The Chaos and the Clutter

sensory play

Nativity Playdough Invitation to Play

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I love open ended activities that allow kids to explore and use their imaginations. This Nativity Playdough Invitation to Play does just that. It engages not only their senses but also their creativity.

While we have made several Christmas playdough invitations to play in past years such as the Peppermint Christmas Tree Playdough or Scented Gingerbread Playdough Station, this year, I wanted to focus more on the reason for the season even in our sensory play.divided tray with playdough and nativity figures and natural pieces with text that reads "Nativity Playdough invitation to play"

With this in mind, our holiday sensory play this season has focused around the nativity with Nativity Slime, a Nativity Sensory Bottle, simple Nativity Sensory Bag, and O Holy Night Sensory Bin. I wanted to share them to show that there are many possibilities to include the story of Jesus’ birth even in sensory play.

These play opportunities create the chance for kids to engage with more than one sense while reenforcing the true meaning of Christmas.

Nativity Playdough Recipe:

Supplies:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. oil
  • brown food gel to make a light brown colour
  • 1 cup water (boiling if making with KitchenAid)
  • gold glitter
  • optional: a few drops of essential oil in pine, orange, clove, or Frankincense*

*a note about scents: Certain scents are calming while others are alerting. If you intended this activity to be a calming one, be sure to choose a calming scent while if you are wanting to create an activity that keeps kids focused, use a more alerting scent.

Directions if you have a KitchenAid:

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

Directions if you don’t have a Kitchenaid:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together in a pot and stir in the oil, water and food colouring.
  2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, being sure to scrape the sides and bottom.
  3. Cook until dough forms a ball. Remove from heat.
  4. Place it on a piece of wax paper. Knead. Add glitter in at this point and if desired, drops of essential oils for scent.
  5. Let cool. Store in an airtight container or in a resealable bag.

Nativity Playdough Invitation to Play:

Supplies:

  • tray with separated compartments
  • playdough (recipe above)
  • Playmobil nativity set (or other children’s nativity set)
  • rocks
  • small wooden blocks
  • raffia
  • natural wood slices
  • stars
  • plastic animals

Directions:

  1. Set the playdough in the center of the tray.
  2. Place the other items in the compartments around it.
  3. Invite your child to explore and play.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

Stretching, pulling, pressing, kneading, and pushing the playdough engages the proprioceptive sensory system.

Creating the scenes uses the tactile and visual sensory systems. If the playdough is scented, then the olfactory (smell) sensory system is also being used.

This Nativity Playdough pairs well with the Christmas story at home or in a Sunday School class. Students can listen to the story or read it themselves and then create their own manger scenes. Playing with playdough also lays foundation for concepts of engineering by allowing children to build and design something that solves a problem. In this case, the problem is how to create a manger scene or tell a story using the materials in front of them.

Set up a nativity learning center in your home, preschool, school, or Sunday school classroom. Include things such as:

You’ll love these other holiday playdough ideas:

Peppermint Christmas Tree Playdough

Snow PlaydoughSnow Playdough and invitation to play

Gingerbread Playdough

Nativity Sensory Bag

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I have to admit that I *may* have gone a bit overboard this year when it comes to creating nativity sensory activities after discovering the most adorable little buttons. And that is how the idea for this Nativity Sensory Bag came about.

I first used the buttons in our Nativity Sensory Bottle and then in our Nativity Slime (which turned out even better than I had imagined) before they were used to create this simple sensory bag.plastic bag filled with light purple liquid, glitter, and nativity figures with text "Nativity Sensory Bag for kids"

Nativity Sensory Bag:

Supplies needed:

Nativity buttonsNativity buttonsNativity buttonsThe Good Shepherd buttonsThe Good Shepherd buttonsThe Good Shepherd buttonsUnicorn Chunky GlitterUnicorn Chunky GlitterUnicorn Chunky GlitterPLAYMOBIL NativityPLAYMOBIL NativityPLAYMOBIL NativityChristmas in the Manger bookChristmas in the Manger bookChristmas in the Manger book

Directions:

  1. Squeeze hand soap into the resealable plastic bag to a little over half full.
  2. Add the glitter. We used two colours.
  3. Set the small nativity figure buttons on top.
  4. Seal the bag shut and squish to mix everything together.
  5. If you will be using this with younger children, you may want to fold duct tape over all sides of the bag to ensure that it can’t be opened. You can use holiday duct tape to make it look more appealing.

Remember that as with all sensory activities, adult supervision and common sense should be used.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

This activity engages the visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems. If your child is old enough to help with creating the sensory bag, squeezing the liquid soap into the bag provides additional proprioceptive feedback.

Your child can play with their Nativity Sensory Bag while listening to the Christmas story. This will improve their focus and retention. They can also additionally engage with the story by finding the people in the bag as they have come into the narration.

Create a nativity learning center in a classroom or playroom by setting out some of these things:

If you’re looking for other holiday Sensory bags, check out: 

Fill an Ornament Christmas Sensory Bag

I Spy Christmas Sensory Bag

The Grinch Sensory Bottle

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What would the holidays be without the classic story The Grinch?! Bring a bit of that story alive with The Grinch Sensory Bottle. This can also be a wonderful calm down tool.

As the hearts and glitter slowly make their way through the liquid, children will find their breathing slows as they focus on the slow movement. Having at-the-ready calm down tools is especially important for this time of year as some children can find the holidays quite stressful.striped white and red background with a clear bottle with green glitter and red hearts with text that reads "The Grinch Sensory Bottle"

The Grinch Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Empty the glue into the bottle. I like the look of Voss water bottles, but sometimes Michael’s sells sensory bottles that look similar.
  2. Pour warm water into the bottle with the glue about 3/4 of the way full and screw on the lid. Shake to combine.
  3. Adding glitter. Replace the lid and shake again.
  4. Drop in the aquarium rocks and buttons. If necessary, add a bit more water.
  5. Seal the jar and shake well. If the glitter or confetti does not move easily, add more warm water. If the glitter or confetti moves too quickly, add additional glue.
  6. Replace the lid. If you’re going to be using this bottle with younger children, you can secure the lid with hot glue.
  7. If you want to, you can cover the lid with decorative duct tape or washi tape.

As with all sensory activities, adult supervision should be used. Over time, even a lid secured with hot glue can become unsecured.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

This activity engages the visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems.

Because of the glue, the glitter falls slowly in the bottle. This is what creates a calm down bottle and can have a soothing effect on kids (or adults) as they watch the glitter and other items in the bottle slowly move through the liquid.

Read How The Grinch Stole Christmas to your child while they hold and play with their Grinch Sensory Bottle. This will help reinforce what they are hearing and help them maintain focus on the story.

You’ll also enjoy these sensory bottles:

Deconstructed Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle

Nativity Sensory Bottle

I Spy Christmas Counting BottleChristmas I-Spy Counting Discovery Bottle

Christmas Nativity Slime

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Leave it to kids to create the best ideas! While I thought of the nativity slime on my own, it was the imagination of one of the kids that came up with the concept of creating a manger with the slime. The results? Wow!a tiny nativity scene sits inside a manger made out of slime on top of a child's hand with text that reads "Nativity Slime”

I love how this activity allows kids to use their imaginations and interact with the Christmas story. It has the added bonus of providing a calming effect!

You can see that in the video below that this slime has just the right amount of stretch and so many play possibilities.

Nativity Slime Recipe:

  1. Pour the glue into a large mixing bowl and add the baking soda.
  2. Begin to add the contact lens solution a few drops at a time as you stir.
  3. When you find that the mixture begins to pull away from the bowl, knead by hand.
  4. Add the glitter. Knead.
  5. Add the nativity figures and and fold them in.
  6. Continue kneading.
  7. The slime is now ready for play.

Dress It Up 7473 NativityDress It Up 7473 NativityDress It Up 7473 NativityDress It Up Buttons 8816 The Good ShepherdDress It Up Buttons 8816 The Good ShepherdDress It Up Buttons 8816 The Good ShepherdElmer's Liquid School Glue, Clear, Washable, 1 Gallon - Great for Making SlimeElmer’s Liquid School Glue, Clear, Washable, 1 Gallon – Great for Making SlimeElmer's Liquid School Glue, Clear, Washable, 1 Gallon - Great for Making SlimeEquate Saline Solution for Sensitive Eyes Twin Pack, 12 fl oz, 4 countEquate Saline Solution for Sensitive Eyes Twin Pack, 12 fl oz, 4 countEquate Saline Solution for Sensitive Eyes Twin Pack, 12 fl oz, 4 count

Slime Troubleshooting Tips:

If the slime is too sticky, you can try these tips:

  • knead the slime for longer
  • add a drop or two of baby oil
  • or put in a drop or two more of the contact solution

If the slime is too runny, you can try this:

  • mix in a bit more glue

If the slime has lost its stretch:

  • soak in hot water
  • or add a small dollop of lotion

Sensory and Learning Opportunities for the Nativity Slime:

Slime allows children (or adults) to engage their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems. Because of the way that it engages the proprioceptive system, playing with the slime can have a calming effect.

Kids can use their imaginations to move the nativity figures through the slime or on top of the slime. If they want to, they can even make a complete manger scene with the slime and nestle the baby Jesus inside. Have your child hold and squish and pull their slime while you are reading them the Christmas Story. Allowing them to engage in sensory play will actually help them be more attentive to the story and the figures in the slime will help reenforce the story and improve their memory.

You’re also going to love:

Nativity Sensory Bottle

O Holy Night Sensory Bin

Gross Motor Dinosaur Action Cube

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This gross motor dinosaur action cube is a fun way for kids to work on their gross motor skills and get valuable sensory input. This activity requires very few supplies and can be done anywhere.

outstretched hand holding a square while a child jumps in the background with text that reads "Dinosaur Action Cube"You can use the dinosaur action cube indoors or outdoors. Kids of many ages can participate. This is a fun rainy day or snow day activity because it gets the whole body engaged. Kids explore their movements and imaginations as they hatch, tromp, charge, fly, and munch like the dinosaurs of the past.

I love how these activities can be paired with a dinosaur unit. When we combine full body movements with learning, kids are more likely to remember. Participating in these gross motor activities is also a great brain break for them which makes learning more effective as well. This can be used in the classroom, at home, or in your homeschool.

Dinosaur Action Cube:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Print.
  2. Cut around the outside.
  3. Fold along the fold lines.
  4. Tape or glue into a cube.
  5. Students can take turns to roll the cube and act out the action indicated.

You can also take the activity one step further by having them read about each of the dinosaur types on the cube or having them draw that species. There are so many possibilities.

Just enter your email in the box below to get your dinosaur action cube and let the learning begin!

The actions engage the student’s sensory systems as well as work on gross motor skills. With these actions, they are able to get visual, auditory, tactile, proprioceptive, and vestibular sensory input. I enjoyed seeing my kids’ interpretations of the dinosaurs. Some kids also like to add their own sound effects. We may not know exactly what dinosaurs sounded like, but my kids did some pretty convincing impressions!

Check out these other dinosaur learning activities:

Dinosaur Fossil Sensory Bin

Dino Slime

Dinosaur Activities

Deconstructed Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle

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I am so in love with this Deconstructed Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle! It’s really simple and yet, it’s got this kind of whimsical quality to it that reminds me of something Dr. Seuss would have created. little hands hold a bottle full of green pompoms, tiny ornaments, and a star with text that reads "Deconstructed Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle"This is a great quiet activity for kids in amongst the hubbub of the holidays. Every year, I make several seasonal inspired sensory bottles for the kids like our Melted Snowman, Christmas Tree, and Nativity Sensory Bottles. They are small enough that kids can take it with them wherever they go.

Deconstructed Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Fill the bottle about a quarter of the way with clear dish soap.
  2. Add the pompoms.
  3. Drop in the mini lights, ornaments, garland, and lastly, top it off with the Christmas star.
  4. If there is any space left in the bottle, fill to the top with water.
  5. Replace the lid. If you’re using this with younger kids, hot glue the lid in place to secure.

You can find the supplies to fill this at the Dollar Store, Hobby Lobby, or on Amazon. Of course as with any sensory activity, adult supervision should be used at all times even if the lid is secured in place.

This really does look like a deconstructed Christmas tree in a bottle. It has all the decorations that would be on a tree, right down to the star topper. It even seems to almost look like it’s lit up when you hold it up to the light. It’s so cool!

Sensory and Learning Opportunities for Kids:

If preschoolers are playing with this, you can have them practise colours and counting but asking questions such as, “how many red Christmas lights can you find?” or “Can you count how many silver ornaments there are?”

Exploring with this sensory bottle engages the visual, tactile, and proprioception sensory systems. Sensory play is an important part of learning and development.

Check out these Christmas Sensory Bottles:

Nativity Sensory BottleMelted Snowman Sensory Bottle

Christmas Counting I-Spy Sensory Bottle