Cornmeal Castles Sensory Play
Kids Sensory Activity – Sand Castle Dough!
This interesting dough is made much like the Cloud Dough you've probably seen (here's one version at the Imagination Tree), only with cornmeal instead of flour which makes for a neat texture and sandy color.
Cornmeal Sand Castle Dough:
All you need is two ingredients:
- Cornmeal and
- Oil (I used olive oil, but the type you use isn't real important)
If I had to guess, I'd say approximately 2 cups cornmeal to 3/4 cup oil, but you'll have to mix and feel for a consistency you like as you go. We'd been playing with cornmeal as a sensory experience recently, so I still had the baking dish out full of cornmeal when I thought of this idea. I just poured oil in until the consistency felt right.
Extend the Play:
This dough feels great in your hands and can be shaped and squished. Add a few toys and you've got even more fun.
You can start out with nothing in the bin except the dough and slowly add a few things and it will extend the length of time your child plays and allow them to thoroughly investigate each new element of play.
To make clean up easy you can put this out in a bin over a table cloth, play outside with it, or put a smaller bin inside of a larger shallow bin (such as an under the bed plastic storage container.)
Happy swishing and scooping and play!
Alissa Zorn is an author, and founder of the website Overthought This. She's a coach and cartoonist passionate about helping people overcome perfectionism and shame to build authentic, joyful lives. Alissa is certified through the International Coach Federation and got her Trauma-Informed Coaching certification from Moving the Human Spirit. She wrote Bounceback Parenting: A Field Guide for Creating Connection, Not Perfection, and is always following curiosity to find her next creative endeavor.