I just had my son this February, and any parent knows one of the biggest transitions exiting the newborn stage is baby boredom. He used to be content just staring at the ceiling, but now we’re facing an entirely different ball game and let me say it’s been rough. Of course, it’s not the end of the world but I would appreciate a shower longer than 2 minutes without hearing the boredom cries.
What You’ll Need:
I actually got this idea from my lesson planning curriculum and simplified it for my 5 month old. All you need are as follows:
- Paint- We used acrylic paint from Target that was a dollar per bottle. Of course, you can go anywhere and use any type of paint but in our case Target was closest and acrylic was cheapest. You can even spice it up like we did, and let your kiddo choose for themselves! I made sure to hold up a couple options for him and let him reach for the one that sparked his interest more. This step is totally optional, but it’s a great way to include your child no matter their age!
- Gallon zip lock bags- Another super wallet friendly item for this simple DIY is two gallon plastic bags. We already had a few laying around so it was one less thing on our shopping list.
- Stickers- We opted for puffy stickers to add to texture and visual dimension of the bag. Not only did I place them in the bag, but I stuck a few on the finished project too so he could feel and peel them! We found a pack of 100 stickers with 5 different themes for only $2.50
- Water- This is the last ingredient, and hopefully fairly self explanatory. Yup, that’s really it.
Process
Not only is this activity wallet friendly, but it’s likely one of the easiest to put together. Whether your headed out the door or have dinner on the stove, you won’t spend more than 5 minutes from start to finish.
First- Fill one gallon zip lock bag around a quarter of the way full with water.
Then- Add your materials- paint, glitter, stickers, marbles, ice, etc. will all provide your child with an immersing sensory experience!
Next- Make sure there isn’t any extra air in your bag. Seal the zipper firmly and place inside another gallon sized bag. Seal this bag with tape as well.
Finally- Add stickers (or googly eyes, ribbon, etc.) to the outside and that’s it! You now have at least 10 minutes of an occupied little one!
Helpful Tips
There are definitely some things to keep in mind if you attempt this project with your littles! I did these:
- Tape- Duct tape works the best in my opinion, but any tape will do. I opt to seal both bags zipper with it to go the extra mile in preventing leaks. (We learned this the hard way when we stained our brand new white table yellow- be careful!)
- Glitter/Glitter Glue- Adding some glitter/glitter glue to your bag is great way to add another visual element to your sensory bag!
- Other- As your child ages you can mix and match the items you add to your bag to offer unique and exciting sensory experiences for your kiddos! Cotton balls, pluffle, ice, or marbles would be an excellent addition to the basic materials- plus you may already a lot of these in your home!
Closing
Congrats! Not only does your child have a fun activity to occupy themselves, but you can get sh*t done assured that their nose isn’t buried in a screen. Happy kids, happy wallet!