Day 15- Homemade Sensory

You can (and we have) spent a fortune on baby toys to improve development, co-ordination, to encourage tummy time and to provide sensory play.  Reading the blurb you would imagine a child deprived of all these fancy toys to be laying on it's back staring into space all day unable to communicate, move or imagine.  In reality, children are fascinated by the simplest thing, and Dylan often prefers playing with an empty Evian bottle to an expensive 'sensory toy'.


I forced myself to eat some Quality Street, in the name of Dylan's wellbeing, and after collecting some other house hold items made my own mini playmat.  Wrapping paper, Tin foil, Sweet wrappers and sellotape entertained him for a lot longer than any other toys we have.  Whether it was the newness, or the noisy, shiny materials, he stayed put on his tummy (which doesn't happen often) for ten minutes!

We played peekabo through the coloured squares, we crinkled the fabric, we used it as a mirror, we pushed it around the floor, and eventually, inevitably, we did the taste test.  It passed.  I'm pretty sure our play mat encouraged co-ordination, tummy time and sensory exploration, and all from household items.


I'm almost certain that the best incentive to make your own toys has to be the sweets needed to be consumed first!  Just need to think of a toy to make from Wine bottles now!