sensory play Archives - Sophie's Nursery

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

June 10, 2019 By lporter Leave a Comment

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Slime seems to be a BIG hit with kids & is something we have been wanting to try out for ages. The lovely people over at Zimpli Kids helped to make this happen by sending us a bundle of slimy items to try. We love a bit of sensory play & these products are a great way of providing my young children with messy fun that isn’t too much hassle or mess!

Zimpli Kids

Zimpli Kids design & sell some of the most unique & innovative sensory play items on the market. I love that they dedicate their time to creating fun new products that will safely enhance both a child’s and a parent’s experience of playtime.

The items we received from Zimpli Kids were:

Glitter Slime Play
Glitter Gelli Baff
Gelli Baff
Slime Baff

Inside each box was a sachet along with detailed instructions. It all sounded super simple so we got started!

Baff Products

We loved all of the baff products! My kids think bathtime is amazing anyway so this just blew their minds.

It was super easy to make – simply fill the bath with around 3 inches of water, add the contents of the given sachet & mix it with your hands. The slime/gelli took about 10 minutes to form.

We were left with a very gooey, gunky green slime, a lava red gelli goo & some glittery pink goo!

My daughter loved it & spent ages running it through her fingers & toes & pretending to swim in it.

The best part for me was how easy it was to clean after we had finished playing. By just adding water & a bag of provided white powder, the gelli & slime washed away down the plug with ease. It did not stain the bath or my kids’ skin or hair.

Just as a word of warning, the slime & gelli baffs are VERY slippery. We kept our bath mats in the bath whilst the children were playing to help with the slipperiness. I also ensured they remained sitting down until the slime had been fully washed away to prevent any accidents.

Slime Play

The glitter slime play is a bit different from the baff products as it is designed to be used in a bowl or tuff tray. It takes a bit longer to form (about 15 minutes) & gets thicker the more you mix it. I decided to use the glitter slime as a means of hiding some toys for the kids to find. They loved it!

Overall

Overall we loved experimenting with the Zimpli kids products & will definitely be getting some more for our further sensory adventures!

** We received a bundle of products in return for this Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review. All thoughts & opinions are our own.

Create Giant Bubbles with Uncle Bubble Mega Loop: Review

April 14, 2019 By lporter Leave a Comment

Create Giant Bubbles with Uncle Bubble Mega Loop: Review

I am yet to meet a child who doesn’t love giant bubbles & my kids are no exception! Anything bubbles is always a hit – bubble wands, bubble machines, bubble baths! The list goes on… So, when I was asked to review the Uncle Bubble Mega Loop there was no way I was going to pass this one up.

Uncle Bubble Mega Loop

The Uncle Bubble Mega Loop is a giant bubble making kit. As in, the bubbles you create are so big you can actually stand inside them! You can also create giant, floating bubble sculptures. According to bubble experts, Uncle Bubble, the kit allows you to use a secret formula that has been used by bubbleologists (yes, really) to build & create bubbles that have actually broken Guinness World Records!

After looking at the pictures on the box & telling the kids what we were going to do, you can imagine the excitement.

Set Up

Inside the box is a set of much-needed instructions as well as:

A bottle of concentrated bubble mixture – 450ml (16oz) which is enough to make 2.25 litres
An Inflatable ring pool
A large bubble wand, with an ergonomic handle

First things first, you need to make your bubble mixture to a ratio of 1:3. The mixture needs to be diluted with clean, cold tap water.

Once this is done, inflate the ring pool using the two valves & assemble the bubble wand.

Finally, fill the ring pool with your diluted bubble mixture & you’re ready to go!

Play Time!

The kids absolutely loved the sensation of being inside a bubble & touching them so they would do a huge pop!

We also used the Mega Loop to make giant bubble sausages.

You can apparently make bubble doughnuts & also ‘bubble sculptures’ which is one of the tricks recommended by Uncle Bubble. This means you use your wand to ‘chop’ your bubble creations into small bubbles & then force them back together to make strange multi-bubble sculptures. Sadly we were unable to achieve any of these creations but had good fun trying.

Overall

This bubble kit was great fun & kept my two tinies occupied for a good hour! Sophie, who is nearly 4, was able to make bubbles from the pool which she loved. However, it certainly isn’t the easiest thing to do & I can imagine would take quite a bit of practice. The hardest part for us was finding a flat surface for the pool, something which is vital for it to work. When we did find somewhere suitable though, we did manage to make some fairly impressive bubbles.

One thing we loved about this piece of kit is that you can use the inflatable ring pool as a portable dipping tray. This means it can be taken anywhere with you, from holidays to parties. In fact, according to Uncle Bubble, professional bubble performers rely on this kit to create their bubbles all over the world.

We love this video showing how to create giant bubbles using the Mega Loop!

Giveaway

Enter our giveaway below to win yourself one of these fantastic Mega Loop kits! Can’t wait to see if you’re a winner? Grab yourself one HERE right now!

Win The Uncle Bubble Mega Loop Tool #3

**We received an Uncle Bubble Mega Loop in return for this review. All thoughts & opinions are our own.

Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box: Connecting Children With Nature

November 27, 2018 By lporter 6 Comments

Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box: Connecting Children With Nature

The main reason I started this blog was to share activities & crafts you can do at home or out & about with young children. As a teacher, I am passionate about learning & finding ways to make it as fun as possible. We love outdoor learning & my Instagram feed is full of pictures of us outdoors, exploring nature whatever the weather. Autumn is one of my favourite seasons & is a wonderful time to appreciate the great outdoors. Therefore, the two October & November Mud & Bloom subscription boxes I received were the perfect excuse to get out & learn!

Mud & Bloom boxes are aimed at children aged 3 – 8 years old. They combine 3 of my favourite things – nature, crafts & education. Each box is seasonal & comes packed full of crafts, seeds, quizzes, trails & all the bits you need to complete the different activities.

October’s Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box

This was the first box we received. The box itself is letterbox size so no concerns about missing delivery. It is made out of cardboard so 100% recyclable. My daughter & I were very excited to open it & see what was inside!

The first thing we noticed was the colourful cards. One card acts as an introduction to the box, explaining what is inside. The others are instructions for the different crafts, a quiz to finish & a fun outdoor spotters trail.

The crafts for this month were 1) making mini figures from conkers, acorns & twigs, 2) making a decorative leaf bowl & 3) making seed head tiles.

As well as asking for you to go & collect as many items as you can from nature, the box also provides a lot of the items to help you.

Our October box contained:

What’s Going on in Nature this Month? fact card
Autumn Wild Nut & Fruit Spotter card
Nature News! card
Air Drying Clay
Glue
Biodegradable Balloon
Grow your own Snowdrop Bulbs
Organic Compost Pellets
Paintbrush
Greaseproof Paper
Fine Sandpaper

Before starting on any of the activities, we decided to go on a nature walk to collect the items needed. We managed to find plenty of golden & red leaves, twigs, conker shells, acorn tops & a variety of seed heads. Whilst out we also completed the Autumn Fruit & Wild Nut spotters trail. We were out for hours & Sophie loved every minute. It even became a competition to see who could spot something first!

Back home we decided to start giving the crafts a go. The first thing we made was the decorative leaf bowl as it was going to take a few days to put together. We were really pleased with the finished result & it is now being used to store any small items we find in nature.

The next thing we did was use our seed heads to press into the clay. Sophie was able to do this fairly independently & was so pleased with the results. We are still debating whether to paint them or not…

Another thing we love about this box is that they provide you with seasonal bulbs/seeds to plant. This month we were sent snowdrops which we planted into the ground. There are instructions for this (or for planting in a pot) along with organic compost pellets. I can’t wait for these to grow so they can add a bit of colour to our winter garden.

As well as doing all of the activities above, we also enjoyed reading the seasonal nature facts & completing the quiz at the end.

November’s Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box

A month later, we received another extremely enjoyable box from Mud & Bloom!

The crafts for this month were 1) making nature peg dolls 2) making pine cone owls & 3) making a leaf lantern.

Our November box contained:

What’s Going on in Nature this Month? fact card
Autumn Fungi Spotter card
Grow Your Own Crocus Bulbs
Organic Compost Pellets
Wooden Pegs
Hemp Twine
Glue
Wool Felt
Pipe Cleaners
Tea Light
Kite Paper
Card
Circle Template
Thin Wire

Again, we started off with a walk to collect the items needed. We gathered more autumnal leaves & a variety of pine cones, twigs & various other natural materials. Sophie then started to make her Nature Peg Dolls. I did need to help her quite a lot, but it was still something she enjoyed. We used leaves for the clothes, sweet chestnut shells for the feet, twigs for the arms & legs & berries for the eyes!

We then turned our attention to planting the crocus bulbs. It’s such a lovely thing for children to watch something as it grows & it a great way of teaching patience!

I think my favourite part of this month’s box was the fungi hunt. We went to a local SSSI wood renowned for its range of fungi species. Again, we spent ages walking around trying to spot the different ones on the sheet. Not only did we both learn loads, but it was also a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

Overall

Overall, we have absolutely loved trying out these Mud & Bloom subscription boxes, priced at a reasonable £7.95 per box. I love how most of the items are included meaning you don’t have to worry about rummaging around the house or spending extra money. The boxes are extremely enjoyable, educational & provide plenty of reasons to get outdoors. A fantastic way to get children to connect with nature.

PIN MUD & BLOOM OUTDOOR SUBSCRIPTION BOX:

** We were given a 2-month subscription in exchange for this Mud & Bloom outdoor subscription box review. All thoughts & opinions are my own.

Halloween Sensory Bins: Super Simple & Lots of Fun!

October 29, 2018 By lporter 6 Comments

Halloween Sensory Bins: Super Simple & Lots of Fun!

These fun Halloween activities include lots of everyday objects making them super easy to set up. Perfect for developing motor skills & imagination.

Potions & Spells Tuff Tray

To get us into the Halloween spirit I’m sharing a couple of our recent tuff tray play sessions! This potions & spells tuff tray literally took me less than 5 minutes to set up.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Pots, plastic containers & bowls
Spoons – we used plastic & wooden ones
Halloween themed items – we used cobwebs, Plastic Spiders, pumpkins & Halloween shape pasta
Pine cones
Glowsticks (we used these as wands or you could just use twigs)

ADULT PREP:

1) Set up the different items in a tuff tray or similar large container

HOW TO PLAY:

This invitation to play is designed to allow your little one to play & explore independently. You can always encourage & prompt your child, for example, talk about the different ingredients & cooking implements. Children will love scooping & mixing the different items & sorting them into different containers. The wands can be used to make magic spells – we had lots of ‘turn you into a frog’ spells! – giving lots of language development opportunities.

Pumpkin Sensory

Get messy this Halloween with some pumpkin innards sensory fun!

WHAT YOU NEED:

Pumpkins
Pumpkin Carving Materials e.g. a carving kit or knife
Halloween / Autumn themed items – we used a scarecrow, plastic bugs, twigs, pumpkin toys, mini skeletons, a broomstick, Halloween dice (we got ours from Flying Tiger) & cobwebs

ADULT PREP:

1) Set out the items in a tuff tray or similar container

HOW TO PLAY:

This sensory tray is another example of an invitation to play, allowing children to explore it independently. You could always talk to them about the different smells, textures & tastes (if you’re brave enough!) of the pumpkin seeds & pulp. Add in containers to encourage scooping & mixing. You could even laminate some numbers or letters & hide them amongst the pulp for children to find.

We loved using these Halloween story dice in our tray (suitable 3 years +). Roll the dice & tell a story using the pictures! The Halloween themed items help ignite a child’s imagination & aids adding descriptive words into the story, for example, the black spider.

MAKE IT EASIER:

Even young children will be able to play with these sensory tuff trays (with very close supervision in case they try to eat it!) You can make it more baby friendly by:

Putting contents into a ziplock bag or a sensory bottle e.g. Halloween pasta mixed with pumpkin seeds & water. Watch the items moving around as they grab, shake & squash them.
Choose a taste & choke safe sensory base for the larger materials to sit on, for example, oatmeal.

MAKE IT HARDER:

Is your child ready to stretch their learning further? Try these ideas:

Write down the ingredients needed to make a certain spell & how many of each item is required, for example, 3 spiders + 1 pine cone = make it rain. Ask children to follow spell instructions or make up their own.
Potion science activity – fill a jar halfway with white vinegar & add in some food colouring. Add a squeeze of washing up liquid & a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda. Watch the potion bubble & fizz!

EDUCATIONAL EDGE

What are you helping your little one to do?

Exploring items leads to conversations & opportunities to hear & say new/familiar words.
Experience the sensation of touching different textures & materials
Develop gross motor skills – scooping, digging & putting objects into containers
Invent imaginative play scenarios

What have you been using in your Halloween sensory bins?

For more Halloween themed activities click HERE

PIN THESE HALLOWEEN SENSORY BINS:

90 Days of Summer: Celebrate Outdoor Play for Children with Germolene

August 22, 2018 By lporter 67 Comments

90 Days of Summer: Celebrate Outdoor Play for Children with Germolene

We’re over halfway through the Summer holidays now – not long to go everyone!! I must admit I am yet to experience the Summer holidays chaos. My two are not yet at school (hence I get the chaos all day every day…)! However I can imagine keeping older children entertained is a whole different ball game, especially when most of the activities put on over the Summer cost money. Many parents dread the summer holidays due to the spiralling cost of days out & pressure to keep children entertained. In fact, according to surveys commissioned by Germolene, 47% of parents claim their biggest concern is the cost of a family day out. Incredibly, the average parent spends £650 just on family trips during the six weeks off!

Therefore, for the past year, Germolene has been on a mission to encourage families to play outside more & embrace the adventure & education that it has to offer.

In light of this, they have created a free guide, called ‘Germolene 90 Days of Summer’. The guide features content sourced from real parents & is written in collaboration with British adventurer & consultant to Bear Grylls, Megan Hine & psychologist Emma Kenny. It is packed with 90 creative ideas to help families enjoy the outdoors without spending a fortune & comes after research by the Office for National Statistics which revealed that children are only spending 16 minutes a day enjoying the benefits of outdoor play.

The different sections in the guide include:

Garden / Park / Beach play – loads of ideas for things you can do at home or in your local area
Quick play – perfect activities for if you only have half an hour
Holiday play – family holiday fun!
Grandparent play – lots of memory building activities for children to enjoy with their grandparents
Take All Day play – days out, including some free ideas
Solo play – develop independence & initiative
Rainy Day play – get outside whatever the weather!

To start us off on our 90 Days of Summer, Germolene kindly sent us an outdoor activity kit including a summer cool bag, a skittle set, bucket & spade, chalk, paints, coloured paper, frisbee, adventure notebook & bubbles!

Sophie was delighted with this bag of goodies! It just proves that fun is still had without lots of expensive things! These few essentials will keep her occupied in our local park & garden for many Summer afternoons.

In fact, a lot of the time you don’t need anything at all! Enjoyment is had with things we find in nature. One of Sophie’s favourite outdoor activities is jumping in muddy puddles! It’s free & also requires no preparation (apart from putting the wellies on!).

Jumping in puddles is just one of many activities found in Germolene’s 90 Days of Summer guide. Some of our other favourites include:

Using chalk in the garden to create pictures on the floor, walls & fences
Growing plants & vegetables from seed
Scavenger hunts – we did a colour hunt, searching for different colours in nature
Searching for ‘treasure’ on the beach – shells, rocks, crabs – anything goes!
Twitching – using binoculars to spot birds & wildlife

A normal part of playing outdoors is the odd bump and scrape, but Germolene antiseptic cream is there to ease the pain & help prevent infection for when fun resumes again. It also helps with stings, insect bites, burns and blisters.

Competition!

Fancy getting your hands on a Summer cool bag? Filled with outdoor activities & toys? Thanks to Germolene I have one to giveaway to a lucky reader! Enter below…

90 Days of Summer

PIN 90 DAYS OF SUMMER: CELEBRATE OUTDOOR PLAY FOR CHILDREN WITH GERMOLENE

**90 Days of Summer: Celebrate Outdoor Play for Children with Germolene is a collaborative post

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Zimpli Kids

Baff Products

Slime Play

Overall

Create Giant Bubbles with Uncle Bubble Mega Loop: Review

Create Giant Bubbles with Uncle Bubble Mega Loop: Review

Uncle Bubble Mega Loop

Set Up

Play Time!

Overall

Giveaway

Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box: Connecting Children With Nature

Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box: Connecting Children With Nature

October’s Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box

Our October box contained:

November’s Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box

Our November box contained:

Overall

Halloween Sensory Bins: Super Simple & Lots of Fun!

Halloween Sensory Bins: Super Simple & Lots of Fun!

Potions & Spells Tuff Tray

WHAT YOU NEED:

ADULT PREP:

HOW TO PLAY:

Pumpkin Sensory

WHAT YOU NEED:

ADULT PREP:

HOW TO PLAY:

MAKE IT EASIER:

MAKE IT HARDER:

EDUCATIONAL EDGE

What have you been using in your Halloween sensory bins?

90 Days of Summer: Celebrate Outdoor Play for Children with Germolene

90 Days of Summer: Celebrate Outdoor Play for Children with Germolene

The different sections in the guide include:

Competition!

Disclaimer

The Boring Bit…

Zimpli Kids: Gelli Baff & Slime Review

Zimpli Kids

Baff Products

Slime Play

Overall

Create Giant Bubbles with Uncle Bubble Mega Loop: Review

Uncle Bubble Mega Loop

Set Up

Play Time!

Overall

Giveaway

Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box: Connecting Children With Nature

October’s Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box

Our October box contained:

November’s Mud & Bloom Outdoor Subscription Box

Our November box contained:

Overall

Halloween Sensory Bins: Super Simple & Lots of Fun!

Potions & Spells Tuff Tray

WHAT YOU NEED:

ADULT PREP:

HOW TO PLAY:

Pumpkin Sensory

WHAT YOU NEED:

ADULT PREP:

HOW TO PLAY:

MAKE IT EASIER:

MAKE IT HARDER:

EDUCATIONAL EDGE

What have you been using in your Halloween sensory bins?

90 Days of Summer: Celebrate Outdoor Play for Children with Germolene

The different sections in the guide include:

Competition!

Disclaimer

Quick Links!

The Boring Bit…