Using common kitchen ingredients to explore textures with kids is an awesome way to work on their both tactile sensory sense and fine motor skills. It can be without shaving foam but this was a new way of play for us so we decided to have an elaborate research with different ingredients we have found in our kitchen. For sure it will be a lot easier to get kids to play with this type of mediums in future on they own now that we explored them together!
We started with 6 different ingredients but you can try just one or all of them. Make a judgement depending on your child’s interest.
How to Prepare to Explore Textures?
We have used what we had at home and haven’t purchased anything really, although at the end it turned out I should have bought another shaving foam! So, here is what we used:
- multipurpose flour
- wheat grits
- rye flour
- granulated cocoa drink
- salt
- bread crumbs
- cups
- muffin tray
- and, shaving foam
I decided to place all of the ingredients in 2 cups each – one to mix with shaving foam and one to try and feel in its original form. For this reason, we used empty yogurt cups from recycle bin and placed them into a muffin tin. It wasn’t necessary but it’s just easier to handle 12 cups this way.
We have used one plastic tray to pour on our ingredients, then we would mix shaving foam in half of it and keep another half intact.
How to play with shaving foam and explore textures?
Mixing multipurpose flour and shaving cream
First we tried with multipurpose flour. It was soft on touch in its original form and adding shaving foam made it feel even more tender.
It was quite hard to mix shaving foam with flour and we were surprised to see how resilient shaving foam can be.
Mixing Salt and Shaving Cream
Next we played with salt. Of course, at every point, girls asked: “Can we taste it?” So I have let them taste salt. They gave up really quickly! Sa
lt has a bit more rough texture, especially since we used sea salt. After adding shaving foam, it had a snow feel and look.
Mixing Cocoa Drink and Shaving Foam
The most difficult to mix in turned out to be cocoa drink. At the end, most of it ended stuck on our hands, as you can see the pictures.
Not sure if it would be any different with pure cocoa powder. Pile without shaving foam was fast disappearing because my older daughter kept eating it!
Mixing Corn Grits and Shaving Foam
Next it was time to try corn grits. They have larger granules than flour and more texture. After my toddler had to wash her hands for 3 times, she decided not to touch it! Have to cut down to fewer ingredients next time!
This was also last of the ingredients we tried to mix with shaving foam because we ended with an empty bottle! Hubby will not be happy!
In between each of the ingredients on a tray, girls scooped using spoons what was left on the tray and I threw small quantities in the trash to have a clean tray for next ingredient.
My toddler girl loves to play with spoons and she was happy to spoon it off the tray and play she’s mixing herself different things. Including chocolate! Both of the girls enjoyed drawing different shapes on a tray.
In January, we are participating in 31 Day Sensory Play Challenge with the different daily sensory prompt. You can read more about this challenge over at Adventures of Adam.
What to Read Next?
- Top 10 Sensory Toys for 4 Years Old
- How to Put Together Sensory Bags
- Lego Seek and Graph by Color Sensory Play
- Zero Sensory Bin
- 33 Shaving Foam Ideas for Kids to Play, Learn and Create
Leave a Reply