Spring Play

By Kallie @avery_playtime_adventures 

Last week was beautiful though and we grabbed the opportunity to get outside and enjoy some of the spring sunshine and just relax, unwind and engage with some spring themed sensory exploration. We are trying to cross off all the prompts on the #wpdspringplay so I used this as a basis for choosing some resources to take outside and enjoy in the sunshine.

Although I try and adopt a child led approach, I do also enjoy setting up themed play scenes for Avery and lately have been doing more of this, so I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to get back to some true child led play and let Avery just explore some of the beautiful resources we have and let his imagination guide us.

I filled a tray with some items for Avery to explore, placed it outside on a blanket and then left it for him to discover and engage with in his own time.

He started with the playdough, squishing it in his hands and smelling it – he loves to smell the dough! Then he used his flower stones to make impressions into the dough, he liked how the scent from the dough transferred to the flowers so they had a lovely sweet smell. He used some other items from the basket to make impressions into the dough as well.

Avery sat on the blanket and used our coloured scarf to wave around and asked me to use the sound buttons to make him some music. He really enjoys those and often has them out around the house, he finds them calming. The liquid timer is also great for calming, I sometimes sit and watch it myself because it gives me a feeling of calm and relaxation – sensory play is not just for the children!

One of my favourite items in the tray was our affirmation cards. Since the day he was born I have told Avrey that he is gorgeous and special every single day. I think it is so important to instil into our children how much they are loved, how special they are and surround them with positivity so they always have something good to reflect on, even at difficult times. Avery asked me to read him the cards and the beam of pride on his face says it all when I say these positive things to him. Sometimes he repeats them and sometimes he replies to me with his own positive affirmation. The power of this is not just beneficial for him, but for me too, seeing his confidence in himself flourish and also seeing what a loving and kind boy he is to others – he often replies to me telling me that I am beautiful or brave and I know at pre-school he says positive things to his little friends when they are having difficulties. Just a few simple words of love an encouragement a day make such a difference I think.

After exploring the tray Avery settled with his sound buttons, he laid back on his mat and watched the light reflect on them as he listened to the sounds and relaxed – for Avery this is a rare thing, he is always on the go, but this time he led our calmness and relaxation experience in the garden and we both enjoyed a lovely peaceful afternoon.

All resources available from The Wooden Play Den 

Affirmation Cards

Sensory Flower Stones 

Sound Buttons 

Organza fabric 

Playdough 

Liquid Timer