The Chaos and the Clutter

Stretchy Superhero Slime

hand presses into blue slime with coloured confetti in it

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This stretchy superhero slime is great for inspiring imagination. It can be used for sensory play or made as a party favour for a superhero themed birthday. child's hand presses down on blue slime. Text reads "Stretchy Superhero Slime"One of our daughters is a huge fan of all things superhero. She loves the Marvel and DC movies and comics. She is inspired by the thought of superpowers. We even had a DC themed birthday party for her last year.

hand pulling up blue slimeSo I guess it comes as no surprise that I’m talking about how to make superhero slime.

Superhero Slime Recipe:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Pour the blue glue into a medium-sized bowl.
  2. Use a fork to stir in 1/4 cup of warm water.
  3. Add 3 Tablespoons of liquid starch and stir well for 2 minutes.
  4. Test the slime. Add more water if too stiff, more liquid starch if it’s too sticky.
  5. Continue stirring until the slime forms into a ball, then knead for 2 minutes, adding more water or liquid starch as needed.
  6. Once the slime is stretchy and no longer sticky, knead in the superhero themed confetti.

collage of photos showing the process of making blue slime with added confettiAs kids play with their slime, they engage their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems. Getting enough sensory input is important not only for brain development, but for emotional regulation. 

collage of photos of blue slime with confetti in itSlime can be stored in a resealable bag or airtight container when not being used.

As with any sensory play, adult supervision should be used both while making the slime and while interacting with it afterwards. Hands should be washed thoroughly after playing with this or any other slime.

Ideas for using this slime as a party favour:

hand presses into blue slime with coloured confetti in itAre you looking for other easy sensory play recipes to 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 some of our other slime recipes:

Camo Slime

Unicorn Fluffy Slime

Textured Butter Slime

Lego Challenge for Kids

a pile of building blocks with some in a small bowl and printed instruction cards

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Lego offers so many learning opportunities. Playing with building blocks helps kids with math concepts, engineering, communication, as well as simpler things such as colours and shapes. Using Lego Challenge Cards is a great way to encourage this learning.building blocks scattered on the floor with a printed card. Text reads "LEGO Challenge Cards"Lego is something that I often incorporated in our homeschooling. Whether is was a tool for teaching how earthquakes work, practising letter recognition, including it in a sensory bottle, or just having the kids build and create with it while I read them their history lessons, it was a regular learning tool. We even occasionally had Lego shaped snacks!

My own kids’ enjoyment and learning thanks to creating with blocks is what led me to want to create this activity for other families to enjoy. These can be used as a boredom buster at home or to enhance skills in the classroom.

Lego Challenge Cards:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Download and print off the Lego Challenge Cards. 
  2. Cut them out.
  3. Kids can then follow the prompts on the cards to create things using the building blocks. collage of photos of building blocks and creations made with those blocks

I kept some of the cards open ended in order to inspire creativity. There are also ideas included to foster team work and communication and to encourage thinking outside the box.

Examples of some of the challenges:

  • Build a boat that floats.
  • Build your name in LEGO.
  • Build something blindfolded.
  • Build something in one minute.
  • Build something using 5 different sized LEGO.
  • Build a LEGO pizza.
  • Build a small tower and balance it on your head.
  • Build something by following the instructions of a partner.
  • Build something with just one hand.

There are a total of 24 challenge cards in this printable set. Each one is designed to keep kids engaged and thinking. green tower built of Lego with other coloured building blocks in the background

Learning Opportunities from using Lego Challenge Cards:

    • following instructions
    • reading comprehension
    • colours 
    • shapes
    • geometry
    • building
    • math
    • engineering concepts (balance, gravity, weight distribution)
    • fine motor
    • hand eye coordination
    • cooperation and communication (if playing with others)

a pile of building blocks with some in a small bowl and printed instruction cardsSign up to receive the complete set of LEGO Challenge Cards free and be entered in our 5 Secrets to Powerful Connection email series.

Check out some of our other LEGO themed activities:

LEGO Sensory Bottle

Earthquake Science Experiment

LEGO Letter Practise Activity

Opposite Day Ideas

clothes backwards, shoes on wrong feet, printed pages, and egg muffin breakfast

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Opposite Day or Backwards Day is a fun theme idea to do with your kids or in your school or classroom. I wanted to share with you ideas of activities, food, and even some hidden learning opportunities for your theme day.photos of shoes on wrong feet, clothes on backwards, bingo. Text reads "Opposite Day ideas"The official Opposite Day is January 25, but you can celebrate it just for fun any day you wish. Some people choose April 1st (April Fools Day) to celebrate.

My kids have loved our Backwards Days. In fact, sometimes when they were younger, if everyone was super grouchy, I would just declare it was Backwards Day and the mood immediately shifted.

There are so many silly things you can do. Even small changes like having spaghetti for breakfast and pancakes for supper is something kids find so fun.clothes backwards, shoes on wrong feet, printed pages, and egg muffin breakfast

Opposite Day Ideas:

  • Have supper for breakfast and breakfast for supper.
  • Wear your clothes inside out or backwards.
  • Wear your shoes on the opposite feet.
  • Put socks on your hands instead of your feet.
  • Wear pyjamas during the day and day clothes to bed.
  • Have an Opposite Day Scavenger Hunt.
  • Play Opposite Day Bingo.colourful Bingo and scavenger hunt sheets
  • Speak in opposites (“bad” for “good”, “yes” for “no”, etc.)
  • Eat dessert first.
  • Walk backwards.
  • Do everything with your non-dominant hand so lefties use their right hand and righties use their left hand. 
  • Write your name backwards.
  • Draw upside down.
  • Try a role reversal where the teacher gets to be the student for awhile the parent gets to be the child once in awhile. 
  • Sing song backwards.
  • Say the alphabet from Z to A.
  • Read a book backwards starting from the back to the front. 
  • Hang pictures or artwork upside down. 
  • Practise some mirror writing.
  • Call people by their last name first.
  • Any type of play backwards like backwards skipping, skating, or soccer.
  • Do an egg and spoon race or three-legged race but walking backwards.
  • Play backwards limbo (jump over the stick rather than going under).
  • Take pictures with the subject’s back to the camera.girl in pink hoodie and jeans facing away from the camera
  • Make upside down cupcakes with icing on the bottom. 
  • Place an ice cream scoop on a plate and a cone on top of that to create an upside down ice cream cone.
  • Make sandwiches with the bread or bun on the inside.
  • Talk about antonyms. 
  • Write a poem using antonyms.
  • Teach the kids palindromes. 
  • Sleep with your head at the foot of the bed.

I hope your kids or students enjoy the silliness of this day as much as my kids always have!

Find other fun theme day ideas to use in your home or school.

Check out some other fun games and activities for kids:

Minute to Win It Games

The Flour Game

The Bag Game

Basic Homemade Playdough Recipe

balls of playdough in 6 colours stacked on top of each other

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Homemade playdough is so much better than store bought. It’s softer, less crumbly, easier to play with, and it lasts far longer. Making your own is easier than you might expect. 6 different colours of playdough balls stacked on top of each other. Text reads "Homemade Playdough Recipe"When I was growing up, my mom made homemade playdough. For some reason, our playdough was always green. I’m not sure why she never made it another colour, but when I think of homemade playdough, a certain shade of green is what comes to mind!

My mom used a recipe she got from my Auntie Barb. When I became a mom myself,  I started with that same recipe. 

I’ve adapted it slightly, but this is essentially just a good old-fashioned homemade playdough recipe.

Of course, when I discovered that playdough could be made in the KitchenAid and I could avoid sore arms from all the stirring, I never went back to the stovetop method again. 

I’m including instructions for both the KitchenAid and stovetop methods below, but if you have a KitchenAid, that’s the method I recommend. 

<h2″>Basic Homemade Playdough Recipe using a KitchenAid:

Supplies needed:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • food gel or food colouring 
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • optional: glitter

Directions:

  1. Put dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar) in the KitchenAid mixer. 
  2. Add the oil and food colour and begin mixing using the flat beater. 
  3. As it is mixing on the lowest setting, pour in the boiling water. 
  4. If you want to add glitter, add it at this point.
  5. Continue mixing until the playdough forms a ball and is the right texture.
  6. It is now ready to be played with. When not in use, store in a resealable bag or airtight container.collage of photos of child playing with playdough

Basic Homemade Playdough Stovetop Recipe: 

Supplies needed:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup salt
  • 2 Tbsp. cream of tartar
  • 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • food gel or food colouring 
  • 1 cup water
  • optional: glitter

Directions:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together with the oil, food colour, and water in a pot on the stovetop.
  2. Stir over medium heat with a wooden spoon.
  3. Scrape the sides and bottom, stirring constantly.
  4. Keep stirring!
  5. Cook until the dough forms a ball.
  6. Remove from heat. 
  7. Place the dough on a piece of wax paper. 
  8. Knead. If you’re adding glitter, mix it in at this point.
  9. Allow to cool.
  10. When playdough isn’t being played with, store in an airtight container or resealable bag.

As with all sensory play activities, adult supervision should be used. Consuming large quantities of salt is dangerous for children so this playdough should not be eaten. balls of playdough in 6 colours stacked on top of each other

How to scent playdough:

There are several ways that you can add smell to playdough. You can add a few drops of essential oil, spices, or extracts. Scents are either alerting or calming, so you’ll want to choose a scent accordingly.

If you’re wanting to add it to a calm down kit, you’ll want to choose a calming scent whereas if you’re making playdough for a learning activity, you’ll want to add an alerting scent.

Essential oils to add:

Extracts to add:

  • vanilla
  • peppermint
  • almond
  • caramel
  • coconut

Spices to add:

Add only one type of scent to each batch of playdough. Be sure to be mindful of allergies. 

There are so many ways to play with playdough that go so far beyond play. Kids can work on their fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, communication, shapes, colours, sensory input, and cognitive skills. child's hands press a dog bone shaped cookie cutter into blue playdough

Ways to play with playdough:

child's hands press a star shaped cookie cutter into purple playdoughGet an entire set of printable transportation alphabet playdough mats free by entering your email address below. You’ll also be signed up to receive our email series Sensory Activities and Solutions.

Winter Bucket List for Families

icons and text depicting ideas for seasonal winter fun ideas

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Creating memories together is an important part of family connection. With this Winter Bucket List, you can check off simple, fun ideas that will capture moments and make the most of the winter months.

icons of different seasonal activities. Text reads "Winter Bucket List for Families"I chose things for the list that were simple and were either free or cost very little. You can download and print off the bucket list to keep on your fridge or bulletin board.

As you finish items, you can cross them off. You can do them in order or choose the order that works best for your family.

Things don’t have to go perfectly or be planned out far in advance. The most important thing is to really be in the moment together.

Winter Bucket List Ideas:

  1. Build a snowman.
  2. Drink hot chocolate.
  3. Make snowflake playdough. 
  4. Build a snow fort.
  5. Make paper snowflakes.
  6. Have fun with a sensory bottle. 
  7. Create snow angels.
  8. Go tobogganing. 
  9. Take a winter nature hike.
  10. Set out an invitation to play.
  11. Hide coins in the snow and dig for buried treasure.
  12. Shovel a neighbour’s driveway.
  13. Make a snowflake sensory bag or bottle.
  14. Go ice skating.
  15. Have a family movie night in pyjamas.
  16. Bake cookies.
  17. Explore a winter sensory bin. 
  18. Play tag in the dark with glow sticks.
  19. Read stories by the fire.
  20. Work on a puzzle.
  21. Play The Flour Game. 
  22. Make homemade cards.
  23. Do a random act of kindness.
  24. Paint the snow using food dye and water in spray bottles.
  25. Make snow ice cream. 
  26. Go for a drive to look at holiday lights.
  27. Have a kitchen dance party.
  28. Make holiday stretchy slime.
  29. Create a Christmas Calm Down Kit.
  30. Make a paper snow globe.

icons and text depicting ideas for seasonal winter fun ideasNote that if you live in a climate where there isn’t snow, many of these ideas can be adapted. For example, “build a snow fort” can simply become “build a blanket fort”. 

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

Frog Life Cycle Sensory Bin and Activities

a hand holds a small toy frog on a plastic lily pad set on blue water beads

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A frog life cycle sensory bin is a great addition to your child or students’ science studies. Kids can explore and discover using their sense of touch and sight.blue water beads with foam lily pads, rocks, and frogs. Text reads "Frog Life Cycle Sensory Bin"

When you can add a hands-on component to any unit study, it increases retention of the information and interest in the topic. 

Frog Life Cycle Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

little hands holding a frog in a sensory binDirections:

  1. Place the water beads in a plastic container.
  2. Add water. 
  3. Allow time for the water beads to expand.
  4. Make an area in a corner of the bin by pushing away some of the water beads and set out the rocks. This will be the land where frogs can sit.
  5. Add in the frogs, lily pads, and leaves.
  6. Invite kids to explore.

collage of photos of a frog sensory bin using water beads

Life Stages of the Frog:

  1. A frog lays eggs. It takes one to three weeks for the eggs to hatch.
  2. A tadpole hatches from each egg. Tadpoles live exclusively in water. They use gills to breathe. This stage lasts 9-12 weeks.
  3. The tadpole then grows into a froglet that looks more like a frog but has a tail. It has legs and lungs, so it is able to walk and hop on land. 
  4. 12-16 weeks after the egg first hatched, the frog is fully formed and is an adult. 

small green toy frog on rocks and water beads

Ideas to Expand Your Frog Life Cycle Unit Study:

a hand holds a small toy frog on a plastic lily pad set on blue water beads

Resources for Learning about Frogs:

Insect Lore Frog Life Cycle StagesInsect Lore Frog Life Cycle StagesInsect Lore Frog Life Cycle StagesTadpole to Frog Growing Kit with 2 Live TadpolesTadpole to Frog Growing Kit with 2 Live TadpolesTadpole to Frog Growing Kit with 2 Live TadpolesFrog Emotions Printable PackFrog Emotions Printable PackBUY NOWLife Cycle of a Frog Montessori PuzzleLife Cycle of a Frog Montessori PuzzleLife Cycle of a Frog Montessori PuzzleLife Cycle of a Frog Learning ChartLife Cycle of a Frog Learning ChartLife Cycle of a Frog Learning ChartFrog Life Cycle Hand PuppetFrog Life Cycle Hand PuppetFrog Life Cycle Hand PuppetAnd the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle BeginsAnd the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle BeginsAnd the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle BeginsFrom Tadpole to FrogFrom Tadpole to FrogFrom Tadpole to FrogNational Geographic Readers: Tadpole to FrogNational Geographic Readers: Tadpole to FrogNational Geographic Readers: Tadpole to Frog

 

This sensory bin contains small parts and water beads. Adult supervision should be used at all times when kids are participating in sensory play. 

Download your free printable Frog Life Cycle Hat. You’ll also be entered in our email series 5 Days to Better Family Connection. 

Check out our other life cycle sensory bins:

Bee Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Praying Mantis Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Chicken Life Cycle Sensory Bin