3 July 2013

GET YOUR CRAFT ON // DIY SENSORY BOX

When stuck at home with a sick toddler you have to get creative on the entertainment front. So after way too much TV I decided to make a rice sensory box for F. After hearing from friends how great they are at helping concentration levels and swallowing hours of the day, I set to work in the hopes that it might do both. I found this DIY tutorial online and decided to adapt it, creating a box centred around F's current interest: nature, more specifically bugs. 

To make our 'Hunt the Bug' game follow the below step by step instructions and have fun!





TO MAKE YOUR GRASS

The size of your box will dictate how much rice you'll need to make. I used this 16L storage box, based on this you'll need 3kg of plain white rice to make your grass.

Once you've got everything you need, you're ready to get creative.

1. Split your rice between two large sealable plastic bags (1.5kg per bag).
2. Add 3 tbsp of white wine vinegar into each plastic bag.
3. Next add 1tsp of green food colouring to one bag and 2tsp of green food colouring to the other. 
4. Seal the bags and shake each bag so the colour is evenly distributed throughout the rice. 
5. Ideally you want your rice to consist of two different shades of green. 
6. If the bags need more food colouring add another tsp to each and repeat step 4 until you reach the desired result. 
7. Once the rice is green, open the bags and leave overnight to air.



In the morning take the bags of green rice and empty them into your container so the two different shades sit side by side. You will probably be able to smell the subtle scent of vinegar adding an extra dimension to your sensory box. 


NOW FOR THE FUN

Submerge your bugs into the rice so their heads are poking out, waiting to be found and introduce the game to your kiddo. F was delighted when I handed him the brightly coloured measuring cups and told him we were searching for bugs in the grass. He immediately sunk his hands into the rice and said 'it smells warm'. I find it amazing and funny how they process different sensations. 



F spent a solid 55 minutes finding bugs, digging holes, making dinosaur footprints, creating waterfalls and generally messing around. He has NEVER spent this long concentrating on one activity. When you've finished simply pop the lid on an store for another day.

What games to you play on sick days?  



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6 comments

  1. Love this idea as an alternative to sand.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. F loves his, we always get it out on a rainy day :) x

      Delete
  2. looks like great fun, I think baya would love this :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Looks like a great idea! And anything that keeps them entertained for that long is a definite winner! x

    ReplyDelete

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