Taste-Safe Sensory Play
Sensory play involves activities that engage the senses, including sound, sight, touch, taste, smell, vestibular, proprioception, and interoception (Cleveland Clinic, 2022). Engaging the sensory systems through play can help develop many skills:
Fine motor skills: Digging, pouring, manipulating, or mixing items enhances fine motor strength and coordination
Language and Social Skills: As they play, children learn how to describe what they are doing and how it makes them feel. Additionally, playing with others promotes teamwork, cooperation, and learning from peers or siblings.
Emotional regulation: Engaging the sensory systems can have calming or arousing effects, depending on what state the child is in and what activity they are engaged in. For example, climbing and jumping can arouse a sluggish child, while swinging slowly can be calming.
Cognitive functioning: Through sensory play, children learn skills to enhance their cognition, such as problem-solving, experimentation, analyzing results, and more.
(Cleveland Clinic, 2022)
Many of us were told not to play with our food as children. However, food exploration and play can have many beneficial effects on children, especially those who are picky eaters or have sensory defensiveness toward certain foods or textures (Caroline Therapy Connection, 2023). Play encourages children to enter a stress-free state, allowing them to explore food more comfortably while engaging various sensory systems, including the gustatory (taste), oral motor, tactile (touch), and visual sensory systems (Caroline Therapy Connection, 2023). If your child experiences sensory defensiveness or aversions to foods, check out our blog post on feeding therapy to learn more!
Children frequently put stuff in their mouths while playing, especially toddlers or those seeking oral-motor sensory input. Check out the DIY taste-safe options below to increase your child’s safety during sensory play!
Instructions:
Prepare gelatin according to the directions on the packaging
Pour the prepared gelatin onto a tray or into an ice cube tray to set. Add food coloring to liquid gelatin and mix to combine
Let gelatin set according to the directions on the packaging
Remove from the ice tray and/or cut the gelatin into smaller cubes and have fun!
Optional: Add food coloring to enhance visual sensory input!
Instructions:
Prepare gelatin according to the directions on the packaging
Pour the prepared gelatin onto a tray or into an ice cube tray to set. Add food coloring to liquid gelatin and mix to combine
Let gelatin set according to the directions on the packaging
Cut the gelatin into smaller cubes and have fun!
Optional: Use flavored jello as a substitution for clear gelatin, or add flavored juices instead of food coloring to promote gustatory (taste) sensory input!
Instructions:
Drain the liquid from the canned chickpeas into a mixing bowl
Add cream of tartar and food coloring to the liquid
Use a hand mixer on high to whisk the mixture into foam (approximately 3 minutes)
Have fun!
Optional: Add small plastic toys, like animals or bugs, for more tactile sensory input and to encourage fine motor skill development!
Instructions:
Add dry ingredients (flour, salt, and cream of tartar) to a bowl. Mix until combined
Add oil to dry ingredients and mix until combined
In a smaller bowl, mix boiling water and food coloring
Add water and food coloring mixture into the larger bowl, and knead until a non-sticky ball forms
Let the dough cool, then enjoy!
Optional: Add small items, like beads or small toys, into the play dough, ensuring they are not a choking hazard for younger children. Task children to cut, dig, or other methods to dig out the items to promote fine motor strength and coordination!
Instructions:
Add dry ingredients (baking soda, cornstarch, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar) in a bowl. Mix until combined
In a smaller bowl, mix boiling water and food coloring
Mix 2 tbsp of the water mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until combined
Add the remaining tbsp of the water mixture and knead with your hands until combined. Add additional water as needed, using approximately 1 tsp at a time.
Knead the mixture until it is light and crumbly, but moldable like wet sand
Instructions:
Fill the large bowl with water and fruit
Place the bowl in a freezer until frozen
Task children to use a spoon to break open the ice and get the fruit
Optional: Freeze small toys instead of fruit, ensuring they are not a choking hazard for younger children.
References
Carolina Therapy Connection. (2023, August 17). Why is food play important for picky eaters? https://www.carolinatherapyconnection.com/why-is-food-play-important-for-picky-eaters/
Cleveland Clinic. (2022, March 17). What is sensory play? The benefits for your child and sensory play ideas. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/benefits-of-sensory-play-ideas