11 Sensory Shaving Foam Activities for Children
Sensory play is essential for the development of young children. While having fun, children can improve their cognitive abilities, language development, and fine and gross motor skills by engaging their senses. Shaving foam is one of the easiest and most versatile materials to use for sensory play. The light texture is perfect for sensory play, and the foam is easy to clean. Aquafaba, or chickpea liquid, is a non-toxic, safe alternative for little ones who might put things in their mouths.
Sensory Play Is Important for Small Children It encourages them to use all five of their senses. It also helps with fine and gross motor development, hand-eye coordination, cognitive and linguistic development, and more. It is often calming, and always fun!
It is easy to find in supermarkets and has a squishy texture. The shaving foam is also easy to clean, as it melts into liquid. If you use a tray, you can simply pour the leftovers into the drain. Playing outside is even easier, as you can hose it down afterwards. This is another fun activity to do with the kids.
First, some words on shaving soap…
Aquafaba is a vegan substitute for egg whites, which whips into a shaving cream consistency. You can make it with tin chickpeas if you are worried that your small children will eat it. Who knew?! It’s an easy and non-toxic way to do it.
We’ve selected some of the best ways to engage your toddler or preschooler in sensory play using shaving foam and aquafaba.
Here are 11 great shaving foam activities for children of any age. They will engage their attention, and teach them through touch, vision, and movement.
1. Frozen Shaving Foam Sensory Play
This is a great activity for hot days and it is easy to put together. You can also add small toys or glitter to make it more fun. Place the ice in a tray with shaving foam, and then watch as it melts leaving colourful trails. The changing colours will delight children as they feel the texture and cold sensation. This is a great way to cool down while having fun with sensory play.
2. Connect the Dots
This activity is an excellent way to introduce pre-writing skills. Use shaving foam dots to create shapes, numbers, or letters on a tray. Encourage the children to complete the shapes or alphabets by connecting the dots using their fingers or cotton buds. This is a great way to improve fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, as well as get an early start on literacy.
3. Rainbow Cloud Cookie
Rainbow cloud dough is the perfect sensory experience for those who are looking to be creative. In a large bowl, combine equal parts of corn starch with shaving foam. Add food colouring for a rainbow effect. The dough should be kneaded until it has a fluffy consistency. This sensory dough offers endless possibilities for imaginative play. It is soft, squishy and easy to mould. The dough will feel great between the fingers of your child while they learn about colour and texture.
4. Puffy Foam Paint
Make puffy foam to add a new sensory dimension to traditional painting. In a ziplock, combine equal parts of shaving foam and craft glue. Seal the bag, add a few drops of food colouring and mix everything until well combined. Use a corner to pipe paint or dip a brush into the cup. It’s easy to use, light and fluffy. Plus, it gives any project a unique texture!
5. Marble Paintings With Shaving Foam
The results of this activity are worth the mess. Spread shaving cream on a cookie tray, and then add acrylic paints in different colours. Use a straw to gently blow the paints into swirling patterns. Let the paper sit on the cream for a few minutes, then gently scrape away the foam. This will reveal beautiful marbling. This activity is great for exploring colours, textures, and mixing.
6. Find the letter
This game will help your child learn to recognise letters if they are just learning their alphabet. In a shallow bowl, place Scrabble tiles and foam letters. Give your child the scoop and allow them to dig for letters. You can then help your child name the letter or sound and even use it to create simple words. This is a great tactile way to reinforce letter and phonics recognition.
7. Colour mixing with Shaving Foam
This activity allows for a sensory experience that is less messy. Fill a Ziplock bag with various coloured poster paints and then add shaving foam. Seal the bag tightly, and allow your child to squish the foam and knead it until the colours are blended. The foam’s squishy texture combined with the colours blending inside the bag creates a sensory experience that is both educational and soothing. This is a great way to teach colour recognition, and it’s a relaxing play session.
8. Sandy Foam
This sandy foam activity is a great choice for kids who enjoy textures. Combining shaving foam and sand will create a texture that is similar to the wet sand on the beach. This foam is perfect for building sandcastles or tracks using toy cars or construction vehicles. This is a fun, tactile activity that promotes imaginative play and allows children to explore different textures.
9. Rain Cloud Experiment
This experiment is great for teaching kids about the weather in an interactive, fun way. Pour water into a shallow dish, and then squirt shaving foam on top of it to create a cloud. Add some food colouring to shaving cream and watch the “rain” start to fall. This simple science activity is a great way to teach kids about the water cycle, clouds and rain.
10. Tracing letters in Shaving Foam
Spread a thin layer of shaving foam onto a tray for a fun and practical way to practice your letters. As a prompt, use word or letter cards and teach your child to trace the letters with their finger. This activity improves letter and word recognition as well as fine motor skills. This is a great pre-writing exercise that lets children feel the letter shapes and reinforces their learning through tactile means. For variety, you can change the texture by using different materials such as sand or rice.
11. Handwriting Practice
It’s easy to set up this fun activity for letter and word recognition from MESS FOR LESS. Use word or letter cards to prompt your child. Spread some shaving cream on a tray. Use a cotton bud or paintbrush to show your child how to trace the letters and words on the foam.
Conclusion
The versatility of shaving foam makes it a great material for sensory games. There are endless ways to engage children in sensory play while encouraging motor and cognitive skills development. The possibilities are endless for exploring the senses. You can freeze it, mix it with sand or use it to practice your letters. With these simple-to-setup activities, kids of all ages will have hours of fun! Enjoy playing!
