G u e s t S a l l y
from @Nix.And.Nala.Play
Mum Approved Sensory Play Hacks
My friends can’t believe that I actually set up sensory play for my little ones—we never seem to have enough time as mums to do anything right? But I’ve discovered a few sensory play secrets that keep everyone happy! They’re not always ‘Insta-worthy’, but they’re real life, mum approved hacks:
Simplicity
Remember that old saying, “Keep it simple, stupid”? I often only use one base, then pop in a few scoops and maybe a bucket or bowl, and away we go. Our sensory trays don’t always have a theme; in fact, they rarely do. If we
do create a theme, it’s usually through colour or by adding a book alongside the play.
Easy Sensory Bases
Chickpeas are my go-to sensory base—to the point where I ended up buying a bulk bag from Costco. Why chickpeas? Because they’re easy for little hands to pick up when it’s time to tidy up. No one ever shows you the mess all over the floor, but I can tell you now, crushed-up cornflakes used to replicate sand will
never be happening in our playroom again. Those fine, dusty particles ended up in the window tracks, on the walls, and deep in the carpet!
Now I think smarter. Inside sensory play needs
big bases—think pom poms, playdough or even old Cheerios from the cupboard. I promise, your child won’t notice whether your rice is dyed a pretty colour, your chickpeas are painted or if you’ve used five different bases. They’ll happily play with whatever is in front of them (that said, I
do love a bit of rainbow rice!).
Re-use
I always try to re-use our sensory play. Sometimes it’s the dried-out version of oobleck; other times, it’s the exact same tray left out for a week. Re-use can also mean keeping the same base and just adding or removing a few elements. For wet sensory play, I love drying it out to reuse later or even freezing it in ice cube trays to bring out another day.
Even though it might look like new play trays are being shared every day on Instagram, the reality is that a good sensory set-up can last a lot longer and doesn’t need to be remade daily.
Easy Clean-Up
From the beginning, I’ve always had my little ones help clean up, after all, they helped make the mess! Make things easier on yourself and get them involved. For things that end up on the floor, they get a bucket to collect it all and then we empty it back into the tub to reuse, or sort it back to where it belongs. Popping a mat underneath our play tray helps to contain the mess too, I just have to remind them again and again to keep the mess on the mat… it’s a process!
Sometimes, I wish I’d just cleaned it up myself because it would be quicker but I’ve come to realise that perseverance pays off. Clean-up is just part of the play routine. I always allow a little extra time at the end of play for tidying, otherwise, the mess might sit there for days and in those cases, I just shut the playroom door!!
I think at the end of the day, we mums need to give ourselves a break. Stop comparing yourself to the beautifully crafted play trays on Pinterest or the aesthetically pleasing grids we scroll through on Instagram. I’ve learned that play is just as meaningful whether I spend nap-time putting together something intricate or simply pour a bag of chickpeas into a tray with a bowl and scoop.
Hopefully, some of these hacks will give you back an extra half-hour to enjoy that cup of tea and read the next chapter of your book.
Have fun!
Sally Atkins
Check out some of Sally's Sensory Recipes below:
