OCEAN sensory bin…shaving cream and shells

I have always loved playing with shaving cream.  It is smooth and silky.  It is easy to clean up (because it is soap anything it touches is getting a spring cleaning!).  It keeps the kids engaged for a long time.  What more could you ask for?

I usually let the kids spread the shaving cream all over the table, like this.  This time I tried something new and I think it might be an even better way to use shaving cream!

what you need:  shaving cream ~ plastic bin ~ shells ~ food coloring ~ water table (optional)

I filled the bin, layering shells as I went.

I squeezed a little blue food coloring the middle as a bit of a surprise.  I wish I would have put a lot more.  This amount barely changed the color of the shaving cream once it was mixed in.

There was a lot of squishing, searching and giggling.

M and M moved over to do a little fence painting.

Once the kids were done (shaving cream starts to get itchy after a while) I decided to fill the water table.  I only intend for them to rinse themselves off, but what happened was so much more.  They went back an forth, adding shaving cream to the water.  They poured, mixed, talked.  It was a wonderful extra learning experience.

Tips (to maximize learning):  1.  Be ready for clean up when you start.  Have water and a towel near by, it will make it so much easier to settle into the activity and enjoy it with your kids.  2.  This could easily be done indoors.  3.  1 shaving cream can fill half of the container I used.  Next time I will try 2 or maybe 3 cans.

Questions (to ask your kids):   “How does the shaving cream feel?”  “Find two shells, what is the same about the shells?  What is different about the shells?”  “What will happen if…..”

What is your favorite way to use shaving cream?

This post is a part of the OCEAN lesson plan.

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