Ever since I first ran across the idea of "soups" on Teach Preschool's amazing blog, we've been hooked! We've shared our Googly Eye Soup and our Valentine's Day Soup here on the blog, and now we have added a new favorite to the repertoire - Polka Dot Soup.
I love the bright little pops of color!
And grabbing them is great fine motor practice!
The polka dots spin and whirl if you rapidly stir them.
And they're even great for practicing color theory. :)
Plus it takes about 2 minutes to make. Total. Win.
To make polka dot soup, you'll need:
Water
Miscellaneous kitchen supplies
We love playing with bingo chips - they are a fun sensory experience by themselves (one of X's favorite things to scoop and dump), they are great for practicing counting and/or sorting, and they are fun for making art - either on regular paper or on contact paper
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Please note that they do pose a choking risk - so they are not for children who are still mouthing. If your child is too young, or if you don't want to buy bingo chips, circles cut out of foam sheets
make a great substitute (just be sure to cut circles that are big enough to not pose a choking risk!).
make a great substitute (just be sure to cut circles that are big enough to not pose a choking risk!).
If you liked this, be sure to check out our Polka Dot Slime!
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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children. As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family. I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision. Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies). Observe caution and safety at all times. The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.
Bingo chips - what a great idea! (I love the whole "soup" play idea too!)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Emma! And Teach Preschool is so clever!!!
DeleteI see on the reviews that the bingo chips come in 3 colors and need to be broken apart, possibly leaving sharp edges. What was your experience?
ReplyDeleteWe bought a kind that weren't in sheets - they were already broken apart. It was 4 years ago, though, so our exact listing isn't there anymore. :/ There do seem to be several listings of loose chips that don't need to be broken apart on Amazon - I'd just check the reviews on the listing to be sure that there aren't any issues. We did not have any trouble with ours, though if they get broken (stepped on), they can produce a sharp plastic edge. We just throw those out. :)
DeleteIf you have to break them apart, use a nail file to smooth out the edges!
ReplyDeleteGreat tip, Luanne!!!
DeleteIn my classroom (and home), we also use colored water marbles for a similar activity! :)
ReplyDeleteOh, fabulous! I bet that it is beautiful!
DeleteI have a 3 year old and a 1 year and I think they would love this activity however I have zero faith that they would keep the water anywhere near the bin! Any tips on how to keep the kiddos to keep the water in the same room as the bin:) ?
ReplyDeleteHahahaha - yes!
Deletehttp://www.funathomewithkids.com/2013/04/managing-messy-play.html
It will take a lot of reminders with the 1 year old, but the 3 year old should learn more quickly. :) By 18 months S was totally reliable and X is *mostly* reliable unless he's feeling rebellious. :)
Such a fun interactive idea, and beautiful photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!!! :)
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