Cereal sand and diggers sensory play

Wondering what to do with those stale cornflakes you found at the back of the cupboard?

Did you know old cereal makes a brilliant base for sensory play?

Sensory play is any activity that stimulates a child’s senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste.

Not only is cereal wonderfully tactile and fun to handle and pour, it is edible, which makes it a safe form of sensory play for babies and toddlers (under supervision) as well as pre-schoolers.

Sensory play is a great way to help little ones with their development as it:

Builds brain connections

Every time you child explores a new texture or sound, their brain creates new pathways. It’s like paving a road between different parts of the brain.

Improves motor skills

Manipulating objects develops the small muscles in your child's hands, and squatting to play or reaching for objects strengthens their larger muscles and coordination.

Regulates emotions

Have you ever noticed how a fussy toddler suddenly goes quiet when you put them in a bathtub? Sensory play is naturally calming when little ones are feeling overwhelmed.

If you want to read more about the benefits of sensory play, check out my post - an introduction to sensory bins.

How we made our cereal sand and diggers sensory bin

For this simple but fun sensory activity you will need:

• Corn flakes or other cereal

• Food processor or Nutribullet

• Large tray with deep sides

• Diggers (or other scooping objects)

Pour your cornflakes into the blender, Nutribullet etc and pulse until it s fine crumbs

Add to the tray, along with your diggers (or other scooping objects) and play!

Your little one will have so much fun scooping, pouring and manipulating the cereal 'sand'

Looking for more taste-safe sensory bins ideas? Why not try one of the following:

• Rainbow spaghetti: Toss cooked (and cooled) spaghetti with a few drops of food colouring and a teaspoon of oil.

• Chickpea foam

  Drain a can of chickpeas and whip the liquid with a hand mixer until it forms stiff peaks.

• Chia seed slime

  Soak chia seeds in water with food colouring overnight to creates a thick, taste-safe slime.

• Chocolate mud

  Mix cornflour, cocoa powder, and water together to make a thick mud-like consistency.

  
  

• Coloured rice: Shake raw rice in a bag with a few drops of food colouring. Spread it out to dry for an hour before playing.

Do you enjoy sensory play? Let me know in the comments!

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