Sensory Toys to Make at Home - Part 1

You don't need expensive, mass produced toys to enjoy play time at home with your little ones, or to provide great stimulation for their senses. Here are some ideas for easy and inexpensive toys that your baby or young toddler will love.

Visually Stimulating Toys.

Lava Lamp Bottles.
You will need:
- a small clear plastic bottle with a screw top lid
- some water
-oil (normal cooking oil is fine)
- food colouring
- glitter (optional)
- tape

How to make it:
Fill the bottle about two thirds full with water.
Add a few drops of food colouring (you can make several and use different colours for each).
Pour oil into the bottle leaving a small amount of space at the top.
Add glitter if you would like to for extra effect.
Put the lid on the bottle making sure it is well sealed. Put tape round the top for added security. Electrical tape works well.

How to use it:
Slowly turn the bottle upside down, then the right way up again.
Continue to move the bottle in different directions, you could also roll it along the floor. Bubbles of oil, and glitter if you have used any, will move about the bottle creating different shapes and patterns for your baby to watch. Older babies and toddlers will be able to move and shake the bottle themselves - an introduction to cause and effect.


Ribbon Sticks
You will need:
A short length of dowling or similar stick
Some lengths of narrow ribbon in different colours
Tape (optional)

How to make it:
Secure one end of each length of ribbon to the stick, leaving a space between each one. They can be tied on or stuck on with tape, but should be secure enough that they cannot easily be removed by your child.

How to use it:
Hold the stick and let the ribbons hang down for your baby or toddler to look at and touch.
For younger babies you can move the stick slowly from one side of their face to the other, they will soon follow it with their eyes, and by moving their head to see it - a skill called tracking, which is important for visual development.
Talk about the different colours of ribbon as your child reaches for them, and eventually you can ask them to find a particular colour for you.


You will, no doubt, be able to come up with lots more ideas on how to use and play with these objects. Giving them to your child and letting them decide what to do next is a great way to boost their ability to think creatively - and you may be surprised what they come up with.

Enjoy playing with these toys and many more at Discovery Tots and Social Tots classes.
You can also SIGN UP to the Tots Play newsletter to receive regular updates and ideas of things to do with your little ones.

Have a great time playing with your little ones!

Stimulating Your Baby's Senses - Hearing

Below are some ideas for activities to promote your baby's hearing and listening skills. They can be adapted according to your baby's age and stage of development. Keep play sessions short, and have fun with your baby.

Shakers
Fill several small plastic bottles with a variety of items which will make different sounds when shaken.
Examples might be - dried pasta, rice, beads, cotton wool balls, cheerios, paperclips. (make sure the lids are on securely)
Show baby how to shake the bottles and talk about the different sounds they make - loud, quiet etc. Let baby play with the different bottles and choose which interest them the most.
To develop this game make a second set of each bottle and help baby to shake them and find the sounds that match.

Musical Statues
Help your baby to distinguish between sound and silence with a game of musical statues. Play some music and dance with baby in your arms. Stop the music, say "quiet" and stand still and silent, start the music again and say "music" then dance again with your baby. Continue this game for as long as you both enjoy it.

Listening Tubes
To help baby understand that they use their ears for hearing, hold a cardboard tube (kitchen or toilet roll) to baby's ear and whisper through it. You might want to say their name, or a loving message. Move the tube to their other ear and whisper through it again. This is starting to teach baby that they have two ears to hear through.

Keep Talking
The most important way to develop your baby's listening skills (as well as many others!) is to keep talking to them. Describe what you are doing as you go about your day, ask questions of your baby, talk about what you see them doing (eg I can see you are reaching for your ball), or what you think might interest them (eg look, there's a duck on the pond).
(lots more about talking in future posts)

Hints to help get the most out of your playtime.
Keep background noise to a minimum when doing any of these activities, as babies are unable to "tune out" such distractions and focus just on particular sounds initially. Keep the sessions short and develop your baby's focus and concentration for a particular activity over time.

IMPORTANT NOTE
These activities are designed for children whose hearing is identified as being within normal ranges. If you have any concerns at all about your baby's hearing, please seek advice from your health professional. 

For more ideas, a range of sensory play activities are on offer every week at our Discovery Tots classes.