Shaving Cream Sensory Box

Age: From 2 years old

Objective(s): To stimulate the sense of touch.

Materials:

1. 1 can of shaving cream

2. 1 transparent tub

3. Some small animal figures - I choose the animals from artic such as penguin, polar bear, seals, etc.

4. some scoop

5. A toy hand-mixer (optional)

6. A few drops of food colouring (optional)

Directions:

1. Prepare the tub.

2. Put the animals and scoop in.

3. Demonstrate by spraying the shaving cream.

4. Let your child make his sensory tub himself by spraying the shaving cream.

5. Let him just have fun.

Additional Information:

I bought the shaving cream a long time ago, but haven't got down to trying it... because i dreaded the mess. Finally, J (3Y3M3D) tried this today. He is at the age, where he can help to make his own sensory tub, so we made this together. He helped me to spray the shaving cream into the transparent tub.

I thought he would have a blast of a time, as I have seen in other kids, but no... that was not quite his reaction. After gotten his hands into the tub, he said, "Mommy, i want to wash my hands" straight away. He has become like me, does not like mess!!! So I told him, "it is alright, dear." Not much effect. He wanted to wash it off.

But the shaving cream has got to make its value worth! I thought to myself. So I brought out the toy hand-mixer, and use the shaving cream as ingredient to make "whipped cream". This extended the play of the shaving cream play for a couple of minutes, until J got his hands and toy hand-mixer all over with the shaving cream. And then he said again, "Mommy, I want to wash my hands. I want to bathe."

Alrighty, off we went into the shower cabin, but I tried to stretch the play a little more with the last trick - adding colour! That didn't help. After a few seconds, J wanted water. Thereafter, he was playing a good 20 - 30 minutes or so with water. His favourite is still water play, not shaving cream. Ya, that's my boy - he is not interested in messy play. He is not a kinestic boy. I won't be buying shaving cream again.

References:

http://www.playcreateexplore.org/2012/04/20-ways-to-play-with-shaving-cream.html

http://www.learning4kids.net/2014/06/08/shaving-cream-activity-tray/

http://www.growingajeweledrose.com/2013/09/ways-to-play-with-shaving-cream.html