Food is a crucial part of our lives, and it can also play a vital role in children's early development. Sensory play is an excellent way for young children to explore the world around them, and the use of food within sensory play can offer a multitude of benefits.
In this blog post, we will discuss why using food within sensory play is so essential and offer some activity ideas for babies and young children. We will also address common concerns and demonstrate how using food in play outweighs any negatives associated with food waste.
The Benefits of Using Food in Sensory Play
- How to Use Food in Sensory Play: Activity Ideas for Babies and Young Children
- Addressing Common Concerns: Why the Benefits Outweigh the Negatives
- Using Food in Play to Help Fussy Eaters
Using food in sensory play is a fantastic way to engage young children and support their development. When children play with food, they are using all of their senses, which helps to build neural connections in their brains. Sensory play can help to improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and cognitive development. Additionally, using food in sensory play can help children develop a positive relationship with food, making them more willing to try new foods and less likely to be fussy eaters.
How to Use Food in Sensory Play: Activity Ideas for Babies and Young Children
There are many ways to incorporate food into sensory play, depending on the age and developmental stage of the child. For babies, you can start with simple taste-safe play resources such as mashed avocado or cooked sweet potato. Older children can enjoy exploring different textures and smells by playing with different fruits, vegetables, and even spices. Here are some activity ideas for babies and young children:
- Rainbow Spaghetti:
Cook spaghetti, rinse with cold water, and separate into bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl, toss the spaghetti to coat, and let dry. Children can explore the different colors and textures of the spaghetti.
- Fruit Salad Sensory Bin:
Cut up different fruits and place them in a sensory bin with some scoops and bowls. Children can explore the different textures, smells, and tastes of the fruit while practicing their fine motor skills.
- Pizza Making:
Provide children with a pre-made pizza crust, tomato sauce, and a variety of toppings such as vegetables, meats, and cheese. Children can practice their fine motor skills by spreading the sauce and adding toppings, while also exploring different tastes and textures.
- Hot Chocolate Tuff Tray Station
This hot chocolate station uses coco pops and marshmallows for children to practise filling and pouring, as well as taking on a role alongside others.
- Coffee Bean Tuff Tray play
A sensory experience that uses the sense of smell, alongside filling, pouring, weighing and physical development. Read more in this coffee bean play post.
- Yoghurt finger painting
A great way to introduce mark making to babies and toddlers without the worry of them ingesting paint.
- Rainbow toast
Edible artwork at its best! using edible finger paint, paint the bread and toast their creation!
Addressing Common Concerns: Why the Benefits of Food Play Outweigh the Negatives
Some early years professionals may have concerns about using food within sensory play, particularly in terms of food waste and potential mess. However, it is important to remember that the benefits of sensory play with food far outweigh these concerns. Not only can sensory play with food help children develop positive relationships with food, but it can also support their overall development and learning. There are many ways to minimise waste and mess, such as using small amounts of food, using dried grains that can be uses over and over again, saving food that is past its best for consumption, providing aprons or smocks, and placing the sensory play area on a tuff tray or similar container to contain any mess.
Using Food in Play to Help Fussy Eaters
Using food within sensory play can be particularly helpful for children who are fussy eaters. By providing a safe and fun way for children to explore different tastes and textures, they may become more willing to try new foods and expand their palate. By associating food with positive experiences and play, children have a much healthier and less resistant attitude towards trying new foods.
Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall on the BBC 1 TV programme 'Easy Ways to Live Well' conducted research on the impact of play on fussy eaters. They discovered that introducing a more playful approach to food could combat fussiness over food. By encouraging children to engage with their food in a fun and interactive way, they become more comfortable with different tastes and textures. In one example, they asked a group of children who were fussy eaters to play a game where they had to try and guess the different foods blindfolded. The children were surprised to find they enjoyed the foods they previously disliked, simply by approaching it in a playful way. In another example, the children were encouraged to use the food on offer to make 'faces' on their plates, as a form of art - before having a taste. This research shows how using food in play can be an effective way to overcome fussiness over food and encourage a positive relationship with food.
Concerns about food waste?
One concern that some parents and early years professionals may have when it comes to using food within sensory play is the worry of food waste. It is understandable to be cautious about wasting food, particularly in a world where food waste is a significant issue. However, it is important to note that using food in play is not wasteful if you are fulfilling an identified need. For example, if you are using food to help a fussy eater develop a positive relationship with food, the benefits of sensory play with food may outweigh the cost of a small amount of waste. Other identified needs may include helping children develop their fine motor skills or encouraging sensory exploration, which are crucial for their overall development. There are other ways to minimise waste, such as using small amounts of food or using food that would otherwise go to waste, such as overripe fruits and vegetables. By being mindful of these needs and taking steps to reduce waste, using food within sensory play can be a beneficial and responsible approach to early childhood development.
What are the impacts of NOT using food within play?
The impacts of not using food within play are relatively minimal, depending on the age of the child. There are other safe and effective sensory play resources available - especially for older children who aren't 'mouthing' resources regularly. However, there are some potential drawbacks to consider:
- Missed opportunities for learning: Food can be a great sensory play resource, as it engages children's senses of taste, smell, and touch in a unique way. By not using food within play, children may miss out on some valuable learning experiences.
- Increased waste: While using food within play can sometimes result in food waste, not using food at all may result in the need to purchase additional play resources, which can lead to increased waste in terms of packaging, production, and disposal.
- Limited exposure to food: By not using food within play, children may have limited exposure to different types of foods, textures, and tastes. This could potentially impact their willingness to try new foods and develop a healthy relationship with food.
- Environmental impact: Depending on the types of non-food play resources used, there may be environmental impacts associated with their production, transportation, and disposal. It's important to consider the sustainability of any play resources used and aim to minimise this type of alternative waste where possible.
- Another consideration is the possibility that by not purchasing food for use within play anymore, this could have consequences at other points in the food chain. For instance, if there is less demand for certain types of food, it could lead to reduced production and potentially even loss of jobs in the agriculture and food industries. Additionally, using non-food play resources instead may not necessarily be more environmentally friendly. For example, plastic toys often end up in landfills and contribute to pollution, while natural materials such as wood may require significant resources to produce and transport.
When it comes to environmental impacts, food waste is a major issue, with an estimated one-third of all food produced globally going to waste. However, it is worth noting that not all food waste is created equal. For example, composting food waste can actually have positive environmental impacts by reducing the amount of organic material in landfills and creating nutrient-rich soil for gardening. On the other hand, using non-food play resources such as plastic toys can contribute to pollution and other negative environmental impacts.
Ultimately, the most sustainable approach is to use food within sensory play when it fulfills an identified need, while also taking steps to minimise waste. This could include using small amounts of food, using food that would otherwise go to waste, or composting food waste afterwards. By being mindful of our environmental impact and finding creative solutions to reduce waste, we can continue to use food within sensory play in a responsible and sustainable way.
What are the alternatives to using food within sensory play for small babies who put everything in their mouths?
For small babies who put everything in their mouths, using food within sensory play is often a great option to keep them safe. There are, however, other alternative sensory play resources that are safe and appropriate for babies. Here are some ideas:
Non-food play resources available for small children and babies to use instead of food:
- Textured materials:
Babies love exploring different textures, so providing them with a range of textured materials such as fabrics, sponges, or soft bristled brushes can be a great sensory experience.
- Natural materials:
Natural materials such as pinecones, shells, and stones can be great for babies to explore under supervision. Make sure the items are large enough that they cannot be swallowed or pose a choking hazard.
- Water play:
Water play is a classic sensory play activity for babies, and can be as simple as filling up a shallow container with water and letting them splash around.
- Tuff tray play:
Tuff trays, also known as sensory trays, can be filled with a range of materials for sensory play. Some safe options for babies could include coloured rice, coloured water, or pom poms.
- Playdough:
Playdough is a classic sensory play resource that can be used for a range of activities, from sculpting to stamping, pinching and rolling. To make this safer for babies, pop the dough in a food bag first so that they can't remove small, chokeable sized pieces.
- Finger paint:
Finger painting is a great way for babies and young children to explore colour and texture while also developing their fine motor skills - try to find a natural, and taste safe option if not using the edible version mentions above.
- Musical instruments:
Musical instruments, such as shakers, drums, and xylophones, can be a great way for children to explore sound and rhythm. Have a read of my post on music and movements for children.
- Blocks and building toys:
Blocks and building toys can help children develop their spatial awareness, problem-solving skills, and creativity.
Remember, it's important to always supervise babies during sensory play and make sure that any materials used are safe and appropriate for their age and developmental stage.
But remember, there is always the option of...
Edible sensory materials:
For babies who are still putting everything in their mouths, there are a range of edible sensory materials that can be used safely, such as cooked pasta or grains, jelly, squirty cream, yoghurt and cornflour.
