Need sensory play ideas for young almost 12mo

[1stimer]

DS seems to be pretty much on par with his adjusted age (10m). Hes walking while holding on to furniture. Not standing much on his own though...its usually only by accident. Ive been looking at sensory play ideas and most of them seem to be too hard for DS. Many of them have parts that I feel like he would just put in to his mouth (pom poms, dry noodles, toilet paper rolls). I was thinking edible paint but im not really sure that would do much...I think he might just see it more as a snack?? By the time dd was this age she was RUNNING, and pretty independent and had started daycare so they did the activities. I feel terrible im not sure how to "play" with him but I know I need to learn. We read books and play with toys together but I know there are other things to do.

[aisling]

One of the most favourite things for my DS to do was sink play.  Put a chair up at kitchen sink and make a water/mess.  Cups, turkey basters, collanders/strainers, ladels etc.  When he was only 9-14 months I often engaged him and held him up / balanced him with my body against him and played with him, after that he stood well on his own.  I put towels all around floor and then was prepared to clean counters after.  So much fun, miss those days!

[cath~]

There are some great ideas here:
What are your best messy/sensory play ideas for a one year old?

[creations]

I think all my ideas are in that link above.

I wouldn't feel guilty over not setting up tons of messy play activities though, some of those on-line parenting blogs have great ideas but they can also go a long way to make you feel like a totally inadequate parent.
Talking about every day things, mentioning the properties of the items around you, is just as important if not more so. My DS was not really a fan of messy stuff that had been set up to play with it was a waste of time, but he was incredibly interested in exploring 'naturally occurring' items. So for instance:
- hard, soft textures, inviting LO to gently stroke or touch a flower petal and then compare to the hard rough brick flower bed it is planted in, that is sensory stimulation and doesn't need any setting up or clearing away. Same with a scrubbing brush and a soft sponge, just contrasts and high on the sensory in put.
- If I peeled an orange I invited him to smell the peel the moment I peeled it, to get the real zing of the scent. Opened herb jars and invited him to have a smell when I was cooking. Gave him bits of fruit peel and told him "don't eat this one" (and kept an eye on him) or melon or kiwi with skin left on and explained the different parts, again it's a contrast and using the tongue to enjoy the sensory contrast too.

And so on...just every day things, no extra work.

[1stimer]

Awesome yall...those blogs do scare me sometime bc I do feel bad not constantly engaging him and dd but I think independent play is just as important as guided play...

[michaeljacknnugg]

When DS was at nursery (Montessori), we popped in one day together during their outside playtime.

I was touched by what I saw. A ladybug landed near one of the teachers and she gently picked it up, showed it to the children and let them hold it. Now I'm not saying your DS is old enough for this yet, but I wanted to highlight that there are so many moments that you can't capture on a blog! You don't have to do anything fancy. Just go shopping, sit him in the trolley and let him touch packets before they go in, take him out and chat to him about what you see etc etc. That is enough.

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Awesome yall...those blogs do scare me sometime bc I do feel bad not constantly engaging him and dd but I think independent play is just as important as guided play...

Between DH and I he is the one who plays, which means since I am home most they don't get a lot of guided play! DD3 so far is the only one of my kids (at her age) who pulls a chair up to the counter and "helps" with every task. So she ends up getting a sensory experience helping cook, do dishes, etc.

[deb]

In addition to everything else already suggested here, I want to suggest that you allow and even encourage as much crawling as you can. Turns out that crawling helps to create and reinforce neural pathways related to vision - think of the distance from face to floor when crawling, and compare it to the distance from eyes to, say, a book. We learned this when Josie was almost 4 and we actually undertook a program that had her crawling on both hands-and-knees and on her belly (army crawl) to help establish visual neural pathways that had been neglected since she hadn't bothered much with crawling (and us not knowing any better, we encouraged her to be upright!). Two weeks of intense C&C (and really, we should have done more!) and she went from needing us to read to her (she was reading hard words as long as they were in large type) to reading smaller type independently.

Otherwise, a rich sensory diet is huge for any child. Lots of sounds to listen to, things to see (lots of colors, shapes, lines, pictures, contrasts, things close up and far away), to touch (textures and temperatures and also different pressures: pushing hard and being gentle), to smell (spice cabinet! , to taste. Any safe setting to manipulate things.

Also remember, there are more than 5 senses, despite what we've been taught. http://wordpress.mrreid.org/2012/06/15/human-beings-have-more-than-five-senses/

[1stimer]

I have a feeling ds will be a crawler for sometime. It's good to hear what I do (show them things I'm cooking or packets in the shopping cart) are good. Sometimes  not sure. Dh is definitely the more playful one in the traditional sense.

[creations]

I want to suggest that you allow and even encourage as much crawling as you can. Turns out that crawling helps to create and reinforce neural pathways related to vision

I think there have also been links shown between crawling (lack of) and dyslexia too haven't there?  The physical act of moving the arms and legs in the crawling pattern (the visual movement too, not just distance of vision) helps to develop pathways across right and left side - or something like that.

Getting outside too, another activity which is likely more important than setting up messy play activities.

[deb]

I think there have also been links shown between crawling (lack of) and dyslexia too haven't there?  The physical act of moving the arms and legs in the crawling pattern (the visual movement too, not just distance of vision) helps to develop pathways across right and left side - or something like that.

Oh, yes - cross-pattern crawling, with right arm & left leg forward at the same time and then alternating - is HUGE in right-left wiring.

[15milner]

There is a huge amount of 'evidence' that crawling is vital.  that crawling pattern as well as many others build the neural pathways between both sides of the brain, as will rocking on hands and feet. But this is also why children need that tummy time and the experiences that being on the floor give.  Many children now spend a lot of time going from a car seat to a bouncy chair, to the pushchair - all remaining in that one postition, there's little opportunity to develop the vestibular and balance system in the ears. 

I could go on and on as this is all part of my training into how to integrate the baby reflexes that all contribute to our learning , or how they can hinder learning.

Baby massage is still  a lovely one after bath?,  - go round with bare feet so that the feet get used to different surfaces and learn how to balance, play little clapping games -where you do the clapping, encourage using the left hand to pick up something that may be over to the right a bit - like the crawling - left side / right side. 

[1stimer]

Thanks so much ladies!!! It looks like I'm doing ok. We are barefoot hillbillies here lol...and I encourage crawling all the time...he's never been a fan of the bouncy seat/exersaucer things. I'm trying not to compare he and dd and I know that's part of my problem bc she was a little advanced and he's just a boy and from what everyone tells me boys are generally a little slower to do things anyways.

[michaeljacknnugg]

I'm not sure boys are slower, but he was a preemie, right? And every child is different. With dd around he may get more things brought to him and have less need of walking etc for now.

[1stimer]

^^^^^^Yes to both.