Get messy with this collection of unusual ideas for creative play and exploration. These activities are REALLY messy, but great fun!

Funny smells, sticky hands and squishy textures are all part of the way in which children develop sensory awareness. Fun with Messy Play is an exciting activity book that heightens the sensory perception of children with special needs through the imaginative use of everyday 'messy' materials like baked beans, condensed milk, jelly or glue. The activities in this book are fun for children and help to improve their co-ordination, communicative and cognitive abilities, as well as their self-esteem and social skills. Each exercise focuses the child on a movement or sensation that they will later be able to apply to everyday life. By allowing children to explore their senses while having fun, messy play provides a relaxing therapy that encourages sensory responsiveness without placing stressful expectations on the child. This is an easy-to-use, practical resource for parents and professionals. It includes ideas and examples from practitioners along with helpful suggestions for different types of equipment that can be used.

Unplug from technology and "plug in" to nature through the wonder of your senses. The Book of Nature Connection is packed with fun activities for using all our senses to engage with nature in a deep and nourishing way. From "extenda-ears" and acorn whistles to bird calls, camouflage games, and scent scavenger hunts, enjoy over 70 diverse, engaging, sensory activities for all ages that promote mindfulness and nature connection. With activities grouped by the main senses – hearing, sight, smell, touch, and taste – plus sensory walks and group games, The Book of Nature Connection is both a powerful learning tool kit and the cure for sensory anesthesia brought on by screen time and lives lived indoors. Whisper in birds, be dazzled by nature's kaleidoscope of colors, taste the freshness of each season, learn to savor the scented world of evergreens, hug a tree and feel the bark against your cheek. Spending time in nature with all senses tuned and primed helps us feel like we belong to the natural world – and in belonging, we come to feel more connected, nourished, and alive. Ideal for educators, camp and youth leaders, caregivers and parents, and anyone looking to reconnect and become a nature sommelier! AWARDS GOLD | 2023 Nautilus Book Awards | Special Honors: Educational Guidebooks SILVER | 2023 IPPY Awards: Nature SILVER | 35th IBPA Benjamin Franklin Book Awards: Nature & Environment

More than 35 activities and ideas that inspire children to explore the world around them. An important part of childhood is being curious and trying out new experiences. What do things taste, feel, smell, sound like? What happens when you add red to blue, mix earth with water, or drop a blob of paint from a great height? These childhood experiments are vital for development and provide hours of entertainment. Recipes for Play contains easy and inexpensive ideas for engaging your child’s senses. Many wonderful hours can be spent playing with natural ingredients found in your kitchen cupboard or backyard garden. Make your own face paint in minutes, whip up a batch of oozy slime, create clouds of color with rainbow rice, and so much more. Sisters Rachel Sumner and Ruth Mitchener have created Recipes for Play for parents and teachers—or anyone with a child in their life—who want to encourage tactile learning but don’t want their lives to be controlled by chaos. Each recipe has easy-to-follow instructions for setting up activities and simple steps for cleaning up once the fun is finished.

A huge range of ideas for outdoor games and activities.

Small world play activities provide opportunities for learning both indoors and outdoors. Play activities help children learn with both enjoyment and challenge. All the activities in this book can be adapted to suit your setting and the topics you are covering. Collecting your own resources for the activities and exploring them with your children will give as much pleasure as using them in adult directed activities.

Collects one hundred activities for kids, including a fingerprint tree, masking tape car track, mini piñata, and feather painting.