Creating Invitations to Play

Sensory Play is essential to the development of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. This specific kind of play stimulates and develops young minds, gross, and fine motor skills. Giving your little one the opportunity to discover through play with materials develops them cognitively, socially, emotionally, physically, and creatively. 

So what exactly is an Invitation to Play? It's exactly what it sounds like, an invitation to play. By creating opportunities for open-ended play with various materials or sensory discoveries, we are empowering them to discover and learn about the world around them while having fun. Play opportunities should have no expected end outcome. For example, when you create an activity with finger paints and other materials you should not expect them to paint a masterpiece. Let them discover and play! Squishing paint is a great sensory activity, and if they happen to splatter it onto a toilet paper roll it's an added bonus of putting two and two together. A cause and effect reaction – see, they're learning through play! 

If you are wanting to steer your playtime into more constructive learning, remember to keep it simple. Don't force it, instead supply the tools and items for that subject or development area. For example, sensory play stations you provide can be specific to the "subject" or theme. It's amazing what is learned through dramatic and pretend play! If your goal is to learn more about colours, shapes, or numbers, then your items in play would include those colours, shapes, or numbers.

So here are a few great ideas for your own Invitations. You don't need much more than simple household items, plus or minus some baskets or containers to hold the items. And possibly a protective or waterproof cloth to protect their "work area". You can arrange a set time of the day or week for these invitations, rotate your "stock" monthly, or just set them out for them to discover on their own. Young minds will surprise you with how creative they can be with recognizable or new items.

• Frozen Jello play: Toss some Jello cups into your freezer. When frozen, they pop out easily into a bowl. Let them defrost a bit before handing them over for their activity. They will enjoy squishing (and eating) this sensory experience, and will also discover how things melt and defrost. Baby and tot's first science experiement! This is a great activity for hot weather days, and smells delicious.
• Bathtime Fun: Enhance bathtub play by adding in bath paints, food colouring to the water, scents, blowing bubbles, boats, floaties, or themed ocean items. Most kids really enjoy bathtime, which makes this a great option for a boredom buster or to keep cool on a hot day. 
• Sensory Foam: Use this great recipe for Cotton Candy Foam and customize with colours to create a fun alternative pretend play activity. Try scooping it for "ice cream" or just pop the bubbles.
• Gardening Pretend Play: Fill a wide bucket with soil, kid sized gardening gloves, kid friendly garden tools or shovels, a watering can or cup, and chickpeas or other dry beans to "plant".
• Coloured Salt Tray: Add a few drops of dye to 1 cup of salt, shake to mix, and let dry. Place your coloured salt onto a tray (or cookie sheet), and set out exploratory tools such as a paintbrush, buttons, and a small bowl of vinegar.
• Pipe Cleaners & Strainer: Poke both ends of your pipe cleaners into a strainer for them to pull out, detangle, or poke in themselves. This is a great activity for older babies and toddlers.
• Pompom Play: Set out a bowl of pompoms (assorted sizes and colours) and different containers such as ice cube trays, egg cartons, or muffin tins to sort and fill. 
• Pretend Tea Party: Set up a tea party, invite those teddy and dolly guests, and get dressed up for an impromptu get together. Supply pretend cakes, felt food, sponges, napkins, and more.
• Restaurant Play: Serve up spaghetti and meatballs at your restaurant with this great DIY Spaghetti craft, plates, napkins, and more. Try creating menus with your child as well!
• Painting with Chalk & Water: Set up your artist's station with black paper, chalk, and water. Watch them discover and create!
• Use any of these items in your own unique ways: buttons, pompoms, straws, sand, playdough, dry pasta noodles, small boxes, balls of different sizes and textures, feathers for tickling, and anything else you can find!