My inspiration for these came from here - Preschool Play; they looked irresistible and went straight on my Pinterest Board of things to do. I finally got round to making them when I was near the end of my pregnancy with Poppy; I thought they would be a great addition to Jake's busy baskets (for when Im busy with baby things). I decided to fill the balloons with different things, rather than just playdough as I thought it would keep Jake's interest for a little longer. I decided not to add the faces to keep it simple, plus I or Jake can add them later to give them a new lease of life if necessary.
To make these sensory balloons you will need:
- Balloons (different colours work best)
- Playdough
- Pasta shapes
- Rice
- Granulated Sugar
- Anything else you want to put inside; some ideas: flour, water or gel (if you're brave), lentils, beans, salt, sand.
Playdough (my favourite)
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Rice (Jake's favourite)
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| Sugar |
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| Fusili Pasta |
Jake played with these for about 5 or 10 minutes at a time; he talks about how each one feels and tells me the rice filled one is his favourite. They help him chill out for a little bit if and when he needs to; he doesn't sit still for more than 20 seconds normally so 5 or 10 minutes is miraculous! I also sit and play with them sometimes; the playdough balloon is great for working out some tension, and of course Jake loves it when I join in with his activities. :-) Highly recommend this for all ages!
