Playing with flour on a tray was one of the first activities I blogged about, and it has remained a family favorite! It was the perfect way to unwind after an errand-filled day. The kids made tracks with dinosaurs and other plastic animals, and explored the texture with their hands:
The secret to keeping this activity (relatively) mess-free is to use a tray with sides and to limit the amount of flour each child has. Lily two tablespoons of cornmeal.
Emma and Johnny each had roughly three tablespoons. Lily was the only one to spill any, so sweeping up was minimal. Johnny got some on his shirt sleeves, but that washes up easily.
Emma drew hearts (anyone else seeing a trend?)
And Johnny put together an impressive animal parade! Thank you, Ticia and Natalie for introducing me to animal Toobs!
How do your kids unwind at the end of a long day?
MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
Oh, love this! Goes to show toys don’t have to be made of plastic and cost much :).
Thanks for sharing.
This looks like so much fun!
i was just trying to think of something that my 2 year old will not eat..great idea thanks:)
Aren’t they the most awesome things ever? I LOVE them.
Maybe I’ll give this a try again sometime.
We have never done flour play, but it looks like fun. We usually unwind by cuddling (easier with one :)) and by playing simple games such as “climb on mama to be caught and tickled” or “balloon batting”
It has been a long time since we have done this; I have to do it soon. We have also used jello powder – the kids love this because they can lick their fingers; it is sticky though.
My 6 year old is the one who needs to unwind the most, especially when he gets home from school. For him, the most soothing activity is playing with building toys.
At our house we like to say, “Do you know what a heart means?” And the answer is, “Love!” :)
My kids generally unwind by running around the house yelling (loud version) or asking me to read to them (quiet version).
Now I’m inspired to get some trays so we can have a quiet independent-play option!
I love Emma’s curls! So sweet.
Great idea!
Have I told you lately how much I think you ROCK!! This is an awesome idea!
Thank you!