Shapes and shaving cream, together at last!
Messy sensory play is a blast when we combine shapes and shaving cream.
Seriously, if you have just a whisper of wanting to try this sensory play, I urge you to grab the shaving cream asap. For us, this morning was a perfect time, and it lasted for over an hour.
RELATED: Introducing sensory play can be simple!
Shapes and shaving cream engage sensory play.
Now that my almost six-year-old is off to Kindergarten, one question haunts me.
Did we PLAY enough?
Now I know. You come here for ideas to play. So in the big scheme of things, the answer is, yes, we did play enough. Even our list of toddler activities is packed with ideas to learn through play.
But you see, having my son start BIG school has me glaring over their daily schedule, knowing no turning back time.
reading
writing
science/social studies
lunch
recess
specials
math
home
You guys! Do you see what is missing?!
When are these Kindergartners PLAYING other than recess?
There is so much curriculum that it takes a lot of energy to understand how to teach and integrate content through play. I get it. It is a very tall order to teach both at the same time.
However, If you are a Kindergarten teacher, I urge you to read Purposeful Play.
So with this, I am desperate to make sure my children that are still home with me have plenty of time to play. This shaving cream activity is the ticket in!
Is shaving cream taste safe?
NO.
My two-year-old and my four-year-old understand that shaving cream does not go into the mouth or anywhere on the face.
I remind the boys that shaving cream is not taste-safe, and it will be put away if it goes into their mouths.
Typically, this is enough to keep shaving cream out of their mouth, and my boys understand our sensory play guidelines. (most of the time) I stay close as they play, making sure the shaving cream activity goes as planned.
RELATED: Painting is another way to introduce the sensory play. Here is how to introduce painting to kids.
Why is playing with shaving cream important?
Like most sensory play, this shaving cream activity gets toddlers and preschoolers thinking.
Shaving cream sensory bins:
- Encourage creativity
- Stimulate the senses
- Expose children to a new texture
- Engage critical thinking – if I add this here, will the two stick?
We added our foam blocks into the shaving cream play!
Here, I added our foam shape blocks for the boys to explore how different shapes can fit in one another and be stacked. We’ve had these blocks for FOUR years! They are great. We use foam blocks and these wooden 3D shapes often.
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A lot like our favorite toddler toy list, these supplies are timeless and will be used for years to come.
Supplies for shaving cream and shapes
Setting up this shaving cream activity was SUPER simple!
First, I used my husband’s old indoor cycling mat and laid it out in the driveway. I find these to have a nice cushion for children to play on. Remember, if you do not have a mat, a beach towel or plastic shower liner also works well.
Next, I added a couple of shaving cream squares into small bowls my boys use for play. I also supplied them with plastic utensils.
I reminded the boys that shaving cream is for hands only, and they were off!
RELATED: Fly in your Shapes is another hands-on activity to review shapes!
Tell me about messy sensory play cleanup!
No worries. The cleanup was just as much fun as this shaving cream activity. Naturally, it lent itself right into water play.
I placed the mats near our hose, so everything got washed down when the boys were officially finished. – including the boys!
Finally, I laid the foam blocks out for the sun to dry, tossed the boy’s wet clothes in the washing machine, and we carried on with our day. – Easy Peasy.
You will love this shaving cream activity!
So let’s bring on the shaving cream and watch them explore!
