Break open the cranberries. Cranberry scoop has arrived.
After all these years, cranberry scoop is still in the top ten sensory play ideas. But why is something like scooping, pouring, and dumping important for children?
Let’s start with this. Want to teach your kids how to pour their milk?
Simple, super fun sensory play such as this holiday activity helps gain confidence and pour that syrup on the pancakes with a lot more control. (thank goodness)
RELATED: Don’t be intimidated by sensory play. Here’s the 411 how to get started with sensory play.
So tell me. WHY is this sensory play important?
Scooping helps little hands hold steady. It helps them lift different amounts of weight depending on how much liquid is in the spoon. This lifting helps build arm strength.
Pouring helps understand how much you can put into something before it overflows—exploring with water tests and hypotheses when the container will overflow.
Now the dumping. Raise your hand if your child dumps everything in sight?
Me too. Especially my 18-month-old. Toddlers are notorious for this. You want your child to explore dumping because it helps them test gravity and begin to see cause and effect. This dumping doesn’t mean they need to dump a bag of sand on the floor. What it means is that with practice, sensory play can improve skills that are the building blocks of higher-level thinking.
Pro tip with sensory play:
For water games and other sensory bins, I like to lay down an okay to spill zone.
Do I tell my kids there is an okay to spill zone?
Not necessarily.
Their job here is to keep the water in the bin.
What I am doing is thinking ahead.
I know that if I tell my children to keep the water in the bin, there will be room to spill. If I say to my children they have some extra space to spill; water will be everywhere.
So what can you use with cranberry scoop?
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plastic shower liner
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old yoga mat
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old indoor cycling mat (shown above)
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plastic table cloth
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outdoor yard
Cranberry Scoop Supplies
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kitchen supplies
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cranberries
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large storage container – I like to find mine at Target
RELATED: Holiday activities bring the season to life! Don’t miss 40+ Christmas Activities listed here.
When will you scoop, pour, and explore with cranberry sensory play?
