U is for Underground Sensory Play

Affiliate and Referral links are used below to promote products I love and recommend. I receive a commission on any purchases made through these links. Please see my disclosure policy for more details. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Today I am happy to have Helen of Peakle Pie sharing with you all as part of the A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids Series. She has a really great idea for underground sensory play.

 

Peakles and I have been exploring the world around us through lots of sensory and imaginative play. We often visit museums and places of interest because Peakles is intrigued about how ‘things that are underground are from the olden days!’ Where we live (North East Coast of England) is steeped in a rich history of Roman occupation, Danish invasions and the beginnings of Christianity in Britain.

We have also visited archaeological digs, castles and forts. Peakles wanted to know more about what we can find underground which led to this sensory play idea for U is for Underground.

Underground sensory play ideas. www.GoldenReflectionsBlog.com

Setting the Scene.

I took a large clear plastic box and added a layer of play dough. In this I placed some shells and pebbles. The next layer had sand in which I placed some dinosaurs in it. Then I added a layer of sand and pebbles with some ‘bones’ (dog biscuits!) in. The last layer was soil or earth with some building bricks and some little plastic figures. Finally I planted some herbs and flowers on the top with a building block structure.

I decided this was a perfect outdoor activity as it could get messy, however it could be used indoors if placed on top of a large shower curtain or sheets of newspaper.

Sensory Play Time
Peakles could see the layers through the side of the box and wondered how we were going to use it. I gave her some large spoons and some brushes and explained that we were going to explore underground.

First she decided to take the plants out as this is what happens when the road workers dig up the road! We put them to one side to plant out in the garden later. Then she dug a hole in the middle of the box. She was interested in the different layers that she came across and soon was moving things out of the way with her hands. She liked finding all the different things in the soil and soon had a large collection of found things.

underground sensory play

Peakles was particularly impressed with the bones she found! Once we reached the sandy layer she took the brush and brushed it away to reveal the dinosaurs! Peakles then decided to fill in the hole and dig some tunnels underground.

Learning though Play
Peakles enjoyed the different sensations of the layers in this sensory play. She spoke at length about how different it was to some of the other things we have done and how exciting it was to keep finding things like a real scientist! I was also impressed with her empathy for the living plants and how she wanted to make sure that they were safe. I think that this also helped her to understand how old things are hidden deep underground and new things are near the surface as well.

All in all we thoroughly enjoyed our sensory play with U is for Underground!

Related Posts from Peakle Pie: 


 

peakles pie and helenHello! I’m Helen and Peakles is my four year old daughter. Peakles and I have been crafting, learning, playing for many years now and I write about it all on our blog called Peakle Pie.

We love playing and we love creating things from the books that have inspired us! Over the past year we have made lots of colourful sculptures, painted pictures and made up our own games too. Peakles is very proud of what we do and will tell everybody she can that she is Peakle Pie!

I try to maintain that ‘hands on’ feel with our site and Peakles is involved with every craft and activity featured.

We are thrilled to be part of the A-Z of Sensory Play series.

You can follow Helen on:

For more sensory fun ideas, be sure to follow my Pinterest board below and keep up with the A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids series.

Follow Heather @ Golden Reflections Blog's board Sensory Fun on Pinterest.
A-Z's of Sensory Play Ideas for Kids Series. www.GoldenReflectionsBlog.com

Heather Greutman, COTA

Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

CONTENT DISCLAIMER: Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant.
All information on the Website is for informational purposes only and is not a replacement for medical advice from a physician or your pediatrician. Please consult with a medical professional if you suspect any medical or developmental issues with your child. The information on the Websites does not replace the relationship between therapist and client in a one-on-one treatment session with an individualized treatment plan based on their professional evaluation. The information provided on the Website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied.

Do not rely on the information on the Website as an alternative to advice from your medical professional or healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment as a result of any information provided on the Website. All medical information on the Website is for informational purposes only.

All activities outlined on the Website are designed for completion with adult supervision. Please use your own judgment with your child and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended during these activities. Please be aware of and follow all age recommendations on all products used in these activities. Growing Hands-On Kids is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on this blog.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITY The Website was developed strictly for informational purposes. You understand and agree that you are fully responsible for your use of the information provided on the Website. Growing Hands-On Kids makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees. You understand that results may vary from person to person. Growing Hands-On Kids assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that may appear on the Website.