O is for Oatmeal!

Our final letter of 2013!  We'll start back up with P in January.

Oatmeal Sensory Box

This one was fun to put together!  I took a large Tupperware container.  I added about a cup and a half of oatmeal. 

I made two batches of oatmeal playdough (1 c oats, 1/2 c water, 1/2 c flour all mixed together + food coloring).  I colored one red and one green. 

The kids got involved.  I asked them to pick things out of the kitchen drawers that they wanted to use.  A potato masher, cookie cutters, random lids, an empty medicine bottle and a piece of an old fashion coffee pot were all selected. 

We played!  Owen liked the playdough.  I liked that it wouldn't hurt him when he sampled it.  I still stayed with him and tried to keep him from eating it, but at least two small pieces made it down the hatch.  He is quick!

Jeffrey and Ellie used the lids to make Os.  They poked the middle out with their fingers.  They really liked the texture.

Sydney shoved it all in the coffee pot piece.  Then she tried to squish it out the bottom, but it was too thick.  She then started picking up the oatmeal and letting it fall back down on her arms.  She giggled a lot!

Ellie got the idea to try and add the oats to the clay.  It became pretty stiff.  Then Jeffrey filled up the medicine container with water and tried helping her out.  They ended up getting workable clay again.
 That's a huge reason why I like sensory play--the kids can explore the materials and try and problem solve on their own.  And they work together at it.