with all that cornstarch, it won’t taste great.

Enjoy the messy, sensory, science fun!

Check out our other oobleck recipes:

Lemonade Oobleck

Candy Cane Oobleck

Fun Birthday Slime Recipe

By Sharla Kostelyk

This stretchy birthday slime recipe is great for pretend play or for celebrating a birthday. It can even be given out as a party favour for guests.

Slime is a wonderful tool for sensory input. It engages the visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems.

Birthday Slime Recipe:

Supplies needed:

6 oz. bottle Elmer’s clear school glue
1/4 to 1/2 cup warm water, as needed
1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid starch, as needed
birthday themed glitter
fine blue glitter (or whichever colour that matches the theme of your party)

Directions:

Pour the clear glue into a medium-sized bowl.
Stir in 1/4 cup warm water with a fork.
Add the fine blue glitter and stir well.
Drop in 2-3 Tablespoons of liquid starch and stir well for 2 minutes.
If the slime is too stiff, add more water. If it’s too stiff, add more of the liquid starch.
Continue stirring until the slime forms into a ball.
Knead for 2 minutes, adding more water or liquid starch as needed to get to the right consistency.
When the slime is stretchy and no longer sticky, knead in the birthday themed confetti and glitter.
The slime is ready for play.

When not in use, store in an airtight container or resealable bag. Adult supervision should be used for this and all sensory play. Be sure to wash hands well after handling slime.

Ideas for Making this Slime into a Party Favour:

Place the slime in a plastic container and use a hot glue gun to attach a bow, small figurine, decoration or to the top of the lid.
Or for a less expensive option, place the slime in sandwich bags, seal, and decorate with stickers.
If you want to make this super interactive and fun, you can set up slime stations and have the kids all participate in making their own party favours. This idea is best when it’s a birthday for older kids or teens or when you have other adults to help.

Are you looking for more sensory play recipes you can easily make at home? Join us for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out these other fun slime recipes:

Shark Edible Fluffy Slime

Glittery Butterfly Slime

Glow in the Dark Slime

Candy Cane Oobleck

By Sharla Kostelyk

Looking for an easy Christmas sensory activity? This Candy Cane Oobleck recipe requires only 3 ingredients and is ooey-gooey fun! It combines sensory play with science for lots of holiday fun.My kids love playing with oobleck and this candy cane themed one was especially fun. They enjoyed creating patterns and molding and squishing it into a ball and then watching as that ball turned to liquid and slid off their hands.

What is oobleck?

Oobleck is a sensory play material that acts like a solid when under pressure but is a liquid at rest. That’s where the science of it all comes in. Oobleck is a non-Newtonian fluid because it can mimic the properties of both a solid and a liquid.

This festive Christmas offers a way to combine science discovery with sensory play.

Candy Cane Oobleck Recipe:

Supplies needed:

4 cups cornstarch
2 cups water
red food dye
baking dish
optional: peppermint essential oil
optional: plastic candy canes, pretend peppermints, and holiday cookie cutters

Directions:

Make one batch of white oobleck by mixing together 2 cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water in a bowl.
Pour it into a glass baking dish to form a single layer.
Stir some red food dye into 1 cup of water.
Mix the red water with 2 cups of cornstarch to make red oobleck.
If you want, you can stir in a few drops of peppermint essential oil to make the oobleck smell like candy canes too.
Drizzle the red oobleck over the white.
Drop some mini candy canes in there if you want or some Christmas cookie cutters or plastic candy canes and pretend peppermints.
Invite kids to play.

There is so much great sensory input in this activity. It provides wonderful tactile input, visual input, proprioceptive input, and if you use scent, olfactory input. Kids can squish it, squeeze it, tap it, drizzle it, smush it around, and pour it.

The science of it all:

I always find that kids learn best when they don’t even realize they’re learning. Invite your child or students to explore the oobleck and talk about their observations.

When does the oobleck behave like a solid? When does it behave like a liquid?

Discuss states of matter.

Read about Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids.

Important notes:

Oobleck doesn’t keep as well as slime or playdough so it’s best to make it the same day you want to play with it.
Never dispose of oobleck down the sink or it will clog your drain. Just allow it to dry a bit and scrape it directly into the garbage.
Adult supervision should be used at all times with this or any sensory play activity.
Although this recipe is technically taste-safe, I wouldn’t recommend eating it!

Day 7 of the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways:

Today’s giveaway is for a bit of Christmas cheer to bring to your home. The winner will receive a holiday decoration for their kitchen.

Please note: Only residents of Canada and the United States are eligible for today’s giveaway.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Check out these other Christmas sensory activities:

Nativity Slime

I Spy Christmas Sensory Bag

Peppermint Playdough Station

Minute to Win It Build Edition

By Sharla Kostelyk

Almost everyone of all ages loves playing with building blocks. This fun Minute to Win It Build Edition combines Lego or other building blocks with the challenge of trying to beat the clock.

The way Minute to Win It style games work is that each game is designed to be done in under a minute. These ones all involve building challenges. And as an added bonus, there are some fun Christmas themed ones too which makes this the perfect family activity for during the holidays.

Our family loves Minute to Win It games. In the video below, you can see our Minute to Win It Christmas Edition games. We pretty much use any reason to play these kinds of games though. Camping, Thanksgiving, or just for fun!

This Minute to Win It Build Edition also makes a great birthday party idea. Just add some decorations and food and you’re all set.

Decorations:

The great thing about these particular Minute to Win It games is that the decorations are kind of already done for you. Just sprinkle some Legos here and there. If you want to take it up a notch, you can add brightly coloured balloons, napkins, and tablecloth.

Food:

While you can of course just set out some popcorn or chips, if you want to go with the theme, you can use some of these fun ideas:

Prizes:

Prizes are certainly not necessary as this is just fun to play, but if you want to offer prizes to the winners, some cute ideas that would go along with the theme are:

Lego minifigures
bag of building blocks
small Lego set

Minute to Win It Build Edition:

One of the things I like the most about Minute to Win It games is that they use supplies you likely already have on hand or are very inexpensive to get. Another benefit is that they work for a wide range of ages. If you want to play as a family, grandparents and parents can join in with the kids.

These particular games do involve building blocks which can present a choking hazard to young children, so adult supervision is recommended.

Supplies needed:

classic Legos or similar building blocks
Minute to Win It Building Challenge Cards (download them here)
one minute sand timer or timer on a phone or watch
a glass
box or bucket

How to Play:

Print out the challenge cards on card stock.
Set out the building blocks.
Each person or team draws a card and has to complete the challenge on the card within a minute. The directions for each game is written on the card.

Players or teams can go one at a time or you can do a head-to-head style of play where two players or one person from each team attempt to complete the challenge at the same time and the first to complete it correctly is the winner of that round. That adds some competition.

The Christmas themed cards (there are 12 holiday challenges) can be used along with the regular game cards or on their own. Get your free printable Minute to Win It Build challenge cards by entering your email below. You will also be entered into our email series 5 Secrets to Powerful Family Connection.

5th Day of Christmas Giveaway:

Today’s giveaway is designed to help you create family time during the holidays. I’m including our printable Christmas Minute to Win It kit, a puzzle (may not be exactly the one pictured depending on availability), and Quirkle (a board game for preschoolers up to grandparents). Quirkle is my mother-in-law’s favourite game and she is in her 80s but it’s also a favourite of our youngest daughter’s, so I thought it would be a good one to choose for a wide range of ages and abilities.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Find all 12 Days of Christmas Giveaways here. You can enter them all!

Check out some of our other Minute to Win It Games:

Minute to Win It Family Night

Christmas Minute to Win It

Minute to Win It Dollar Store Edition

Christmas Activity Ideas Jar

By Sharla Kostelyk

So often, the holiday season can become centered around material things like the gifts we’re purchasing or receiving for Christmas. Instead of focusing on presents this year, why not put your effort into making memories with your family? With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, sometimes that’s easier said than done. What if I could make it super simple for your family to enjoy the holiday season together with the help of a variety of fun activities? This adorable Christmas fun jar is a great way to come up with activities your family can enjoy during the holiday season with very little effort on your part.

Christmas Activity Ideas

One of the hardest parts about creating holiday traditions with your family is coming up with Christmas activity ideas everyone in the family will enjoy. But with this easy holiday craft, the hard work is already done for you!

The printable PDF included with this fun craft comes with 30 different easy holiday activities. In addition to being simple to do, most of the activities on this list can be done right at home. That makes them perfect for enjoying time together while you’re stuck inside!

This big list of Christmas activities includes traditional holiday ideas, like baking cookies and wrapping Christmas presents, as well as some unique activities to enjoy together as a family. But the best part about pulling an activity out of this cute jar is that you never know what you’re going to get!

How to Make a Christmas Fun Jar

Making this Christmas activity jar couldn’t be easier. Start by downloading the printable list of activities and the jar label. Cut out each activity on a single strip of paper. Use the helpful guide lines to cut the activities so that each activity fits perfectly on a popsicle stick.

After you have all the activities cut out, just glue one strip to the top of a popsicle stick. You can give your jar a festive holiday look by using red and green popsicle sticks. I got mine at the dollar store or you can use plain popsicle sticks to hold your Christmas activity ideas.

When all the activities have been added to popsicle sticks, place them inside a mason jar. Decorate the front of the jar with the Christmas Activity Jar label, then add a holiday bow on top to make it look extra special. After that, all you have to do is set the jar out for your family to enjoy!

How to Use the Christmas Activity Jar

There are a few different ways you can use this Christmas activity jar to enjoy time with your family during the holiday season. Each of these methods are a great way to put a focus on making memories instead of purchasing gifts, ensuring your family has an amazing holiday season without the need for material things.

Activity advent calendar. Advent calendars are a popular way to count down the days until Christmas. But there’s no reason you have to use a traditional calendar to incorporate this fun activity into your holiday celebration. Use your activity jar as an advent calendar by picking a different popsicle stick activity each day leading up to Christmas. Your family will have tons of holiday fun every day until the big day, helping you build up the excitement for Christmas day in the process.
Memory makers. Make the most of the activities in your Christmas jar by using them to create lasting memories with your kids. Since most of the activities on the list are easy to do, there’s not much work involved in creating a fun time for your kids any day of the week. And allowing each kid to pick an activity for the day will ensure everyone in your family feels special throughout the holiday season.
Adding new traditions. Finding good holiday traditions that everyone in your family enjoys can sometimes be a game of trial and error. This year, work your way through a variety of holiday traditions by drawing a new activity from the jar each day. This method will help you figure out which traditional holiday activities your family likes to do together and which ones aren’t very popular. Make a note of the activities your family enjoyed and start to incorporate them into your holiday celebration from year to year.
I’m bored jar. Another fun way to use the jar is to help pass the time during the holiday season. If your kids are stuck at home this winter, you’re likely to hear the words “I’m bored” more than once. Every time one of your kids says those two words, let them pick a stick from the jar to help them find a fun way to pass the time.

Christmas Activity Jar

Supplies needed:

popsicle sticks (you can use regular or coloured popsicle sticks)
glue
mason jar or other glass jar
printable activities
printable label
holiday ribbon

Directions:

Print out the activity sheet and label.
Cut out the activity strips along the outer borders. (find the download for the label and activities here)
Cut out the printable label around the outer edge.
Glue the activity strips to the popsicle sticks and place the sticks in the jar.
Glue the label to the front of the jar and decorate the top with ribbon.

Check out these holiday family activities:

Christmas Movie Bingo

Minute to Win It Christmas Style

Nativity Playdough Station

Saran Wrap Ball Party Game

By Sharla Kostelyk

This is such a fun party game! The Saran Wrap game is great for all ages. It can be played at holiday gatherings, office parties, birthday parties, or even in the classroom.The great thing about this game is that everyone is a winner as each person is able to keep the prizes that they unwrap. There will of course be some people that end up with more treats that others, but that’s all part of the fun!

In case the ball doesn’t make it all the way around the circle, you can keep a few prizes to the side to give to anyone who doesn’t end up with a treat.

Saran Wrap Ball Game:

Supplies needed:

1-5 packages of Saran Wrap or Glad Cling Wrap (you want to use brand name plastic wrap for this to ensure that it sticks to itself)
candies and small treats (there’s a list of prize ideas below)
optional: a large prize such as cash for the center
dice

How to make the Saran Wrap ball:

Begin by placing the best prize on some of the plastic wrap. Wrap it around the prize and continue to wrap around.
Continue wrapping the plastic wrap around to create a ball and every few layers, add a candy or treat and continue wrapping.
Continue wrapping until the ball reaches the desired size. You can make a smaller ball for smaller groups using just one roll of Saran Wrap or make a larger ball for a big group or to make the game last longer using two or three rolls. You want to ensure you make the ball large enough that each person will get at least one turn to play.

Hint: If you want to make it more difficult to unwrap, you can periodically cut the plastic wrap and then start wrapping the other way with the next piece.

How to play the game:

Have all the players sit in a circle.
Give the ball to the first person. In our house, the house rule is that the youngest player goes first always.
That person can begin to unwrap the ball, keeping every treat they unwrap as they go.
In the meantime, the person to their left rolls the dice and continues to roll until they roll doubles.
Once they roll doubles, the ball passes to them and the dice passes to the person on their left.
The game continues until the entire ball in unwrapped with the last person being able to keep the prize at the center of the ball.

Saran Wrap Ball Game Variations:

For Christmas, you can use red and green cling wrap to add more of a holiday feel. Choose holiday treats such as Christmas mini erasers, small candy canes, and stickers.
Choose prizes according to the theme of your party.
Use this game as a way for party goers to fill up their treat bag at a birthday party.
Instead of having the person to the left roll repeatedly until they get doubles, you can have them roll only once and then pass the dice if they don’t get doubles and have everyone roll one time each turn. The person who rolls the doubles gets to “steal” the ball and so on.
In this variation, if a 7 is rolled, the direction the ball passes in is reversed.
Add some gag gifts to the ball. This adds a funny twist.

What prizes can I put in the Saran Wrap ball?

Here are some ideas of what you can include in your Saran Wrap ball:

candy (mini sizes as well as full size)
small toys such as those you would put in a treat bag
cash (bills and/or coins)
gift cards or gift certificates
makeup or lotion samples
stickers
costume jewelry
movie tickets
bouncy balls
small fidgets
face mask packets
mini Kleenex packs
scrunchies or hair ties
craft supplies
action figures
toy cars
items from Toobs like plastic animals

This activity doesn’t have to cost much to put together. You can look for sales on small candies the day after Valentine’s Day or Hallowe’en or right after Christmas or you can purchase things at the dollar store.

You may also be interested in these party game ideas:

Minute to Win It Games

The Flour Game

The Put Away Scavenger Hunt