Before selecting your sensory play supplies, first, decide where your children are going to be playing. If they are playing on the floor, then we suggest putting an easy-to-clean mat down before setting up. Or if your child is young and still needs extra support during playtime, it might be best to sit them in a highchair or prop a few cushions behind their back for support.
Color your food! Take bright colors off of the coloring pages and turn them into festive and fun food creations. By adding a dash of food coloring to foods like pasta, eggs and mashed potatoes, you can brighten your children's mealtime and make it more exciting.
For a fun, hands-on food experience, we recommend first starting with colored spaghetti. To do so, begin cooking your spaghetti noodles as usual. Once they are strained and cooled, add in a few drops of food coloring and mix. Adding food coloring will turn your spaghetti a bright color that your children will love. Lastly, let the playtime begin. Your kids can play with their new creation immediately or you can store it in the fridge until you're ready.
For the perfect homemade spaghetti, use our Bobs Basic Pasta Recipe. Or, If you're creating for children with celiac disease, learn how to make gluten free pasta from scratch by using our Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. The perfect baking aid, it takes the guesswork out of gluten free baking to help you create a perfectly textured spaghetti for the ideal sensory play.
Jell-O is the ideal edible sensory play food. Not only does it taste delicious, but it has an incredibly unique texture that children will love. Because Jell-O is easy to mold, to make playtime even more fun, we recommend using some of your children's cookie cutters and sand toys to form uniquely shaped Jell-O. Animal figurines and fresh fruits like berries can also be added to the jello for an even greater sensory experience.
Because Jell-O comes in a wide variety of colors, you can choose a specific color to focus on for the day. Or, supply several different colors of Jell-O and let your child choose which is their favorite. It is an easy-to-make sensory playtime activity that will allow you to work with your child on various skills at once.
When you were growing up, were you told not to play with your food? If so, you're not alone. Most of us were taught from a young age that playing with food is not acceptable. While it may not be appropriate for your child to play with their food all of the time, there is a time and a place where hands-on eating can benefit your child's growth. So, in this case, we say let them have their cake and play with it, especially when it's a delicious homemade chocolate cake. Cake has a unique texture that, when smashed, can create some pretty messy fun. Let your children let loose for a day and hand them a chocolate cake to destroy. Just remember to discourage any food fights, as cake can get rather messy.
One of the things we love most about cake is that it is easy to make and extremely customizable. If your children have food allergies, make your own homemade dairy, gluten or egg-free chocolate cake with our Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Chocolate Cake Mix. Simple to prepare, with just a few simple ingredients, it creates a tasty cake free of gluten. While you may not feel comfortable handing your child an entire cake to dig into, there are many different ways to create smaller cakes or cupcakes for your children to enjoy.
If you want to skip the cake all-together, try mixing cocoa powder, water and flour for a goopy, mud-like creation. Add in a few farm animal figurines and let your children have some muddy fun.
For the best of both worlds, make these Nutella Chocolate Lava Cakes for your children to play with (and eat.) Small in size, they're the perfect playtime dessert that combines the spongy texture of the cake with the ooey-gooeyness of mud.
Tip: As previously mentioned, preparation is critical when setting up a fun, edible sensory playtime activity for your child. If left for long, chocolate can be tricky to get out of clothing. To avoid getting stains on your child's favorite t-shirt, make sure they're dressed in mess-approved attire or heading to the bath straight after.
Pudding has an incredibly sticky and gooey texture that is great for your little ones to explore. This dessert can be made relatively quickly and the possibilities are endless. Whether you choose to add food coloring to your pudding, spice it up with sprinkles or mix in some cookie bites, there are many ways you can create a pudding that your child will love to play with and eat. When creating a playtime centered around the pudding, make sure that your child has several tools to keep them occupied. Sandcastle molds, wooden spoons and even ziplock bags full of pudding are all easy and creative ways to keep your toddlers entertained.
For a simple, sweet and dairy-free pudding recipe, make this Banana Pie Chia Pudding. Made with oat milk and chia seeds, it's easy to create a delicious pudding quickly. To make this pudding, start by mixing oat milk with chia seeds and let soak for an hour. The chia seeds will work to absorb the liquid of the oat milk and create a fun (and tasty) texture that your child will love playing with. To amp up the feel, even more, try adding a few fresh banana slices to your puddinglittle ones will love smashing them through their fingers.
Remember, when trying these sensory playtime activities in your home, you must supervise and interact with your children throughout the process. Playing with your toddlers during kitchen time and talking about the colors, textures and tastes of each food they try is an integral part of the learning process. If they see you having fun, laughing and trying new things, they'll be much more likely to as well. When choosing a recipe to make, remember to consider your little one's likes and dislikes. If your child is not a fan of gooey textures, then it is probably best to choose something else. Once you're sure you've found the perfect recipe, it's time for some messy fun. Though these play with food ideas are a few of our favorites, there are many more out there that you can try out with your toddlers. We can't wait to see what edible play activities you come up with!
