Standing in kitchen this afternoon, I was watching the girls playing nicely but I could see that we were about to hit THAT time of day. Seams were beginning to come undone.
The dreaded witching hour… haha… an hour. Oh that’s funny… Between approximately 2pm and 6pm each afternoon Miss 4 and Miss 20m are as delicate as a ball balancing on a plank that is laying across another ball. Getting to bedtime with minimal tantrums and outbursts has become a refined skill.
Routine, distraction and diffusion are the three keys, in our household, to getting to the end of witching hour without to much distress.
Today it seemed, was no exemption.
With dinner still 20 minutes away, I knew a tray activity would save the day. Inspired by the heat of the day, and our trip to a desert yesterday, within 5 minutes our tray had been transformed into an icy small world – Antarctica!
Some crushed ice around the edges, Oobleck in the middle, a couple of cotton rounds and figurines scattered across the surface and it was ready.
Have you made Oobleck yet? It’s so easy and such an interesting substance. Learn how to make it here! You probably have all the ingredients in your pantry right now. It’s fascinating, taste safe and fabulous!
To start with the Oobleck seemed to cling to the ice. There were some pieces that almost looked like crystals! As the warmth of the day began to melt the ice, it changed the colour of the Oobleck. Miss 4 was fascinated by the reaction. Gently swirling her fingers through the mixture seemed to have a calming effect on her. The shades of blue rippled together and danced across the surface of the tray.
It was a success! We got to dinner time without any major toddler tantrums from Miss 20m and Miss 4 was smiling! Stimulating the senses can not only create a spark but also be calming and soothing.
Babies, toddlers and preschool children really do have a lot to benefit from by engaging in sensory play.
Now hours later the girls are sleeping peacefully, I think back on how the afternoon could have gone and I’m feeling grateful for a few pantry ingredients, some ice and a handful of figurines.
Make Small World Play easy with these printable Small World Tray Liner Packs!
In all honesty, this is creative. I can’t wait for my daughter to grow a bit more to do crafts together.
Ever since I was a child I’ve been obsessed with antarctica and not surprisingly, my children were fascinated with the antarctic as well. This is absolutely one of the best creative play ideas I have ever seen! Love it!
This is a really neat, hands-on way to teach. I absolutely love it and am going to share with all my homeschool moms.
What a fun way to teach about places around the world. The possibilities are endless. The kids will love it!
This is a fantastic play idea! I need to try Oobleck with my kids for sure!
That is such a cool way to deal with showing your kids about Antarctica. I wish my parents had done something like that for me. My daughter would love playing with it.
Thank you for sharing. I am definitely going to share this with my big sis as she has two daughters aged 6 and 4 and they would benefit from this.
Interesting perspective. Travelling with a toddler requires a lot of planning and mindfulness.
That’s awesome! Love what you did here, so creative and I betcha the little ones had an insane amount of fun, something different!
Thank you! They really did! Anything that involves Oobleck! It is one of our favourite sensory mediums… hmmm… Oobleck!