I’m really excited for today’s invitation to paint with Fall spices and sprinkles. C’s been gravitating towards more open-ended play lately. I’ve been setting-up simple invitations to play that allow him to explore materials freely with no expectations or direction. Today’s invitation to paint and play uses basic kitchen supplies and really packs a bold sensory punch! I’ve been so inspired lately from My Dearest & Nearest and Fun Fantastic Learning’s invitations to play. Be sure to check them out too.
I set up a cupcake pan with colorful spices and sprinkles — turmeric, cinnamon, nutmeg, cumin, pumpkin, pink, green, and multicolored sprinkles, and herbs — rosemary, basil, and a tea bag. Fall is a great time to explore our senses. I added paintbrushes, water, and pretend play food.
I added a few extra spices and sprinkles in cupcake wrappers for added fun!
C immediately grabbed the bean burger and sprinkles! He began counting each sprinkle and said, “Dunk 1, dunk 2, dunk 3 — bam!”
“No painting Mommy, pour it, mix it,” replied C! He’s always loved pouring and mixing, so it was fun to watch him explore with new materials.
I love his facial expressions!
C’s nose kept crinkling when he smelled the bold spices. This invitation to play really engages sensory play too. I added the herbs for texture and used bold spices for their scented punch! It was so funny to watch him blow the spices to “cool” them as down, as he says. Apparently, spicy translates to hot — too cute!
So close! He really enjoyed all the smells and textures. He proceeded to grab more play food and “cook-up” a spice soup! Wow, such a fun morning exploring spices, sprinkles, and play food! Looking for more sensory activities for kids?
Here’s a few of our favorites:
I really liked your idea along with the expressions on his face! This is something I definitely will be using with our five senses theme.
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Hi Reba! Thank you! He had so much fun! 🙂
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Love this! Open-ended sensory activities are my favorite. Thank you for sharing at Discover & Explore this week 😉
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Hi Stephanie. Thank you so much for your comments. 🙂
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What fun! Thanks for sharing! Feel free to check us out at http://everystarisdifferent.blogspot.com.
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Thank you Renae! I definitely will! 🙂
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What a wonderful activity for exploring new materials! Look at the expressions of joy and concentration on his face as he’s working! Thanks for sharing with us today!
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Thank you Jackie! And thank you for inviting us to share! 🙂
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It looks like he had so much fun with this invitation to play! It’s always so interesting to see how kids interact with different materials. Thanks for mentioning us.
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My pleasure! Thank you!
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