trying out something new

shapes, letters and patterns

 Sometimes it really is worth trying out what you see online. In all the years that I have worked in preschools in Sweden not once have a worked with shaving foam. Inspired by educators around the world that share their activities online I decided to give it a go - and did not regret it at all - even though I did get strange looks from the children and colleagues at first. Once the children got over their surprise they soon got busy - demanding more and more to feel, squeeze, spread out, clap their hands and make it snow and spread up their arms turning themselves into snowmen.

Just feeling the consistency is a wonderful experience

 Despite the fact that this is messy play it is SOOO easy to clean up - in fact the foam just seems to vanish. Any foam that got onto clothes did not stain or leave marks in any way - so this was the tidiest of messy plays.

direct onto the table

During my years as a preschool teacher I have come across many children who need to have sensory play of one kind or another - their hands crave stimulation. This was one of those activities that could really meet that need.

Last Easter we added colour to the foam and placed egg shaped paper onto the swirls of multi-coloured foam to create Easter patterns. Despite the fact that we had foam and paint directly on the table, it was extremely easy to clean up afterwards.

As the cold dark days of Swedish winter approach the shaving foam will make its appearance again - and now my mind is thinking of adding more materials to it to increase the sensory experience (by adding glitter, beads, or squirting it onto foil) but also to expand the learning experience too - how do different materials create patterns - what is the difference between a spoon, fork or comb - what will the effect of a sponge be...?

Really it is only our imagination that will limit us - sometimes things can be used in the most surprising ways. So next time you see an idea online - give it a try...