Sensory Play. Yay!

Dear Emma,

Gee-Whizz! The mom guilt is real!

I always worry that you're not being stimulated enough.

You've never spent more than 3 hours out of my company, so there's guilt that you need to spend more time learning to socialize and be independent.

Then there's guilt that when you start nursery at the end of summer, you'll suffer terribly with separation anxiety. All because I've left it too long!

I'll write to you on another day about finding your nursery school. (Stressful stuff!!!)

Anyway, the summer is long, and I couldn't be more thankful to circumstance for keeping us as close as we are and encouraging us on our journey. And so, we will play!

My mother was a creative and inventive parent.

I remember standing at her feet in the kitchen, looking up at her next to the stove, impatiently waiting for the play dough she would lovingly make us from scratch.

When I was 6 years old, jumping castle parties were all the rage. Instead, my mommy set up a station for each of my friends, so that she could join in the fun while we each decorated our own cupcake. That was almost 3 decades ago and I can still remember my place at that table.

My mom taught me to be curious.

When it rained she would take us outside to taste it.

When it hailed, she caught it on a plate and saved it in the freezer for me to see when I got home from school.

A time came, after baking mud cakes and playing eye-spy, when your aunt and I insisted on spending our days caring for our virtual pets.

And, we had marathon sessions playing Circus Charlie

But, the play I learnt from my mom, introduced me to a world of magic.

It got me crawling into corners of the garden in search of fairies.

It turned the neighbors wandering cat into the curious Kimmy Cat of my Enid Blyton bedtime story.

My mother instilled in me imagination. And it was echoed in my granny's house, so I know that's where she learnt it.

She taught me that when you enjoy your own imaginings you can never be bored.

She taught me to enjoy my own company.

She showed me ways to enjoy the grandest or quickest of escapes in the pages of books.

There are no 7 wonders of the world in the eyes of a child. There are 7 million. Walt Streightiff

So, with the voice of your ancestors and all the moms online, next door, on You Tube, on Instagram and my creative friends and family (thank your aunty and our special Mama Jules) who inspire me, I am so excited to be exploring sensory play with you.

To find games that will influence the way you are entertained further down the road.

To instill a culture of play in our home that I am committed to and that become your treasured memories.

My mother thought she was working on my hand-eye coordination and cognitive development. But, she was also working on my heart.

Here is a list of some of the games we play:

Spaghetti Sensory (wriggly worms, electrical cables, colorfully dyed strands of spag for you to squish and pull and eat. Some warm. Some cold. Recipe below)

Discovery Box (every day, after your nap, you find your basket filled with new things to investigate. Yesterday it included an empty toilet roll, a silicone spatula, the lid of a pot and my bra)

Oat Treasure Hunt (toys and blocks buried in raw rolled oats)

Ice Block Chase (Turn off the aircon, whip off your clothes & send you chasing & licking slippery ice blocks up the tiled passage.)

Edible Painting (We paint, and might be taking this activity to the bath soon!)

Some things I can't wait for us to try:

Sensory bags

Sensory boxes

Tugging box

Edible play dough

Treasure set in jelly

Stick toys to the floor

This week you really enjoyed the colorful spaghetti.

If you want to try it, here's the easy (EASY) recipe:

Boil a pack of spaghetti as per instructions

Make sure to strain and leave them to dry thoroughly on a flat surface. (Loosen them every now and then to be sure that they don't stick together too tightly)

Once dry, separate them into batches in zip-lock bags. As many separate bags as you have colors.

Drop some food coloring into each bag. Zip them closed and shake it up to distribute color.

Pop into the fridge for 24hours so that the colors are well absorbed.

Rinse your spaghetti before playing. They should retain the vibrant color.

You can warm some if you'd like. So that little fingers can enjoy the sensation of cold vs warm.

Also, I suggest lining floors to protect against stains. (The more natural the dye you use, they less of an issue you will have.)

My mother and I enjoyed some healthy debate (see teenage angst) and all the craziness that exists between mothers and daughters. But, we never forgot how to play. As adults we could enjoy a game of cards together, or share a crossword, or voice note one another our views on world news. (Or just soap opera plot twists!)

I hope we get it right to build on this culture of play my little love.

You'll be awake soon and I need to get us packed up. Sensory today is about me sinking into the floor while you climb the walls at the mall's soft play zone.

All my love,

Mommy Xx

P.S. If anyone wants to share ideas for games we can play, please email me or comment below.

P.P.S. Keep an eye on our instagram page if you'd like to try the recipes I use for the games we play. I'll be posting our edible play-dough and paint and more. If it's not coming fast enough, message me