The Chaos and the Clutter

Crafts and Activities

Seashell Fossils in Playdough

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This simple seashell fossils in playdough activity is easy to set up and fun for kids. It includes opportunities for hands-on learning as well as sensory play. blue playdough on a teal surface has some seashells pressed into it and a few seashells nearby. The text shown is "seashell fossils in playdough"Use this activity after collecting shells at the beach on a vacation or pair it with an ocean unit study. You could also do this when studying fossils. It’s a great hands-on science activity.

Seashell Fossils Sensory Play:

Pressing the seashells into the playdough provides good proprioceptive sensory feedback. As does rolling out the playdough. If you use scented playdough, you can add olfactory sensory input.

There are contrasting textures and colours with the soft playdough and rough and hard seashells which engage the tactile and visual sensory systems.

How to make Seashell Fossils in Playdough:

Supplies needed:

  1. playdough (homemade or purchased)
  2. seashells
  3. rolling pin

Instructions:

  1. Set out the playdough, a rolling pin, and a variety of seashells.
  2. Have your child roll make a ball with the playdough and roll it out using the rolling pin.
  3. The seashells can then be pressed into the playdough.
  4. Encourage your child to use the rolling pin or their fingers to press the seashells further into the playdough.
  5. Invite your child to carefully peel the seashells out of the playdough. Observe the faux fossils that are now displayed where the seashells used to be.
  6. For younger kids, you can also have them match the seashells that are now out of the playdough with their imprint.

Expand this activity:

  1. Set out books about seashells for your child to discover which type of seashells are in front of them and what sea creatures used to live in them.
  2. Talk about what true fossils are and how they are formed. Here are some resources to help you teach about fossils.

Curious About FossilsCurious About FossilsCurious About FossilsWhere Do Fossils Come from?Where Do Fossils Come from?Where Do Fossils Come from?The Beachcomber's CompanionThe Beachcomber’s CompanionThe Beachcomber's CompanionSeashells, Crabs and Sea StarsSeashells, Crabs and Sea StarsSeashells, Crabs and Sea StarsSea Shells Mixed Beach SeashellsSea Shells Mixed Beach SeashellsSea Shells Mixed Beach SeashellsPlay-Doh Modeling CompoundPlay-Doh Modeling CompoundPlay-Doh Modeling Compound

Join thousands of others who have signed up for our Sensory Solutions and Activities email series and get a free sample from our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Some of our favourite homemade playdough recipes:

Calming Lavender Playdough

Peppermint Playdough

Snow PlaydoughSnow Playdough and invitation to play

Understanding Emotions Birthday Party Printable Playdough Mats

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This activity actually combines two things that I feel pretty passionately about: teaching kids about emotions and sensory play. These birthday party printable playdough mats depict common feelings kids are familiar with.black and white colouring pages of faces wearing birthday hats. There is a pink rectangle in the center. The text says "Free printable Birthday Party Playdough Mats" is overlaid on the image.

When you incorporate sensory play into learning, kids are better able to retain what they learn. Discussing emotions with them while having them shape playdough with their hands is such a good way to have them remember.

Kids can relate to the emotions they might feel while at a birthday party. The playdough mats each tell of a situation at a birthday party and the corresponding emotion.

You can use this opportunity to talk to your child not only about how they would feel if they were in that situation but what they would do. You can help guide them to the best possible response. Children who role play situations ahead of time have a better chance of choosing appropriate reaction in the actual situation.

How to use the Birthday Party Printable Playdough Mats:

To use these playdough mats, print them on paper or card stock. Laminate them or place each one into a plastic sleeve. Set them out along with some playdough. Allow your child to shape the playdough to fit inside the mats and also to create the facial expressions that correspond with each emotion. You can use store bought playdough or make your own. If you want to add a calming scent element to it, use our lavender playdough recipe. Create different colours by changing the food colouring in the recipes.

Discuss the emotions with your child. Help them express what they would feel in those situations.

Get your free printable playdough mats here and you’ll join thousands of others wanting to learn sensory solutions and activities.

Fine Motor Sensory Activities

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Fine motor sensory activities are healthy for development in kids. They enable them to get that awesome sensory feedback that they need while also practising those all important fine motor skills. Fine Motor Sensory Activities for kids #finemotor #sensoryplay #preschool #kidsactivities

These fine motor sensory activities can be used at home or in preschool or the classroom.

Even older kids can benefit from fine motor work. Improving fine motor skills improves hand-eye coordination which is an important skill for driving and playing sports.

Another benefit of improving fine motor skills is that it helps children understand how their body works. This is great for body awareness and self-esteem.

The activities don’t have to be complicated. Simple and done is better than intention that doesn’t happen. Just pull out some buttons and throw them in a bin with some water beads and have your child dig for the buttons. Fine motor sensory play = done!

Fine Motor Sensory Activities:

Benefits of Fine Motor Skills Practise:

Fine motor skills are a precursor for other important developmental milestones such as writing, eating, dressing, and manipulating objects in their day-to-day life.

Here are the benefits of improving fine motor skills:

  • encouraging independence
  • dressing skills such as fastening buttons, snaps, and zippers
  • hand-eye coordination
  • creativity
  • develop skills for feeding themselves
  • grooming such as teeth brushing, toileting, and hair care
  • improving self-esteem
  • speech and language development
  • building with blocks and other materials
  • being able to turn the pages of a book which helps provide a foundation for reading
  • improving social skills because of ability to participate in group activities and games
  • arts and crafts
  • more proficient at technology
  • ability to do chores
  • holding, grasping, squeezing, and pinching small objects
  • future scissor use
  • pencil grasp
  • improved dexterity

When you combine a sensory component to the fine motor activities, children are better able to retain what they learn and are more engaged. And the more senses you engage, the more effective the experience.

Other Fine Motor Sensory Activities:

Fine Motor Sensory Play Using a Sand Tray from Buggy and Buddy

Fine Motor Fun with Water Beads from Still Playing School

Sensory Name Recognition Bags over on The Preschool Toolbox

Fine Motor Skills for Preschoolers – Bead Transferring Activity at The Natural Homeschool

Pasta Threading Activity from Messy Little Monster

Neon Squirt Sensory Play at Days with Grey

Cardboard Drop Box by Happy Hooligans

Fine Motor Skills Activities, Practice, Crafts and Printable List of Ideas by The Natural Homeschool

Craft Stick Launchers on STEAM Powered Family (great for older kids)

Threading Cheerios on Learning and Exploring Through Play

Activities Using Kitchen Tongs to Promote Fine Motor Skills from Kiddie Charts

Pine Cone Snowy Owl from Red Ted Art

Looking for answers to your sensory questions? Sensory Processing Explained: a Handbook for Parents and Educators offers real strategies and practical solutions.

Toilet Paper Roll Bird Feeder

an empty toilet paper roll covered in birdseed on a table sprinkled with bird seed. A white plate is visible in the background.

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I love this project. It’s simple. Kids love it. It only requires a few supplies. It provides opportunities for learning and sensory input. And who doesn’t have an empty toilet paper roll?!

In fact, I love this project so much that we make these pretty much every year. The kids enjoy all aspects of it. Bird Feeder Sensory Science #sensoryplay #sensory #sensoryscience #science #toiletpaperrollcraftsOne thing I like about this project is how it engages the senses. The peanut butter and the bird seed both give olfactory (smell) sensory input. Rolling it in the bird seed and hanging it on a tree are excellent tactile input. And both making the bird feeder and later observing the birds who use it are visual.

If you have a child who is very sensory avoidant when it comes to touching textures or when it comes to smells, they may prefer to watch someone else make the bird feeder and then enjoy observing it in action once it is complete. toilet paper roll bird feeder

How to make a toilet paper roll bird feeder:

Supplies needed:

  • empty toilet paper roll
  • peanut butter
  • bird seed
  • knife or spoon for spreading the peanut butter
  • plate or paper plate
  • optional: string

  1. Put a layer of bird seed onto a plate.
  2. Spread peanut butter on the outside of a toilet paper roll using a knife or spoon.
  3. Roll the toilet paper roll in the bird seed. Because of the peanut butter, the seeds will stick.
  4. Loop the string through the toilet paper roll and hang it on a tree or slip the toilet paper roll directly onto a tree branch.
  5. Observe the birds who come to feed.

How to make a toilet paper roll bird feeder without peanut butter:

With many schools being peanut and/or nut free, you may need to make this without peanut butter. You can use Sunbutter (a sunflower butter) in place of the peanut butter.

Expanding this activity:

Use a journal or notebook to write down observations of the birds, their sounds, their habits, their colour, their features or to draw pictures of the birds observed.

Using a book from the library or the internet, try to identify the different bird species that are visiting.

Make the bird feeder using a different type of bird seed and observe whether other varieties of birds visit.

Discussion Points:

What types of birds do you think will visit the feeder?

What types of birds are attracted to the seeds we are using?

This is one of the many activities included in The Sensory Science Book Volume 1. It contains ideas for the themes of Colour, The Senses, and Nature. Other Sensory Science Activities you may enjoy:

Colour Mixing Sensory Bottle

Sensory Smell Bottles

 

The Ultimate Guide to Messy Play

There are trees in the background and bright green grass. Two young girls, one wearing a red t-shirt and black pants with pink shoes, the other wearing a pink long sleeved shirt and green pants are splashing in a puddle. The water splash comes up higher than the girl in the green pants' knees. The other girl is jumping in the air.

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I know; I know. If you’re a parent or teacher, the words “messy play” make you want to run for the hills! But, stick with me for a minute here.

Messy play is an important part of a child’s brain development. It allows a child to explore through their senses and to create while learning.

The Ultimate Guide to Messy Play #sensoryplay #sensory #kidsactivities #messyplay #preschool #kbn

Messy Play For Toddlers

Kids as young as babies and toddlers can begin with this type of sensory play. For children who may still put things in their mouths, you can choose taste safe play options. Of course, adult supervision is recommended for all of these activities.

Even older kids can benefit from messy play. There are many fun opportunities to get messy for kids (and adults) of all ages.

What are the benefits of messy play?

Messy play allows children the opportunity to explore the world around them through their senses. It gives them the freedom to be fully creative.

It also carries with it the benefits of sensory play. Messy play enhances a child’s vocabulary, introduces them to concepts such as experimentation and measurement, improves their coordination, gives them much-needed sensory input, encourages problem solving, and helps regulate emotions and behaviours.

messy play

Messy play gets children used to a variety of textures and this can actually help picky eaters. They become accustomed to different textures which helps their willingness to try new foods.

All those benefits far outweigh the inconvenience of the cleanup. Plus, messy play is fun and fun is an important part of childhood!

Messy Play Ideas

Helpful Tips To Make Cleanup A Breeze

  1. Put a shower curtain liner (buy from the dollar store) underneath the messy play activity. It can easily thrown in the washer afterwards.
  2. Pack extra clothes and a plastic bag in case your child gets theirs dirty or wet.
  3. Have your child wear an apron or art smock.
  4. Have play clothes available that your child knows they can get dirty and even stained.
  5. Use washable paints and play materials.
  6. Lay newsprint down on the table underneath the messy art projects before you begin.
  7. Use a plastic tablecloth to make play dough or slime cleanup easier.
  8. Keep messy play outside.
  9. The bathtub is a great place for messy play.
  10. Place the sensory bin or sensory activity inside a much larger plastic tub.
  11. Keep wipes or paper towels and water nearby.
  12. Stay close by to supervise as the messy play materials can easily migrate to other areas of the house when kids are excited or distracted.

 

I’ll be honest with you… Messy play used to make me cringe. I remember one spring after we moved to our acreage. The snow melted and part of the yard didn’t have grass yet. It created a giant mud pool…which two of my girls went swimming in. Afterwards, the bath water looked like chocolate. And the clothes they had been wearing were so caked in mud that I was tempted to throw them away.

With my oldest two sons, I was that mom that told them NOT to splash in puddles. There was no glitter in the house and for painting, we used paintbrushes, not hands.

But then I saw how quickly time goes. Childhood is fleeting. When our other kids came along, I wanted them to experience all the mess and dirt that childhood had to offer. messy play

Look at the absolute joy that comes across in these pictures of two of my girls splashing in puddles in our yard! Yes, their clothes got wet and dirty. Yes, they got a bit cold. But their laughter made it all worth it.

These pictures to me convey more than just kids playing after a rain. They are proof that I was able to change. As a mom, I was able to grow and get out of my comfort zone. And because of that, my kids have had more memories and less clean clothes!

For more sensory solutions and activities, sign up for our email series and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook including recipes perfect for messy play.

The Ultimate List of Family Game Night Ideas

The image contains a collage of 5 photos and the words "the best family game night ideas". The pictures include a boy with his nose and mouth covered in flour sitting over a plate of flour, a boy with a stack of Oreo type cookies stacked on his forehead, a girl wearing a light green shirt with a pair of panty hose on her head with a tennis ball in the end of each as she swings her head from side to side trying to knock over red cups on the floor, a smiling blue eyed girl holding a paper bag between her teeth, and a curly haired boy with an Oreo on one of his eyes.

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Our Family Fun Nights are memorable events.  We love playing family games and these evenings give us a chance to build memories together. I wanted to share some of our favourite family game night ideas. The Best Family Game Night Ideas #familyfun #gamenight #familyfunnight #gamenightFamily game night creates lasting memories because they foster a sense of belonging. In the busy hubbub of life, it is so nice to have tech-free, face to face time with your kids. Quality time can be created right at home.

Creating a family game night tradition won’t be something you’ll regret. The years you have with your kids at home go by in a flash. Laughing together strengthens the bonds.

If you were to invite your kids to an evening of talking with their parents and tell them there were no phones allowed, you wouldn’t likely get a very positive response. But once you start regular a family game night, your kids will be asking you when the next one is!

Ideas For The Best Family Game Night

1. Minute To Win It Games

One of our most memorable Family Fun Nights was our original Minute to Win It party.  We played Face the Cookie, Stack Attack, Movin’ on Up, Junk in the Trunk, Suck it Up, Penny Hose, Keep it Up, and Yank Me.

There was a lot of laughter. I challenge anyone to play the Junk in the Trunk Game with a straight face!

We had so much fun on our first Minute to Win it game night that we decided to create another one.  That time, we chose a Dollar Store Minute to Win It theme.   We played Puddle Jumper, Chocolate Unicorn, Ponginator, Hanky Panky, Ball Drop, Breakfast Scramble, and Elephant March.

These family game ideas are funny and everyone can play. The supplies were so inexpensive and didn’t take long to set up. It was another memorable evening.

Click here for all our awesome Minute To Win It Games:

2.  The Flour Game

We also get a kick out of The Flour Game. This hilarious game requires only two items and one of them is probably already in your kitchen. This one is just plain old good clean fun. Well, clean may not be the best way to describe it! The messy faces are worth it though.

It’s a great time for all ages. If you’ve never tried it, this is a good one to start with. It’s easy to set up. The rules are easy to understand. And a face full of flour is universally funny!

3.  What’s In The Bag Game

Another classic game at our house is What’s In The Bag Game.  For this one, you only need one item. In this game, the kids often have the advantage. That’s a good equalizer. On other family game nights when the older ones may have an easier time with whatever the activity is, this game evens those odds.

Our neighbour taught us this game. We have played it at everything from just a Sunday afternoon at home to my daughter’s Sweet 16 with over 25 people. It is always a hit.

4.  20 Questions Game

I love this personalized version of the game 20 questions from Teach Mama. It gives a Headbands type of spin to it and allows you to use pictures of people you know or are familiar with. It would be easy to create themed versions of this game such as a Disney theme or famous families theme.

5.  Lego Game Night Ideas

Invite your family members to a Lego Build Challenge Minute to Win It Style. The ideas are easy. Chances are, you’ve got some lego pieces hanging around the house. Why not put them to good use?!

mother and daughter's hands play with building blocks

6. Nerf Gun Family Game Night

My kids would go crazy over this Nerf Target Prize Game from Frugal Fun for Boys and Girls! You could mix it up by changing up the prizes.

7.  Twister

How about making your own holiday themed twister game? You can find everything you need at Pint-Sized Treasures to make a Valentine’s Conversation Hearts Twister, a Snowman Twister, or a Pumpkin Twister for Thanksgiving, Hallowe’en or Fall.

8.  Board Games For Family Game Night

Family game night ideas don’t have to be complicated. You can create lasting memories sitting around the kitchen table with a bowl of popcorn and a board game or puzzle.

I love how our family has a culture of playing board games together. Sunday afternoons, you can usually find us sitting at the table playing Settlers of Catan, Splendor, Sequence, Ticket to Ride, card games, or some of our other favourites.

Family Board Games:

Watch Ya Mouth Family EditionWatch Ya Mouth Family EditionWatch Ya Mouth Family EditionHasbro Pie FaceHasbro Pie FaceHasbro Pie FaceGoogly Eyes GameGoogly Eyes GameGoogly Eyes GameQwirkleQwirkleQwirkleKer PlunkKer PlunkKer PlunkBlokusBlokusBlokusJenga Classic GameJenga Classic GameJenga Classic GameTroubleTroubleTroubleHedBanzHedBanzHedBanz5 Second Rule5 Second Rule5 Second RuleSimonSimonSimonUNO Card GameUNO Card GameUNO Card GameDutch BlitzDutch BlitzDutch BlitzSuspend Family GameSuspend Family GameSuspend Family GameApples to ApplesApples to ApplesApples to Apples

9. Fun for the Whole Family

Done is better than perfect! Instead of waiting for the perfect time and circumstance, plan something simple that both the younger kids and older kids can enjoy. Here are some simple ideas that can be thrown together at the last minute.

  • Scavenger Hunts (Our kids’ favourite is the Put Away Scavenger Hunt. I like it too because it only uses household items so there’s no extra cost, it’s easy, and has no clean-up!)
  • Bingo
  • Christmas Movie Bingo
  •  Charades (instructions and free printable charade cards)
  • Make an easy treasure hunt with clues. Have the first person read a clue and all work together to find the prize so that everyone is a winner.

10. Play Family Trivia.

Invent your own questions about your family and family culture. Examples would be things like:

  • When is grandma’s birthday?
  • Where did we go on our last vacation?
  • Where did your parents meet?
  • What was your mom’s maiden name?
  • What does our last name mean?

Then have the first person to draw a question answer. If they don’t know the answer, allow the next person to take a guess.

Track points on a sheet of paper. You can even offer bonus points for funny or creative answers.

What is one of your family’s favourite games to play?

Looking for more ideas for family fun or resources to help you connect with your child? Join our free Parenting Wins email series.