TV and tablets?

[Canadian_Mom]

Definitely good ideas on the stickies in the activity board that creations mentioned.

I just gave DS2 play dough to play with for the first time the other day which he played with for a good 5 minutes, which at this point is about all I can get out of DS2 for a focused activity. As well I brought out crayons and we "coloured" (he mainly just investigated the crayons) today for about the same 5 minute time span. There are alternatives to shaving cream for the fingerprinting (yogurt, pudding) but with your DS being MSPI they probably are just as good for his body as the shaving cream I know that I have been trying to think of some alternatives to use as I am not wasting some expensive coconut yogurt for a sensory experience, lol.

As for more sensory type activities DS2 enjoys a couple of ice cubes tossed in a glass baking dish (it is heavier so they are less temped to pick it up), also he sometimes will play with DS2's coloured rice bin. You can also put a large plastic compntainer with water on the floor on top of some towels and let him splash. But as I mentioned before you need to be realistic with your kid and their attention span. I know that DS1's seemed to be longer at this stage, but I find with DS2 if it is a very specific activity (e.g. The play dough) I can usually only get 5 minutes before his attention seems to wander...

(I know this is more for the activities board, but I was here, so I posted, lol).

[creations]

There are alternatives to shaving cream for the fingerprinting (yogurt, pudding) but with your DS being MSPI they probably are just as good for his body as the shaving cream I know that I have been trying to think of some alternatives to use as I am not wasting some expensive coconut yogurt for a sensory experience, lol.

It doesn't feel quite the same but nevertheless a lovely tactile finger painting, mark making type material is cornflour mixed with water.  It makes a wonderful gloop which appears solid and can be scraped with fingers or other safe tools and picked up like a solids which then immediately turns to liquid and dribbles through your fingers.  A moment later appears as a solid again.  I think most kids are safe with corn flour, it doesn't taste nice if they eat it but isn't going to harm them.  Some plastic spoons, little cups, toy rakes or just lolly sticks are great for drawing into it, scraping the solids and watching it liquefy and ooze back together.  Any bits that get on clothes or the floor will wash off or dust off if left to dry.  if LO sits in it though (like mine did) he will end up very wet and need a change of clothes, no big deal, as it is wetter than it appears.
The pudding idea is another, you can make some by just thickening their usual milk or formula or even just cook flour and water on the stove to make a white sauce without any flavour or sugar added.  Obviously let it cool before giving to LO!

[Skadiver13]

Thank you all for your ideas. Went looking for shaving cream but DH said he'd run out the day before. ARGH. So I tried to use panko breadcrumbs. He was not amused in the least just looked bored. LOL.. So I thought DH could try with pudding today but I like the cornmeal Idea will have to get some of that. And the ice idea is cool too.

[deb]

I know he's only a year, and Nat was maybe 18 months or so when this happened. My MIL is legally blind, always annoyed when she knocks over her water glasses, so we got her some brightly-colored plastic ones for Christmas one year. We hadn't gotten them washed and packed up yet and N was driving me mental wanting to participate in less-than-helpful (totally age-appropriate, mind you, but not with sharp knives! LOL) ways with supper prep. We had gotten glasses of different sizes, plus some plastic shot glasses to help Nat practice drinking water from cups, and I set her up on an old repurposed kitchen cabinet we kept in the kitchen to store coffee mugs in. A bunch of cups, a carafe of water to use, and part of an old shower curtain on top of the cabinet. She looks like a bartender, but this activity engaged her every day at supper for probably two weeks, at which point she began to lose interest and move on to play doh or some such, and we could actually send my MIL the cups!

[Skadiver13]

too cute

[deb]

too cute

Thanks! And you know what? She's still the same now at 8YO, only she can assemble her own raw materials, to both my delight and my trepidation (there can sometimes be resistance to cleaning up some of her massive projects, and it's hard to store them as they're all 3-D!).

But I'm so glad I had a Montessori background and a pool of ideas for her, as it has served us in good stead over the years.

Oh, a picture of what can happen with shaving cream if one isn't careful:

[Skadiver13]

HAHAHA that is totally going to be Liam, at least he likes his baths. See I'm not a creative type person. I so wish I was so I dont' think of good ideas for liam. I'm very active so we are always outside in the park, farmers market etc and he loves animals but when it comes to stuff to do indoors I'm at a loss.

[Khalam's Mama]

I will move this over too the activity board then where you may get more ideas.