Let the children get messy with this fun ice cream sensory play tray!
Sensory / messy play has so many benefits for children, and this foam ice cream play is a fun sensory experience. This set up is really simple and uses everyday items around the house, the educational benefits are endless!
Materials
You will need:
- Shaving cream
- Food colouring
- Bowls or other containers, x1 for each colour you wish to make
- Spoons
- A tuff tray or plastic box
- Optional extras:
- Plastic ice cream cones / scoops
- Sprinkles
- Ice cream cart – Ours is the LeapFrog version here: https://www.johnlewis.com/leapfrog-scoop-learn-ice-cream-cart/p3334701?s_ppc=2dx_mixed_fashion_BAU&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItf2CgL2DhwMVapRQBh3ifQy1EAQYASABEgKekfD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
Add shaving cream to each bowl and add a few drops of food colouring in each. We used red, pink, yellow, green, blue and I used the shaving cream with no colour for white. Stir well with a spoon and you are ready to go. I would recommend doing this activity outside or if inside on a hard floor with a towel or protective cover underneath – it can get messy!
How this supports their development
This type of sensory play has so many benefits for a child’s development and education, and works well for both younger and older children. Areas this activity supports:
- Physical – fine motor skills. Children can use their hands to manipulate the ‘foam’ and use spoons and other utensils to scoop and pour. Little fingers will benefit from picking up the small sprinkles and adding them to their ice creams.
- Personal, social and emotional development. Encourages the use of social skills when pretending to serve customers their ice creams.
- Communication and language. Develops language and communication through ice cream shop role play.
- Understanding the world. Helps develop an understanding or real world events and in understanding colours and colour mixing.
- Mathematics. Counting scoops and cones. Pretend use of money works well here, too.
How we played
All children are unique and there is no right or wrong way for them to engage with these activities. They may play differently from one time to another. I think it is really important to allow the children to play with these set ups however they like, this may not always be how you imagined!
My eldest child enjoyed creating different ‘flavoured’ ice creams and adding sprinkles as a finishing touch. She then went on to mixing different colours together to find new ones! My youngest preferred to use the spoons than her hands and enjoyed stirring the mixtures and mixing the different colours together. They pretended to serve me their ‘ice creams’ and asked which flavours I would like.
Let me know if you have a go at this activity in the comments below.