Easy Sensory Play - Shaving Cream and Bubble Wrap (2024)

FAQs

What are the learning outcomes of shaving cream play? ›

It can also help kids develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination by picking up, moving, and drawing with their fingers in the shaving cream.

Take the cap off of the shaving cream, and go to town! Make certain that the nozzle is pointing the right direction first. Cover the objects with a thick layer of foam. Enjoy the sensations of messy gooey play.

Provides proprioceptive input.

For instance, knowing where your arms are without having to look at them. Your body uses this input to control balance, coordination and movement. The compression felt in joints and muscles can help children center themselves and focus.

Both shaving foam and shaving cream are great to use for all sorts of fun kids activities and messy play ideas for toddlers and preschoolers. Have a go at some of these ideas at home, from foam dough, to sand foam, shaving foam paints, rain clouds and more.

Shaving cream helps to keep moisture in the beard hairs during the shave, leaving them softer and easier to cut. When less force is needed to cut each hair, your shave can be more comfortable.

Shaving is the removal of hair, by using a razor or any other kind of bladed implement, to slice it down—to the level of the skin or otherwise. Shaving is most commonly practiced by men to remove their facial hair and by women to remove their leg and underarm hair.

This sensory foam is so easy to make and is a great taste safe alternative to shaving cream so perfect for little ones.

Cover the fabric you want to clean in a layer of shaving foam - any brand will do as long as it's white. Leave it to sit on the sofa for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour for tougher marks. Use a damp cloth to wipe away the foam, scrubbing any stubborn stains as you go.

Bubble wrap is made of polyethylene, which is a type of plastic that contains hundreds of evenly spaced air pockets. These air pockets then act as a soft cushion that absorbs shock during unexpected movement. It helps to prevent damage to any products wrapped within the material.

What is the psychology of bubble wrap? ›

According to some research, stress relief is one psychological motive for popping bubble wrap. By popping the packaging material, individuals get instant gratification that soothes their nerves and minimizes stress. Other studies even suggest that popping this packaging is a more effective relaxant than meditation.

Popping bubble wrap helps relax that muscle tension. It reduces stress and anxiety. In fact, studies have shown that, sometimes, the human brain receives feel-good chemicals like dopamine after popping bubble wrap. So that may be why it feels so satisfying!

Playing with shaving cream and food coloring can develop a number of cognitive skills. It allows children to create art with a deeper understanding of three-dimensional shapes and can help them identify patterns.

Writing and Drawing with Shaving Cream

Squeeze a large amount of shaving cream on the surface and encourage your children to draw shapes, letters, or just smoosh the cream between their fingers. This activity can be done with shaving cream in a large plastic bag if you would like to avoid the mess!

Apart from the visual stimulation it offers, it also ignites the olfactory senses with various (and hopefully pleasant) smells, and once the children manipulate the shaving cream, the kinaesthetic invigoration can be boundless.

Research shows that sensory play builds nerve connections in the brain's pathways, which lead to the child's ability to complete more complex learning tasks. Sensory play is also very relaxing and rejuvenating to children.

Thicker and more emollient lather translates to less razor skipping and dragging; resulting in a closer and cleaner shave. Bristles also have the ability to lift hairs and stubble up off the skin, which leaves facial hair softer and more easily removed by a razor.