Messy Play Options

Monnie has cloud dough, water play & small ball play to choose from, this allows her sense of curiosity to develop as she chooses what she would like to play with. For me, I sit back and observe! 

By the end of the session she has combined all three plays together and I've been able to sit back and relax! In order to do this you need to trust your child to play without interfering. It's been incredible to see Monnie use some of the play we have done together but extend her own learning. For example she has got in and out of the water (without sitting down), stirred and poured the water, posted balls in the jug and then back into the water, picked up the cloud dough and sprinkled it into the water, and she has also come over to me, take my hat on and off before heading back to play!  

Milk Bottle Top Lei (Manawatu Lei)

My Mum inspired this recycled toy. 

Start collecting your milk bottle tops, ask friends for theirs! Drill a hole in each milk bottle top and then thread onto a ribbon or shoe lace. (You may need to burn the ends slightly to stop fraying and this will also make the end of ribbon easier for threading). 

The Milk Bottle Top Lei makes a musical instrument as the bottle tops shake about, is excellent for fine motor development as the milk bottle tops are pulled off the ribbon (and as your child develops their fine motors skills further they can try threading the bottle tops back on to the ribbon). It is also fun for your toddler to try and put over their head and wear as a necklace, in our house this is known as Monnie's Manawatu Lei (being from a dairy farm, the name stuck). 

Ball Drop - Our Creation

My turn to make a Ball Drop. I started out by cutting and pasting (with a Royal theme) but Monnie's Dad was the real talent behind this creation. 

He used a coffee cup, coffee cup holder, toilet rolls, a paper towel roll and a drink bottle to make this! So far so good with some giggles (from Monnie) as the ball drops, the wider cup at top makes posting easier for her too! 

Ball Drop

I love it when a friend shows me her creative play idea, so I just had to share! Using a box as the base, tape on some toilet rolls and then let a ball drop (or any small object) from the top! This has been taped to a window for support, it probably took less than a few mins to make but can be played with for hours! 

Cloud Dough

Today we made Cloud Dough - which feels amazing! Simply take 4 cups of flour, add 1/2 a cup of baby oil and mix together. You will have a light fluffy mouldable dough for little hands to explore! Tip: take this messy play outside, the flour goes everywhere! 

Silky Sand

Today we covered sand in dishwashing liquid, added a little water and mixed it together with our hands to make a soapy, silky sand. Silky sand has a soft and frothy texture, it has a lovely feel to it that makes you just want to keep touching it! 

I think next time I will add glitter to make it sparkle! 

Baby Massage

Monnie is now 13 months old and I have the privilege of giving her a massage every night after her bath. We started this at around 2 weeks old. I have always made sure I save 5-10 minutes of her bath time to do this. It was hard when she started to roll and crawl (to keep her still) but her snuggly and a musical mobile (found on trade-me) helped her to focus and relax. It was also my persistence and keeping the routine going that eventually saw us through. 

This is my favourite part, seeing her lay on her tummy in complete relaxation. If you haven't given your baby/toddler a massage lately, give it a try. Through repetition and practice it will become a routine you will both find relaxing and enjoy. I hope it's a routine that will last throughout her childhood and beyond!