Sensory Play dough cookie cutter tree girfts

With Eloise in stepping stones last year I thought it would be a great idea to make sensory play gifts for the kids in her room at her school. Eloise loves play dough so I figured that would be a great gift. This gift also  would help with working on their grasp and sensory needs. I made the play dough mint scented so that it used more then one of their senses. these gifts are fun to play with and also very inexpensive to make. Eloise is still using her extra one I made just for her at school. this is a great activity for kids to play with when its not very nice out.

What you will need:

green play dough (I used mint oil for scent)

Christmas tree cookie cutters

clear treat bags I used Christmas zip lock bags

beads or mini crystals  Eloise chose crystals




What you need to make play dough:

1 cup flour

1/4 cup salt

1 teaspoon oil

3/4 cup boiling water


(not needed) but if on hand 1 table spoon of cream of tarter and glycerin 

food colour green 

scent (mint oil)

Directions to make play dough gifts:

1) mix flour salt in a mixing bowl

2) add in wet ingredients  mix well

3) when play dough is done break into balls

4) roll ball out place cookie cutter in center

5) take excess  dough off around cutter edges

6) make sure dough is as thick as cutter 

7) add in the mini crystals as ornaments on tree

8) place in a mini zip lock baggie add tag then pass out

Pine cone Christmas tree ornament

    Eloise loved making this craft. It was nice to get out and look for pine cones during a nature walk to make these. It's that more special that we took the time to pick them out ourselves. this is a simple craft that was easy for Eloise to make herself except needed mommy's help with the glue gun.  we made a few to hang on our Christmas tree you can make them in colours of your theme for your tree.


What you will need:

pine cones

glue gun or white glue

pom poms

 ribbon

mini bells


Directions:

1) tie string to top of pine cone

2) place spots of glue on random pieces of the pine cone

3) where you put glue place a pom pom or bell

4) when the pine cones pieces have enough to make it look like mini Christmas trees the ornament is done.

5) hang on your Christmas tree

melted snowman sensory bag

    Eloise loves sensory play this was a great idea. I saw different sensory bags thought of  this and had to make for her. We have made a few different sensory bags but this one turned out awesome. It is a great winter one and with Eloise loving her felt snowman wall. I thought it would be perfect for her to play with.

what you will need:                                             

foam

clear hair gel

zip lock bag

scissors

glue

a little water

Directions:

1) cut out eyes mouth nose and a hat from the foam

2) in zip lock bag pour gel

3) next mix in glitter and some water 

4) then add in eyes nose and mouth and seal bag with no air in it

5) next glue the hat to the bag

6) when glue is dry give to your child to play with supervised

special drink for the kids

        Eloise loves kool aid but I do not let her have it much.  As a child my nanny made me a few different special treats and drinks.  This was a hit with Eloise and a few friends kids.  I put it in a clear glass you you can see in pics. To make this special summer drink you need to make ice cubes with kool aid any flavor of your choice.  When ice cubes are ready pour a cup of sprite or ginger ale pop and add ice cubes to it as the ice cubes melt the colour and flavor of the drink changes.  I made this a few different times through out the summer.  With different flavors it was a hit every time.  This is even a great idea for party's.  If you don't like pop you can use water and add extra ice cubes.

pumpkin craft with hand print leaf

    Halloween and Thanksgiving  are two of my favorite  holidays. This craft makes a perfect decoration.  I love to decorate and this is great to keep for years to use. This is a simple craft for toddlers or older kids to do on their own with little help. Eloise enjoyed placing all the squares on her plate and picking different orange pattern papers. This jack o lantern is perfect thing to make each year for keepsakes of your child s hand but its can be different each year thanks to using different patterns of paper.  If you just want to make pumpkins for fall decorations. Instead of jack o lanterns just  don't cut out face on black paper.

What you will need:

 card-stock paper in different patterns but in oranges

green card stock paper 

brown and black card stock paper 

glue 

paper plate




How to make:


1) cut orange card stock into squares

2) cover paper plate in glue

3) place orange squares to cover paper plate

4) next trace child's hand on green cared stock and cut out

5) cut a stem out of brown card stock and glue it to back of paper plate sticking out

6) next glue hand to stem as a leaf

7) use black card stock to cut out eyes nose and mouth

8)  clue face onto the pumpkin

9) let dry hang as decoration

Farm Sensory Bin

    

   Eloise loves sensory bins. When learning animals this came in handy to have.  I would pick a animal and ask Eloise to feed it. She loves to push the feed over with the tractor. It can get messy with playing at a table. Eloise prefers to sit on floor to play with this bin. It is fun to feel the different textures of the bird seed . Its funny to make the sounds of the wrong animals to have her correct me on which sound the animal makes.



  What you will need is some wild bird seed, plastic farm animals, tractor and a bin to put it in.
place bird seed in the bin then add animals on to with the tractor. then its ready to play with.

ball tent( Mommy win)

 
Two Christmas's ago Eloise pointed out a ball pit when we were shopping. I decided it would be a great gift little to my surprise I could only find blow up pits. In our family we have fur babies a dog ans 2 cats so blow up anything isn't a great idea in our house if we want it to last. Other ones I found were fold out ones with a small wire we bought a second hand one to try it out well that only lasted about two weeks before our dog bent one of the walls and then it wouldn't stay up right so the balls would come out when Eloise was playing.  I came up with a great idea which now has lasted over a year and is used weekly and travels with us while we camp or go for over night  trips. We also use this out back to play and stay out of the sun. I bought a children's play tent and a bag of 250 balls from ToysRus. Eloise received this ball tent for Christmas 2013 and its still in great shape and works awesome she even plays with the dog in the ball tent and her cats and there is no tears or has not got bent out of shape. This is a cheap easy life hack to a great fun activity for kids all ages. here are a few pictures over the years of it being used we have taken the ball tent to music and arts festivals camping up to the family camp to stay out of the sun and play or even indoors on rainy days. Over the past two years I have only added more balls. At Christmas or her birthday we have picked up another bag of balls as with traveling and using outdoor some balls get lost. This is a great way to occupy the kids while you mop the floors or cook supper it provides hours of fun.