The limbo between Christmas and New Year's has earned nicknames from 'Twixmas' to 'Feral Week' - those so-called gloriously empty days meant for doing absolutely nothing. This article shares that whether you observe Christmas, Chanukah, other holidays, or none at all, experts encourage us to do just that. They say: “It's important to have off-time not only to prevent burnout, but it also helps us enrich our lives and sense of identity or worth beyond “what we do.”
HOW TO DO NOTHING
There’s tips on how to do nothing, ranging from the dramatic move of turning off your phone to simply silencing notifications, not replying to emails, and pushing work projects to the back of your desk — and mind. While it can be hard to adjust to a new and temporary schedule, breaks like these are key to our well-being and family bonding, not to mention sanity. But rather than pushing that unmoored productive energy into the home terrain by taking on new home improvement projects, experts recommend rest.
OUR EXPERT RECOMMENDATION
If your kid’s anything like ours, they’re not going to sit passively back while we practice “rest”, expert-recommended or otherwise. Instead they’re more likely to bounce off the walls in a less balletic, frenzied version of the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy. Adults aren’t the only ones thrown into a limbo by a change in schedule. We relish the time with the full family at home together but keeping a busy toddler or five year old entertained while running a household and living through the holidays (not to mention “resting”) can be a tall order.
The holiday season's excitement, combined with disrupted routines and changes in social interactions, can present unique challenges for our children. Rather than expecting kids to simply "do nothing," The Play Lab's founder, Magda Lahliti, offers creative ways to keep your child engaged and content during "Twixmas" week—and possibly give you some precious free time too.
SENSORY-BINS
Sensory bins can be as mess-free or messy as you want! They’re usually filled with different kinds of child-safe materials that can be taken from household items and offer a variety of textures from hard to bubbly or goopy. They follow the Montessori principles of educating the Whole Child, helping children develop all their senses: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing, while also activating their cognitive and intellectual abilities.
Founder Magda Lahliti loves a good sensory bin. She says: “You can make some quickly and inexpensively with household items like just water or foam, or use kinetic sand, homemade cloud dough (which also doubles as a STEM activity), homemade artificial snow and just fun household stuff and little toys.”
All kids are unique. If sensory bins aren’t for you and yours, stay tuned! Our next article will offer 5 Montessori-inspired activities to do at home with your little one(s) without sensory bins.
SNEAK PEAK
Bubble Machines!
TIPS
Sensory bin tips include laying out a towel or sheet on the floor to help with clean-up and adding spoons, scoops, or toys to the bins. For those of you wondering what a sensory bin actually looks like, a medium storage bin is ideal but you can use anything from a baking bowl to an ice tray. There’s sensory bin tables available for purchase here, here, and here. Depending on how often you use your sensory bin, we recommend changing it at least every three weeks. WebMD recommends Sensory Bins as safe activities for children ages 18 months and up. Their article lists benefits and best safe practices.
If your child is anything like ours, their main activity seems to be putting things into their mouth. With that in mind, we’ve made the below list as comprehensive as possible but please bear in mind your child’s age when collecting these items, considering what a choking hazard might be and what level of supervision might be required.
POPULAR SENSORY BIN ITEMS
Popular items to use in bins include
Beans Cornmeal Shredded recycled paper
Rice Corn starch Pom poms / Cotton balls
Dry pasta Oatmeal or Dried Oats Water
Leaves Pine cones Gardening soil
Feathers Soft fabrics Play dishes
Plastic dishes Edible Play Doh (recipe below) Solo cups
Balls Foam recipe below Kinetic Sand see below
Blended Graham Cracker “Sand” Toys
Homemade Snow * recipe below Containers
Make a Jello dig Colored cooked noodles Funnels
Sponges Bath Toys Measuring cups
Water beads (keep these in glued-shut water bottles for younger children so they’re not able to put them in their mouths)
Any item you consider a choking hazard can usually put in a water bottle along with sparkles, sprinkles, oil, food coloring, glitter, lentils, wagon wheel pasta, etc., with the bottle cap glued shut.
Note that WebMD discourages the use of flour in sensory bins as it can cause aspiration. Some parents bake theirs briefly first.
RECIPES:
FOAM
The foam that Magda referenced can be made by whisking dish soap or baby shampoo with water. Adding a few drops of food coloring can transform your foam creation into an unexpected delight, hopefully keeping your child busily content (and only mildly damp) for at least long enough for you to turn the page of that new book you’ve been dying to read.
SNOW
Homemade snow can be made by mixing baking soda with a small amount of white conditioner or shaving cream, or a more edible version of corn starch with baking soda. Again a few drops of food coloring can turn this snow into a colorful diversion.
HOMEMADE CLOUD DOUGH
Here’s a two-ingredient recipe for this fabulous play dough mixture that your child will love. Corn starch, conditioner, a mixing bowl, and a spatula are all you need for this textural fun that your child can squish between their fingers while you (wash your hands off and) give yourself a home manicure. Add essential oil for a fun olfactory activity or food coloring to delight their senses. Store in an airtight container and this cloud dough can last for up to three weeks.
KINETIC SAND
This is a super fun texture for children, presenting many possible activities. It can be purchased at Target, Walmart, or online. Small shovels, buckets, or even fish can turn this mini sandbox into a tiny indoor beach or add alphabet letters to make it a learning opportunity.
SOIL (no real recipe required, we just like it!)
Who doesn’t like getting their hands dirty? Throw in a few plastic worms, bugs, or even reptiles and have a blast. Or add plastic or real plants for an indoor garden experience.
ACTIVITIES
Free play is always a fun option! We also like stacking, moving items from one container to the other, sorting objects by size, texture, purpose, or color. Sensory bins are nice compact spaces for experimenting with mixing paints, or sand or water-play with less mess.
Here’s a great link to a slew of Non-Food Sensory Bin Activities.
SENSORY BIN BENEFITS
These seemingly simple activities develop critical thinking, problem solving, fine motor skills, curiosity, language development, creativity, and even math skills! Hear from a Speech-Language Pathologist about the benefits of Sensory Bin play. Studies suggest that even 10 minutes of sensory play can help children regulate their emotions and bring more focus and calm to the rest of their (and your!) day. Plus they buy you a little time for that feet-up on the couch, chat with a friend, or latest TV show.
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