Baby Sensory Play: Wax Paper Shape Discovery Tub

I certainly couldn't leave baby Bear out of the bathtub fun this week, and since we rarely use his baby tub for actual baths these days (unless they're fraught with choking hazards and non-ingestibles), I thought it would make a wonderful vessel for baby-friendly sensory items.

We do a lot of squishy, messy, wet, slimy sensory play around here, but I often feel like we're ignoring all of the other senses.  I've added sound bottles to the classroom, and have plans for even more sensory additions.  I thought I'd start with something that would engage sight, hearing and touch all at once - and knowing Bear, taste, as well.

I used the shapes from our Melissa and Doug Shape-Sorting Cube and added pieces of wax paper.  If your baby, like mine, puts everything in his mouth, be sure to use only large sheets of wax paper.

I started with all of the shapes covered by the paper, so he immediately went for a sheet of wax paper and shook it around to hear the noise it made.  He has recently learned how to clap, so he experimented with clapping while holding one sheet of the wax paper and while holding a sheet in each hand.

Soon, though, he discovered that there were other treasures hidden in this tub!

Shapes!!


Bear spent a long time playing with this invitation - longer than most people would believe possible for a 7 month old.  I left it out for three days and he continued returning to it, discovering and exploring different shapes.

Eventually, he figured out that he could take the sheets of wax paper out of the tub and crawl/slide on the floor with them, crinkling his way through the house.

Even Monkey got in on the wax paper action and asked for a few sheets so he could 'ice skate' on the carpets - try THAT one with your preschoolers!!

More baby sensory play adventures to come!