I REALLY believe outdoor play is vital…like air…food…water. I actually believe outdoor connections more important than learning to read. After all there isn’t reading therapy but there is nature, play, animal, water therapies… And, Martianne at Training Happy Hearts has a GREAT post about setting up your outdoor environment. So hop over and read it.
But, while reading her new post it reminded me of last summer. Maritanne has 2 sandboxes and I love the 2 sandboxes idea. I throw down a tarp for things like full body paint, shaving cream… Last year my stepmother gave us this gallon of colored sugar syrup that you’re supposed to put on pancakes…it was disgusting & actually didn’t have a bit of maple in it.
I was getting ready to dump it when instead I flashed on a book I’d read about Sensory Processing. I wish I could remember which one but they’re all really good…especially the Out of Sync Kid ones. I remembered in one of the sensory books a mom found her son swimming on the coffee table covered in syrup…I originally thought “Hell NO!” to a kid with syrup & a coffee table…but thought…why not but different?!
So, I grabbed the gallon of syrup, a tarp, had the kids put on suits & dumped it on them with permission & after Tyler tested it on his feet… Was it disgusting? Yes… Was it fun? YES! It was the best use of sugar we ever had? YES!!!!! …And all for FREE!!!!
My recommendations…if your child has long hair or just to make things easier on yourself…before the syrup experience…wet their hair, add conditioner, braid it into either french braids or pop a few pony’s down the back so the hair stays neat & contained.
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If you don’t want to go full body just dump it and walk in it…it felt squishy & your feet stuck together…you peeled apart as you moved…it was SUPER!!!
We just might have to do that again this summer! 🙂 If you decide to do this…send me some pics. But seriously…so much fun & I would also recommend having a gallon a kid…I think we’ll do that this weekend but this time put it in a pool we bought for ball play in the basement! Oh…it’s coming out and I’ve gotta locate a 5 gallon bucket of syrup…hummm I’m off to Sam’s Warehouse! 🙂
Honey
You haven’t posted in so long, Honey and we haven’t heard back from you for Sensational Homeschooling either. So, I just wanted to write to see if you are okay. I know life ebbs and flows and blogging often takes a back seat (or should!) I am hoping that is all that’s going on with you. If there is more, I just wanted you to know you are in my thoughts…
Hi honey, I did a shout out to you on my blog post today for your awesome swappiness skills. Thank you for setting up this wonderful swap…look forward to ding more with you and the other girls.
Happy Tuesday! Enjoyed reading your pancake post…yum yum!!!
🙂 Colleen
How absolutely fun! We did a similar thing with shaving cream this spring. And, last summer, I took old pudding and jello mixes from a camping box that I’d had since before I become a better eater and let the kids go to own making a stew of them. expired or unwelcomed food can be such a great sensory experience! we made “paint” out of expired powdered milk one time — definitely something to do outdoors and not to creations in – snce they attract the bugs. But, the kids had a blast experimenting and painting with it.
Thanks for sharing your fun idea!!! and, thanks for linking up to my post. 😉
martianne