The Chaos and the Clutter

Crafts and Activities

Ball and Bands Fine Motor Activity

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Helping your child with their fine motor development doesn’t require fancy activities or expensive equipment. There are many things you can easily do at home to work on this skill with them. This ball and bands activity is such a simple fine motor challenge that kids can do with items you already have at home. red knobby sensory ball with coloured elastics on it. Text reads "Ball and Bands Fine Motor Activity"

Ball and Bands Fine Motor Activity:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Stretch the bands to fit over the knobs of the textured ball. Add as many as you want to, but this activity is challenging for small hands, so be sure to consider the ability of the child. It’s best not to put too many bands on the ball which could cause frustration.
  2. Encourage your child to carefully remove the bands from the ball. This will work on their fine motor skills, pincer grasp, and concentration.
  3. Once your child has mastered this skill, you can have them try to place the elastic bands on the knobby ball themselves. 

In addition to working on pincer grasp, fine motor, and concentration, kids will also be receiving that all important sensory input. So this seemingly simple activity packs big value. 

It is quick to set up and inexpensive. This is perfect for preschoolers and with help, even some toddlers can attempt this.

To expand this activity:

For older kids or those with more advanced fine motor skills, you can have them try to create shapes using the loom bands on the spikes on the ball. Let them get creative!

Please note that the rubber bands are small and therefore, adult supervision should be used with this (or any of our other) activities. 

You may also be interested in these fine motor activities for kids:

Rainbow Playdough Fine Motor Activity

Seashell Fossils in Playdough

Simple Scooping Busy BagSimple Scooping Activity Bag

Easy Outdoor Sensory Activities at Home

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We’ve been stuck inside only able to do indoor sensory activities but now it’s finally warmed up enough to spend some time outside. That means we can finally add these easy outdoor sensory activities to our days. We are so looking forward to getting some fresh air.collage of images of kids playing. Text reads "Outdoor Sensory Activities at home"The kids have already begun exploring in the trees and enjoying the sunshine. It has done wonders for their mood now that they aren’t as cooped up anymore.

Easy Outdoor Sensory Activities at Home

Not all activities have to be planned out. There are other things that can be done more spontaneously in the yard. 

Other easy ideas for outdoor sensory activities you can do at home:

  • make mud pies
  • water balloons or an old fashioned water fight
  • obstacle course – Use anything you have on hand such as hula hoops, slides, wood, pallets, tunnels, pool noodles, chairs, and tires. 
  • jump rope
  • relay races
  • sprinkler, kiddie pool, or Slip ‘n’ Slide
  • tag
  • yard work – Great for proprioception and for teaching good work ethic! Think raking, mowing (for kids who are old enough), picking rocks, and carrying firewood or bricks.
  • dig in the sandbox
  • gardening – digging, planting, pulling weeds, and picking are all great tactile sensory input.
  • bike rides
  • hikes or nature walks
  • family campfire
  • tree climbing
  • interval circuit – set up exercise stations in the yard with signs like “10 Jumping Jacks”, “1 Run Around the Yard”, “10 Supermans” (my kids loved this activity!)

Of course as with all sensory activities, adult supervision should be used. 

In case the weather doesn’t cooperate, you can find a great list of indoor sensory activities for home here.

Easter Fluffy Slime

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Bring on Spring with this feathery Easter fluffy slime. Its texture is so soft, making it perfect for celebrating this Spring holiday. I am wanting anything that makes that feel closer. white puffy goo with small colourful eggs. Text reads "Easter fluffy slime"Full disclosure: I’m dreaming of Spring right now because where I live, it is still below freezing and snow blankets the ground a week into April. So I am all about thinking about baby chicks, green grass, and colourful flowers right now! And of course Easter.

This Easter fluffy slime is soft and downy-like in its texture which reminds me of those Spring things. Watch the video below to see just how easy it is to make your own Easter fluffy slime. 

Easter Fluffy Slime:

Ingredients:

Directions:

    1. Add glue to a bowl.
    2. Mix in water and baking soda.
    3. Add shaving cream and mix.
    4. Stir in food colour.
    5. Slowly add contact solution. Mix.
    6. Add the glitter.
    7. Knead.
    8. If it’s still too sticky, add a drop more of contact solution and knead some more.
    9. Fold in the mini glitter foam eggs. Continue to knead.
    10. Store in an airtight glass or plastic container.

Fluffy Slime Troubleshooting Tips:

You need an activator in order to create the slime’s texture. In this recipe, we used contact solution as the activator. Without that, the glue and shaving cream would just be a bowl of gunk.

Fold in extra shaving cream if you want your slime to be fluffier. 

If the slime isn’t stretchy after days of play, try to add a bit of hot tap water or a small amount of lotion.

If you find that the slime is too sticky, add a drop or two more of the contact solution or a small amount of baby oil and knead. The real key here is the kneading.

These tips will help you to get the right consistency with your slime.

Looking for more easy sensory play recipes to inspire creativity year-round? Join me for a free five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a complimentary sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out some of our other Easter sensory activities:

Easter Egg and Bunny Sensory BinEaster Egg and Bunny Sensory Bin

Bubble Wrap Easter Egg PaintingBubble Wrap Easter Eggs

Christ Centered Easter Sensory Bin

Bug Action Cards for Kids

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Help kids get their wiggles out using these bug action cards with prompts for fun gross motor play. Kids can use these inside or outside. This is such an easy activity for parents to set up. You can easily add some exercise into your child’s day in a fun way.

girl in swing with arms outstretched. Text reads "Bug Action Cards for gross motor play"With prompts for climbing, marching, hopping, and more, kids can get some all important sensory input. These actions engage the visual, auditory, tactile, vestibular, and proprioceptive sensory systems. 

Bug Action Cards:

Supplies needed:

Directions: 

  1. Download the action cards.
  2. Print them.
  3. Cut them apart.
  4. Create a small stack with them. Each child can pull one from the pile and act out the instructions on the card.

These action cards make a fantastic brain break. You can use them right in the middle of schoolwork to have a five minute break before they get back to their task. This will help them refocus and have better concentration.

Get the whole body moving in a fun way. Help kids burn off some of that extra energy they have from being stuck inside or from sitting for too long. These action cards are also a cute activity to add in to a unit on insects. Kids can take the learning a step further by reading up on each of the bugs on the cards. 

Another great way to expand on this activity is to have kids create their own cards with ideas they come up with. You can have them stick with the bug theme or choose something else. 

Type your email in the box below to get your bug action cards so that the learning and fun can begin!

Check out these other gross motor activities for kids:

Dinosaur Action Cube

5 Trampoline GamesTrampoline Games and Activities

Outdoor Sensory Scavenger Hunt

Easy Indoor Sensory Activities at Home

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Sensory play is so important. It helps not only with fine and gross motor development, language and communication, and boredom, but it also improves mood and lowers anxiety. And I would say that right now, those things are very needed. I wanted to provide you with a list of easy sensory activities at home that you can do starting today.

No matter how old your kids are from toddlers up to teens, sensory play can make a big difference in how your days go. If you incorporate sensory play opportunities at regular intervals throughout your day, you’ll be surprised at how much calmer the house will be. I encourage you to participate in some of the play yourself as it will also help lower your anxiety.

These sensory activities don’t need to be complicated. A lot of the supplies you need are probably already in your home. 

Easy Indoor Sensory Activities at Home


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Peter Rabbit Playdough Invitation to Play

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With the new Peter Rabbit movie coming out soon, we thought it would be cute to set out a Peter Rabbit Playdough invitation to play for the kids. This playdough tray evokes imagination. Your child can explore and create scenes and stories.

blue tray with rocks, twigs, wood slices, green playdough. Text reads "Peter Rabbit Playdough Tray"This sensory play activity is engaging and a wonderful learning opportunity. If your child has seen the movies or read the books, they can recreate scenes or they can just use their imaginations to build their own Peter Rabbit world. They can then act out scenarios with the characters.

Using the playdough, they can create a garden or a field and have the characters interact with each other. This activity is cute for any time, but it would be especially appropriate for Spring or Easter time.

Peter Rabbit Playdough Recipe:

Supplies:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. oil
  • green food gel
  • 1 cup water (boiling if making with KitchenAid)
  • optional: a few drops of peppermint essential oil*

*a note about choosing a playdough scent: Some scents are calming while others are alerting. Peppermint is an alerting scent. This is great if you are wanting kids to stay focused. If you want this activity to be a calming one, be sure to choose a more calming scent.

KitchenAid Directions:

  1. Put the dry ingredients into your KitchenAid mixer.
  2. Add the oil and colour and begin mixing on low with the flat beater.
  3. As it is mixing on the lowest setting, pour in the boiling water.
  4. If you want to scent the playdough, add a few drops of essential oil in peppermint or the scent of your choice. Mix until it is the texture you want.
  5. Store in an airtight container or resealable bag when not being played with.

Stovetop Directions:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a pot and stir in the oil, water and the food colouring.
  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring, being sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot.
  3. Cook until the dough forms a ball. Remove from heat.
  4. Place dough on a piece of wax paper. Knead. If you want, add a few drops of essential oils for scent.
  5. Allow to cool. Store the playdough in an airtight container or resealable bag.

Peter Rabbit Playdough Sensory Station:

Supplies:

Peter Rabbit Poseable FiguresPeter Rabbit Poseable FiguresPeter Rabbit Poseable FiguresFruits & Vegetables ToobFruits & Vegetables ToobFruits & Vegetables ToobPlay-doh-resealable GreenPlay-doh-resealable GreenPlay-doh-resealable Green

Directions:

  1. Set the green playdough in the middle compartment in the tray.
  2. Place all the other items in the compartments around it.
  3. Invite your child to explore, play, and create.

This activity is so sensory rich. Kids engage their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems when they are squishing, moulding, sculpting, shaping, rolling, and pressing the dough and the other items in the invitation to play. If scented playdough is used, then they are also engaging their olfactory sensory system.

Are you looking for other easy sensory play recipes? Join us for a free five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out some of our other playdough invitation to play activities:

White Snow PlaydoughSnow Playdough and invitation to play

Nativity Playdough Invitation to Play

Valentine’s Playdough Center