Forest Friends Sensory Tub

Sensory tubs are a fun for kids  to explore using their senses but also their imagination. We live near a forest with hiking trails and after we went as a family for a hike we came home and created this to extend the experience and play.

1. Gather your materials. You will need a container, forest animal figurines, pine cones, rocks,  filler like lentils, dried beans, and pasta. For this tub we used the saved filler from our St.Patrick’s Day Sensory Tub and our Butterfly Sensory Tub. I keep all the filler in ziplocs and save them for later play.
2. Pour the filler in.
3. Arrange the animals and pine cones.
4. Invite your little one to explore.  Tip : even if the room you are in has no rug use a bathmat or small area rug under the tub because as the filler spills ( and some always will) to slow them down from scattering.
5. She immediately started feeding the animals one at a time. I went with it and asked a few questions about what she was feeding them ( ham) and what they were doing in the forest ( playing cards).
6. I leave sensory tubs together for a week or two and we play every few days usually with the same theme but always let her lead the pretend play.

Books by Audrey Penn

A Kiss Goodbye by Audrey Penn is a sequel to one of my favorite books “The Kissing Hand”. In this book Chester the little raccoon has to leave his home to move to anther tree because his is being chopped down. This book really focuses on the feelings of fear of the unknown, the loss of security and the uncertainty that comes with moving. Feelings that even as a 34-year-old mom and veteran mover I am still facing! This is a great book and while you grab it grab all the other books the library has by this author, you won’t regret it.

A Pocket Full of Kisses by Audrey Penn is another book in her Kissing Hand series. Chester is not so happy about having a little brother and suggests that he gives him back! I love that jealousy doesn’t stem over toys or material things but rather over Mama giving his little brother a kissing hand too.  My mom has always called me sunshine and I will grudgingly admit that I do not like it when someone else earns this name, it’s an instinctual reaction and I am in my 30s! When Chester raccoon bursts into tears kids and adults alike can relate to it. Mam raccoon handles it beautifully and Chester understands that no matter how much love a mama has for one child it doesn’t take any way from others. This book was a great vehicle for discussion about our upcoming arrival and I urge other parents dealing with a new sibling or jealousy to check it out.

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn is an absolute favorite . Chester is a raccoon who like most of us doesn’t like change. In his case it’s starting school. He wants to stay home with his mama and play with the friends he already has instead of going to school away from her and his friends. So his mama explains to him the magic of the kissing hand . The real magic is the message that we have to do things that scare us sometimes but that the love of our family is always with us to help us through. Go get this book. See how perfect is this, mostly for me this week, I hate leaving my son, letting go is good for me but man I miss his snuggles when I am away!