Frozen Lily Pads

Sensory fun to beat the summer heat! 

Baby Rex and Little Bear had an icy blast exploring these frozen lily pads. They were super easy to create from materials we had on hand. 

As Baby Rex is getting older I love that sensory play is an easy hands on way to introduce math skills, beginning science concepts, and build vocabulary. 

        

                   The set up:

I tinted water with green food coloring then poured it into muffin tins. I added small frog figures to some and foamy flowers to them all. Then into the freezer for an overnight chill. To remove I let the pans sit outside for a few minutes, the lily pads slid right out.

 Baby Rex and Little Bear inspecting the lily pads close up. Sensory play creates a wonderful opportunity to introduce new vocabulary and sounds. Cold, frozen, ice, and brrrrr were a few I introduced and repeated frequently while we played. 

 Hands in! Both boys found it funny that the ice was so slippery.

Baby Rex was having a having a hard time playing patiently for the ice to melt and release the frogs. Before his frustration level reached a boiling point, a toy hammer provided the perfect solution.

I found a whole bag of various frog species at a local thrift shop. I love that each was different, yet realistic. 

                                                                                                 

One of the most important and beneficial aspects of sensory play: the ability to explore with their whole body and multiple senses.

Baby Rex discovered that lily pads also make excellent (yet slippery) blocks. Sensory play at it's core is a child led activity. As I see him getting bored or frustrated I will often demonstrate a different way to use the same materials.

As the ice began to melt, I added a little bit of water and kitchen utensils for some splashing fun. 

The boys practiced scooping up frogs, flowers, and little bits of ice.

Overall this was a really easy and inexpensive activity to set up that created many opportunities for introducing or reinforcing language, math, fine motor skills, and early science concepts.

Math-

• 1:1 correspondance
• counting
• sorting & color matching 

Expressive Language & Vocabulary-

• Words: cold, frozen, ice, melt, green, frog, flower
• Signs for: frog, flower, cold
• Sounds: Brrrrr, smash, ribbit

Science Concepts-

• Ice melts to water (properties of matter)
• Cold/frozen
• Frog habitats